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Telematics and In-Car Technology Mostly for Big City Dwellers

ENCINITAS, Calif.--April 15, 2005--Drivers in America's biggest cities use Stolen Vehicle Tracking, In-Vehicle Navigation, and Monitored Telematics systems more often than those in rural areas, according to the recently released Telematics Profile Report from MetaFacts and the Telematics Research Group (TRG).

"Car theft is a major concern in big cities, and Americans are using stolen vehicle tracking technology twice as often as the average American," said Dan Ness, Principal Analyst with MetaFacts. "In-Car Navigation and GPS systems are being used more for city streets than open highways."

The surveys also indicate that households in medium-sized metropolitan areas, those with 1 million to just under 2.5 million households, have the highest rate of using In-Car DVD/VCR systems, at 25% higher than the national average.

"Higher use of In-Car infotainment is due to long travels in rural areas, especially with children as passengers," said Dr. Egil Juliussen, TRG's Chief Technology Analyst. "Telematics usage is also strong in rural areas, but Navigation is low and Stolen Vehicle Tracking is even lower." 

             Usage Distribution by Metropolitan Area Size
----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    Under   50    1,000   2,500
                                            to      to     and
MSA Population Size (000):            50   999.9  2,499.9  Over Total
----------------------------------- ----- ------ -------- ----- ------
Share of all Households (%)         20.6   27.5     25.6  26.4  100.0
----------------------------------- ----- ------ -------- ----- ------
Distribution of Households with
 Telematics Users:
----------------------------------- ----- ------ -------- ----- ------
Monitored Telematics (%)            17.3   26.4     23.4  32.9  100.0
----------------------------------- ----- ------ -------- ----- ------
Hands-free cell phone (%)           16.5   25.1     26.1  32.3  100.0
----------------------------------- ----- ------ -------- ----- ------
In-Vehicle Navigation (%)            9.8   18.2     29.0  43.1  100.0
----------------------------------- ----- ------ -------- ----- ------
In-Car DVD/VCR Systems (%)          18.0   22.1     32.1  27.9  100.0
----------------------------------- ----- ------ -------- ----- ------
Stolen Vehicle Tracking (%)         8.90   15.0     23.7  52.3  100.0
----------------------------------- ----- ------ -------- ----- ------

Source: MetaFacts & TRG - Telematics Profile Report - April 2005

The 200+ page Telematics Profile Report is available immediately. More information is available at www.metafacts.com and www.telematicsresearch.com.

The complete Technology User Profile study, on which the Telematics Profile Report is based, provides a detailed profile of how Americans use technology products such as computers, printers, consumables, digital cameras, the Internet, cellular phones, and related services. The most recent edition of the study includes results from 32,150 respondents, making it possible to leverage the service's database for sizing, demographics, segmentation, profiling, analysis, and custom surveying.