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Strategies & Market Trends : Rande Is . . . HOME -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kevin Shea who wrote (18839)	1/18/2000 8:56:00 AM
From: Kevin Shea	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 57584

More on XYBR at Detroit Auto Show Live-Bots' Bring the Detroit Auto Show to the Web at Ford.com DETROIT, Jan. 18, 2000 (FCN)-- Ford Motor Company is enabling consumers to experience the excitement of the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2000 virtually at ford.com. Through the eyes of six mobile "live-bots" -- individuals outfitted with wearable computers equipped with video capture capability and a wireless link to the Internet -- consumers will be able to view on demand images from the Ford Motor Company exhibit as they are recorded by the live-bots and relayed at ford.com. "Our live-bots allow consumers to interact with Ford's vision of the future of driving," said Dave Sanabria, new business development manager for Ford Motor Company's Consumer e-Business Group. "This is just another way that Ford is working to enhance our customer relationships." The Detroit auto show is the industry's largest and most important annual event that unveils one-of-a-kind concept vehicles and showcases the market introduction of new vehicles. By visiting ford.com and clicking on the auto show link, users will be able to interact with one of Ford's six live-bots, each wearing a wrist-mounted touch panel LCD screen, and have their show- related questions answered instantly by the live-bot. The auto show Web site at ford.com will house 50 "views" (images and streaming video) of the Ford exhibits that the live-bots have taped and which users may access on demand. Each day from Jan. 15 to 23, users will be able to vote on which parts of the show they would like to see that are not already available for viewing. At the end of each day, the votes will be tallied, and the winning view will be taped and available at the site the following day. Auto show site visitors will also be able to learn about the announcements that Ford Motor Company has made during the show and view archived NAIAS 2000 webcasts and video clips. There was a special live-bot sneak preview during the opening of the Charity Preview Event. The black-tie event hosted more than 17,000 people including top executives, sports figures, and other celebrities to raise funds for 11 Detroit-area children's charities. "This is a high-tech execution of a great concept," said Patrick Sarkissian, managing director of Eye4U Active Media, lead developer of the auto show site. "We've combined live streaming video, Macromedia Flash 4.0 and dynamic polling to obtain consumer input. A consistent message is sent both at the show and online: Ford Motor Company wants to hear from you." The NAIAS is the longest running auto show in the country and the only international auto show sponsored by an auto dealer association. Each year more than 40 auto manufacturers from around the globe come together to exhibit more than 700 of its current model and concept cars and trucks.