9/22/2004 9:36:00 AM
Award winning wireless computer with head-worn see-through display
supports productivity and superior customer service at Norm Reeves
Honda Superstore in Cerritos, CA
BOTHELL, Wash. & ORLANDO, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sept. 22, 2004– Microvision Inc. (Nasdaq:MVIS) announced today from the Annual
Honda Dealer Conference that its Nomad Expert Technician System is
scheduled for use at Norm Reeves Honda Superstore, Cerritos, CA, the
world’s largest Honda auto dealer. The Nomad System is the world’s
first wearable, wireless computer with a head-worn, head-up display,
providing automotive technicians and service advisors with hands-free
access to online vehicle history and repair information while they
work on vehicles or consult with customers. Service personnel can
provide faster, more accurate service and repairs with critical
information superimposed in their vision as they work. The Nomad
System was recently awarded the prestigious 20 Top Tools Award by
Hearst Publishing’s Motor Magazine.
Norm Reeves Honda Superstore is part of the Conant Auto Retail
Group, one of the largest and fastest growing privately owned auto
groups in the US. With a total of eight dealerships in Southern
California, the Conant Auto Retail Group also includes Cerritos Ford,
Cerritos Lincoln Mercury and Cerritos Infiniti. Along with the Honda
Superstore, these dealerships represent a large portion of the
“World’s Largest Auto Mall”, The Cerritos Auto Square. The Conant Auto
Retail Group’s other dealerships include Norm Reeves Honda Superstore
West Covina, Norma Reeves Honda Superstore Huntington Beach, Toyota
San Diego and Riverside Infiniti.
The installation of the Nomad System at Norm Reeves Honda follows
a series of marketing efforts targeted to Honda dealers, including a
national direct marketing campaign by American Honda to all of its
dealers in the United States. Microvision is currently showcasing the
Nomad System at Honda’s new car show for over 1000 Honda Dealers in
Orlando, Fl. beginning on September 23rd.
Lee Stacy, Executive Vice President of Operations for the Conant
Auto Retail Group, stated for Norm Reeves Honda, “Our underlying
business philosophy has always been to focus on the care and
satisfaction of our customers and our people. These values have fueled
the company’s growth in the past decade and will be the basis of its
growth in the future. With this philosophy, we’re excited about
deploying the Nomad Expert Technician System into our service
business. The Nomad System can help us improve Honda repair quality
and customer satisfaction by helping our technicians to ‘fix it right
the first time.’ The system will provide our automotive technicians
and service advisors with head-up, hands-free access to online vehicle
history and repair data while they work on the vehicle. With critical
information superimposed in their vision as they work, our service
personnel will have a valuable tool to help ensure our leadership
position in the marketplace.”
The Nomad Expert Technician System enables automobile dealerships
to increase service revenue and profitability as well as improve
service quality and customer satisfaction – equally important, as more
than 50% of a typical dealer’s gross profits come from service
operations while high customer repair satisfaction is directly
correlated with customer retention.
The Nomad System is a versatile information tool, and in addition
to service repair applications, the system can also be used for
interfacing with diagnostic testers, ordering parts and checking order
status, picking repair parts in the warehouse, and enabling service
advisors to talk with customers at their vehicles.
According to the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA),
total dealership revenue reached almost $700 billion in 2003. Service
and parts departments contributed 46% of total operating profits at
the average dealership.
There were 25,200 separate new car dealer franchises listed in the
1997 U.S. Economic Census. Worldwide there are an estimated 73,000 new
car dealerships, 3,200 heavy truck dealers, 448,000 Repair Shops, and
48,000 tire dealers. In total these enterprises employ more than 1.37
million technicians, with 875,000 technicians employed in the U.S. by
new car dealers and aftermarket repair shops.
About Microvision: www.microvision.com
Headquartered in Bothell, Wash., Microvision Inc. is the developer
of highly patented scanned beam technology for display and imaging
applications. The company’s technology has applications in a broad
range of military, medical, industrial, professional and consumer
information products.
Forward Looking Statement
Certain statements contained in this release, including potential
market opportunity and potential product benefits, are forward-looking
statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
projected in the company’s forward-looking statements include the
following: market acceptance of our technologies and products; our
ability to obtain financing; our financial and technical resources
relative to those of our competitors; our ability to keep up with
rapid technological change; government regulation of our technologies;
our ability to enforce our intellectual property rights and protect
our proprietary technologies; the ability to obtain additional
contract awards and to develop partnership opportunities; the timing
of commercial product launches; the ability to achieve key technical
milestones in key products; and other risk factors identified from
time to time in the company’s SEC reports, including in its Annual
Report on 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, and its Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q.
CONTACT: Microvision Inc.
Matt Nichols, 425-415-6657 (Media)
Brian Heagler, 425-415-6794 (Investors)
SOURCE: Microvision Inc.