TimesThree Calgary Ltd., a leading provider of network-based location services, jointly owned by IQ2 Communications Corp. (70 percent) and Cell-Loc Inc. (TSX: CLQ) (30 percent), today announced that it has entered into a service agreement with Co-operators General Insurance Company (Co-operators Insurance) to market on a trial basis a stolen vehicle recovery service. The service trial, commencing in June of this year, will be the first of its kind offered in Calgary.
The agreement requires Co-operators Insurance to purchase from TimesThree Calgary a minimum of 200 TimesThree Cellocate BeaconTM1 devices (low-cost mobile transmitting devices) for its policyholders. Cooperators Insurance will also pay TimesThree Calgary a monthly monitoring and location service fee for 24-hour surveillance of the policyholders vehicle during the trial period. Upon notification by the policyholder that the vehicle has been stolen or is missing, TimesThree Calgary will use the Cellocate BeaconTM1 Network to establish the vehicles location. This location information will be provided to the police department to assist with its vehicle recovery efforts.
"Implementing this type of new service here in Calgary provides for a win-win solution for all involved," said Garry Herback, Western Region, Vice President, Co-operators Insurance. "We are always looking for new technology and services that address industry-wide problems such as vehicle theft. Our goal at the end of this agreement is to evaluate the stolen vehicle recovery service provided by TimesThree Calgary, and introduce the service to all of our policyholders upon the successful completion of the service trial."
"We are very excited about having Co-operators Insurance support this service offering," said Tom Dechert, President, IQ2 Communications Corp. "We believe that TimesThree Calgary's stolen vehicle recovery service will provide significant value to not only the insurance industry but to policyholders as well. It is our expectation that with a reliable service offering in place, insurance claims and auto theft premiums may be reduced."
"We are very pleased that our advanced wireless network-based location technology, the Cellocate Beacon Network, will be used to support this new and innovative service," said Dr. Michel Fattouche, President & CEO, Cell-Loc Inc.
Our low-cost wireless location network makes the service offered by TimesThree Calgary very competitive when compared to other vehicle location services that use GPS and cellular technologies. Also, the Cellocate Beacon? Network
offers location-finding accuracy comparable to GPS systems without the additional cost to the consumer for network communication charges.?
We are very pleased that our advanced wireless network-based location technology, the Cellocate Beacon? Network, will be used to support this new and innovative service,? said Dr. Michel Fattouche, President & CEO, Cell-Loc Inc. "Our low-cost wireless location network makes the service offered by TimesThree Calgary very competitive when compared to other vehicle location services that use GPS and cellular technologies. Also, the Cellocate Beacon Network offers location-finding accuracy comparable to GPS systems without the additional cost to the consumer for network communication charges."
According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, automobile theft in Canada is a significant problem that is estimated to cost Canadian insurers $600 million to repair or replace stolen cars. According to the Calgary Police Service, the number of reported stolen vehicles is a growing problem in the city of Calgary - over 4800 stolen cars were reported last year, a 2 percent increase over the year before.
TimesThree Calgary is planning to offer other innovative location-based services in the City of Calgary later this year and a number of location-based services in the City of Austin, TX in early 2003.
About TimesThree Calgary About Co-operators General Insurance Company About IQ2 Communications About Cell-Loc
TimesThree Calgary Ltd. is a joint venture between IQ2 Communications Corp and Cell-Loc Inc. Corp. and Cell-Loc Inc. The company develops and delivers wireless location-based services under licensing agreements for the cities of Calgary, AB and Austin, TX.
Co-operators Insurance www.cooperators.ca is the largest wholly Canadian owned multi-line insurance company with assets that exceed $4.7 billion and that include 29 co-operatives, credit unions and similarly structured organizations representing a combined membership of over 4.5 million Canadians. Co-operators protects over 1.2 million Canadian drivers, 826,000 homes and the lives of 490,000 Canadians and also insures 260,000 employees through group benefit plans, 45,000 farms and 85,000 businesses.
IQ2 Communications Corp. has extensive experience in the area of billing and administration services, software development marketing management and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IQ2 Power Corp. www.iq2power.com. IQ2 Power Corp is a subsidiary of PG&E National Energy Group.
Cell-Loc Inc. www.cell-loc.com, a leader in the wireless location industry, is a developer of Cellocate™, a family of wireless location products that enable location-based services. Located in Calgary, Alberta, Cell-Loc currently develops, markets and supports its patented wireless location technology globally. Cell-loc is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the trading symbol: “CLQ.”
Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains certain forward- looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, and Cell-Loc does not undertake an obligation to update forward-looking statements should conditions or management's estimates or opinions change.
Note to Editors: Cell-Loc, Cellocate, Cellocate System, Cellocate Beacon, TimesThree and LocationBroker are trademarks of Cell-Loc Inc.
The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the information contained herein.
TimesThree Calgary contact:
Jim George Co-operator Insurance contact:
Larry Swalm
general manager
Phone: (403) 261-3386
district sales manager
Phone: (403) 221-7116