Press Release

ViaMichelin launches MapSonic software for PDAs: a voice guidance navigation software range available on Palm OS

Munich, Germany, September 22nd, 2003 ViaMichelin, a subsidiary of the Michelin Group, devoted to providing digital travel assistance products and services in Europe, is speeding up the deployment of its navigation and mapping software for Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs).

After the acquisition of SWI in June 2003, a navigation and mapping PDA software publishing company, ViaMichelin presents MapSonic Europe, its new navigation software offering, available for Palm OS®. This software can also be used with a laptop and a GPS as a navigation system.

Palm Powered™ device users will be able to travel more easily throughout Europe, thanks to detailed maps, driving directions and real-time voice guidance. To do this, users simply download their required maps from their PCs to their Palm Powered device, connect to a GPS* antenna and then enter in their departure and arrival points窶ｦ Thus, he will let himself be guided by MapSonic, whether he is in a car or on foot, on holiday or on a business trip.

"MapSonic Europe supports the high-resolution screens of many Palm Powered devices and is a great application for the business traveler and the tourist. The time savings alone for getting on-demand, always-with-you driving directions and voice guidance throughout Europe is worth the price of admission. I can't wait to get this product." said Larry Berkin, director of global developer marketing, PalmSource, Inc.

The MapSonic Europe application, available in 5 languages (11 languages for voice guidance), covers 16 countries and will be marketed beginning in October in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, Spain and the United Kingdom.

MapSonic Europe: flawless voice navigation

User-friendly and easy-to-use, the MapSonic Europe GPS navigation software offers numerous functionality that makes it an ideal companion for any Palm Powered device user:

• Route calculating
• GPS function with voice guidance
• Over 100,000 towns
• 20 levels of zoom
• Key word search engine
• Driving directions with display of road signs
• Interfacing with the address book
• Management of points of interest (car parks, airports, hospitals, service stations, etc.)
• Cutting-out on the PC of the ideal map (including levels of zoom) to be downloaded to the PDA
• Automatic, instantaneous calculation of the route in the event of a navigation error
• Permanent display of the quality of reception of the GPS signals
• Ultra optimized graphics engine providing total flexibility of the maps on the screen

Practical information

Recommended retail price: 199 euros including VAT

On sale: starting in October at the online store at the website www.ViaMichelin.de, www.ViaMichelin.co.uk, www.ViaMichelin.fr, www.ViaMichelin.es, www.ViaMichelin.it and specialist shops

Minimum equipment and configuration:

• Palm™ Zire 71, Tungsten T, T2, C and Sony™ Cliﾃｩ NZ 90, NX70V, TG50Palm OS 5, minimum 16 Mb RAM, 320x320 screen, 8 Mb to start the application
• PC Pentium 200 Mhz - CD-Rom drive - Windows 98, Me, 2000 or XP minimum 128 MB RAM, 650 MB available on hard disk

* The GPS function requires an NMEA 2.0 compatible GPS module, based on WGS84.

About ViaMichelin
ViaMichelin is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Michelin Group. ViaMichelin designs, develops and markets digital travel products and services for European road users. Drawing upon Michelin's centennial expertise in the travel world, this activity, launched in 2001, is intended for leisure and business users alike. ViaMichelin provides a full range of services (maps, route plans, hotels, restaurants, traffic information, tourist information) which can be accessed on a variety of media: internet (www.ViaMichelin.de), mobile phones, PCs (with CD-ROMs), on-board navigation systems and personal digital assistants.