10Meters News Service

July 13, 2001 – Oracle and Ford are jumping into the telematics market with a new partnership aimed at creating voice-activated services for in-car Internet communications.

Announced yesterday, the joint technology development deal will be based on the Oracle9i Application Server Wireless and Oracle9i Database and will be sold by Wingcast. Wingcast is a privately held company owned by Ford and Qualcomm.

"We think that the best wireless telematics technology will come from the Wingcast and Oracle coalition," said Larry Ellison, chairman and CEO of Oracle Corp. "That's where we're placing our bet."

Wingcast will launch services in model year 2003 vehicles, including Ford Motor Company and Nissan vehicle lines. The cars will be available to consumers by mid-2002.

The two companies said they will "immediately" form an Accelerated Development Center (ADC) in San Diego to develop, test and implement advanced telematics services.

Primary categories to be developed include communications, infotainment/entertainment, mobile commerce and position commerce, business and personal information and safety/security. Additionally, the two will work on location services to complement Wingcast's current telematics offering.

Wingcast says the services will be based on voice-activated commands and will return automated voice responses, both aimed at providing a safer way for motorists to communicate while driving.

International Data Corporation has estimated that the telematics market will grow to $42 billion by 2010 from $1 billion in 1998.