Autoweb's Automotive Information Center and JATO Dynamics Announce Data Partnership.

Business and Technology Editors

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 5, 2001

Autoweb's Automotive Information Center (AIC), the source for leading edge automotive Internet technology, and JATO Dynamics, the leading global provider of vehicle price and specification data, today announced an agreement that will facilitate expanding the reach of AIC's tools and technology to a global audience. Through the agreement, AIC will develop tools and technology that incorporate JATO data into information-based solutions for all industries interested in the global automotive market. In addition, AIC will have the ability to use JATO data for its existing clients.

"The needs within the automotive industry for globally accurate data, information and insight have never been stronger. With our JATO agreement, AIC's tools and technology will provide the broadest range of information-based solutions to meet the ever growing needs within this market. It is a great way for AIC to extend our industry-leading position and provide our customers with true global solutions," notes Bill Barrett, President of AIC.

"JATO has prided itself on the depth of its global data. This arrangement with AIC means that JATO data can be showcased in AIC's intelligent and comprehensive tool set. The addition of JATO data into AIC's data and technology solutions will leverage the strengths of both companies to best support the needs of consumers and industry professionals," notes Jake Shafran, Managing Director of JATO.

AIC provides the consumer and the automotive professional markets with a wide array of automotive-oriented research tools including: an easy to use configurator, a comparitor, and other tools that provide users with accurate and actionable information to assist them in their automotive research process. AIC also offers its unique and highly integrated solutions--including a configurator and comparitor incorporated into a single tool. This integrated tool allows a user to automatically pass a configured vehicle into a comparitor. It also automatically configures the competing model for a like-to-like assessment, allowing users to spend time making decisions, not entering data or getting trapped in a dead-end process.

JATO Dynamics is the global standard for automotive information, offering consistent vehicle pricing and specifications data, sales and registration volumes and consumer incentives in markets around the world. JATO collects in excess of 600 items of specifications and pricing data for each vehicle sold in 41 countries, making it the only automotive data provider of its kind that has the depth of information to allow dynamic configuration of vehicle options, specifications, pricing and attributes to deliver true comparisons. JATO also provides the flexibility to translate each country database into 25 languages and handle multiple currencies.

This agreement is the first part in a broad relationship between AIC and JATO that is now underway. The intent of the agreement is to leverage the best strengths of each firm in a cost-effective and rapid-response manner. As the agreement expands, it has the potential to cover a wide realm of technology, data, and solutions for consumers, portals, OEMs, dealers and industry professionals.

About AIC

The Automotive Information Center (AIC) division of Autoweb is the leading provider of automotive content, data and intelligent tools used to power Internet services, portals and manufacturer web sites. AIC researchers rely on decades of industry experience to create the most accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date research platform in the business. All AIC data and tools feature our unique optimal price capabilities, which enable consumers to configure and compare vehicles on the basis of lowest possible price. Visitors to sites powered by the AIC technology are able to configure a vehicle by manufacturer, make, model, trim specifications and other option packages, as well as perform side-by-side competitive vehicle comparisons. This proprietary technology provides a competitive advantage for dealers and enhances the shopper's experience by offering realistic, actionable information.

About JATO

JATO Dynamics has been the premier provider of global automotive data since 1984, gathering data in 41 countries, in 25 languages. Since April 2000, JATO has signed contracts with automotive manufacturers, suppliers, financial institutions and Internet buying services to provide data for Web applications. Alliances with technology partners in the United States and other countries allow JATO to provide customer support or Web solutions for those clients looking to develop Web sites that fully integrate the up-to-date specifications, pricing and incentives data.