SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 18, 1997--You look in your car's rearview mirror; someone is following you. There's not a police cruiser in sight. The car behind you speeds up, coming closer, and its occupants don't look friendly. No car alarm will help you now; you need contact with an authority trained to deal with this situation. There's no one in sight, so how can you achieve control?

"In a situation like this, you're bound to feel helpless," said Jesse Flores, executive vice president for ATX Technologies, Inc. "You want immediate assistance---and now you can get it, with ATX's Emergency Communications Specialist (ECS) who is online with you via cellular technology and a superior tracking system."

ATX Technologies Inc., maker of the OnGuard Tracker(R), is an acknowledged leader not only in sophisticated tracking hardware but also in customer service. ATX is the only company of its kind to offer a complete, in-house monitoring service staffed round the clock by highly trained industry professionals. ATX's professionals provide emergency contact as well as a number of convenience services that make a customer's life safer and simpler.

On-Line With OnGuard

"An ATX customer in a menacing situation can press his car's panic button and tell the ECS that he is being followed and ask for continual monitoring. The ECS stays online for the duration of the trip, ensuring a safe arrival," Flores said. "If the menacing car becomes a real threat, ask the ECS to send police assistance and they will immediately comply."

Eyes and Ears

The ECS team staffs the OnGuard Response Center, a 24-hour/seven-day-a-week monitoring station. The station uses two-way data/voice communications, via the OnGuard Tracker, to provide emergency, directional and monitoring services. The response center staffs more than 35 individuals, many of whom are state-certified in police dispatch and emergency situation protocol; some of them are, in fact, police officers themselves. Each ECS is responsible for answering incoming calls and providing assistance to customers. In emergency situations, it is the ECS's job to coordinate with police, fire and EMS departments in order to provide quick and efficient help to customers requiring assistance.

The ECS technicians' workstation consists of two separate PC-based units for monitoring a Tracker-equipped vehicle. The first system, the Base Station, functions as the "ears" of the technician. Using a unique modulation system to interpret data/voice signals from the Tracker, the Base Station provides response center personnel with "real-time" data and audio from the monitored vehicle. The GPS (Global Positioning System) board built into the Tracker provides the Base Station logistical information such as vehicle latitude/longitude and speed and direction. The Base Station also provides the ECS with type of incoming call being received, ignition status and whether it is a system alarm or a panic switch activation.

The Map Station functions as the "eyes" of the ECS. As each incoming call is received, the Map Station displays the location of the calling vehicle. With detailed street address information on every city in the United States, the ECS can provide directional assistance or guide emergency personnel to a customer's location.

An Umbrella of Services

"ATX is the only company which offers the complete security solution," Flores said. "We design and manufacture the product, certify the installers and provide the monitoring service. No other company provides that range of products and services. But you get more than just personal security with the system; we provide a number of convenience services as well. Beneath the Tracker's umbrella of security lies a host of convenience services, from arranging hotel reservations to locating restaurants in an unfamiliar location. We're here to serve our customers in any way we can."

ATX Technologies Inc. is the leading provider of vehicle tracking, personal security and directional assistance for the aftermarket of personal automobiles. ATX markets its products to truck fleets and other organizations requiring tracking and location of heavy equipment. ATX Technologies is the only company of its kind in the industry with complete vertical integration from the design, manufacturing and sales to vehicle monitoring in the Response Center. Each member of the OnGuard family of products can be installed in any vehicle to protect owners from theft and other crimes and provide convenience services. There are more than 200 OnGuard dealers nationwide. Information on dealer locations is available by calling 800/466-4827.

CONTACT: ATX TECHNOLOGIES, San Antonio

Robyn Barnes, 210/979-4999 ext. 279