By Tony Hallett, 8 March 1999 17:57
NEWS Trafficmaster and a unit of Mannesmann, the German industrial group, are to work together on technology that could lead to a pan-European traffic monitoring service. Announcing record annual profits of £6.2m today, Trafficmaster said it is going to increase its emphasis on Europe. In a statement, Trafficmaster said: "Germany is central to our strategy since it is the largest single market and the home of the engineering departments of most major European car manufacturers. It is important that comparable services are available right across the main European markets using common communication protocols." The partnership will see Mannesmann Autocom acquire a 49 per cent stake in Trafficmaster's German subsidiary, with Trafficmaster granted an option to buy into the German company's telematics unit when it comes to the UK. The two companies will develop services for motor manufacturers and GSM network operators, based on technology that can operate alongside Trafficmaster's own UHF beacon-based systems. Services based on both types of technology will be available by the end of 1999. Mannesmann holds stakes in several European mobile telephone network operators - a situation that could hasten the roll out of services. Trafficmaster's existing customers include BMW, Citroen and Jaguar, as well as the Automobile Association and the RAC.
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