Re Joint Venture

ITIS Holdings PLC 7 February 2001 7th February 2001 ITIS Holdings announces joint venture with Minorplanet Representing breakthrough in consumer telematics. ITIS Holdings plc (ITIS), the AIM listed telematics company specialising in the provision of location based services to drivers, has today announced a new joint venture with its strategic partner Minorplanet Systems PLC (Minorplanet). The new joint venture company will commercialise products that exploit technology developed by the Universities of Madrid and Barcelona in regard to in-vehicle computing capability and genetic algorithms. As a result, the joint venture company will launch two new products which will revolutionise the telematics market and deliver cost and time saving benefits to individual consumers and fleet managers alike. ITIS has formed a new company which has purchased software and products from Minorplanet and its Spanish subsidiaries for £1.7million in cash. The joint venture builds on ITIS's innovation in consumer telematics services and Minorplanet's market leading position in the provision of vehicle management information systems. The joint venture will be held as a 100% subsidiary of ITIS with the option for Minorplanet to acquire 50% of the subsidiary at any time for a nominal sum. Minorplanet acquired the technology at the end of last year and under this agreement, in addition to the £1.7million paid to Minorplanet, ITIS has also committed to pay 20% (capped at £2million) of the total earn out payable to the previous owners of the Spanish operation based on profits in year three. The new company will own the license to the technologies and share profits equally. The products Mini-Navigator is effectively a covert mini PC which will fit alongside the existing Minorplanet AEM 4000 in-vehicle telematics unit (Minorplanet DCU) which in turn provides positioning information and a communications channel. The Mini-Navigator can pre-process data available within the vehicle, alerting a server if certain conditions are met. The principle applications for ITIS are in vehicle security and Floating Vehicle Data (FVD). In addition, the system will offer functionality including links to the vehicle's engine management system (CANbus). The key benefit of using a PC processor is the ready availability of development toolkits, protocols and programmers. Genetic Algorithms, so called because they mimic the process of evolution, are used for solving problems where there are a near infinite number of solutions and where the outcomes depend on complex combination of variables. This server based application will be used to develop solutions for navigation, dynamic re-routing and vehicle scheduling problems. Stuart Marks (Chief Executive, ITIS) said, 'The joint venture itself is a clear demonstration of Minorplanet and ITIS working together and goes to the heart of our agreement to co-operate on a worldwide basis.' 'Mini-Navigator is the missing link in telematics. Combined with the Minorplanet DCU, we can use this low cost 'client side' intelligence in groundbreaking applications for our security and driver services business NavTrak, as well as enriching our FVD model. In addition, the Genetic Algorithm technology will further improve our server based capability to deliver intelligent traffic solutions to drivers.' Ends Contact: Stuart Marks Chief Executive ITIS Holdings plc Telephone 0161 929 5788 Ginny Pulbrook/ Rupert Steveney Citigate Dewe Rogerson Telephone 0207 2282 2945
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