Directed’s Viper SmartStart to Be Awarded Best of Innovations Honors at 2010 CES

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 -- Directed Electronics has announced that the Viper SmartStart, which allows users to start their car from their iPhone or iPod touch, will be recognized with Best of Innovations honors at CES in January, 2010.
“We would like to thank the Innovations judges for awarding us this great honor,” said Kevin Duffy, President of Directed Electronics. “We are proud that our team’s hard work and innovative thinking resulted not only in this award, but also in a product that has generated a lot of excitement among our dealers and customers. Viper SmartStart is the first of many smartphone integration innovations we plan to introduce.”
Users can download the free Viper SmartStart app from the Apple App Store, have Viper SmartStart professionally installed on their vehicle and then activate their account.
According to Mike Simmons, Executive Vice President of Directed Electronics, “Viper SmartStart has many other capabilities beyond remote start. Depending on the installation, users can also lock and unlock the doors, pop the trunk, find their car in a parking lot, or arm their security system. Users can even control multiple cars from one iPhone. It’s a simple, elegant way for iPhone users to enjoy year-round comfort and control of their vehicle.”
Two Viper SmartStart models are available. Users who don’t have remote start can purchase the Viper SmartStart System (MSRP: $499) while those who already have a compatible Viper system can purchase just the Viper SmartStart Module (MSRP: $299), Directed said.

Directed Electronics and Octo Telematics Partner to Provide Telematics Solutions to Automotive Insurance Companies

VISTA, Calif., Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Directed Electronics, the largest supplier of aftermarket vehicle security and remote start systems in North America, announced today that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Octo Telematics S.p.A., the leading insurance telematics provider in Europe, to develop telematics services for the U.S. and Canadian vehicle insurance markets.

The European automotive insurance telematics market has expanded rapidly over the last several years with leading insurance companies offering consumers value-added services such as automatic crash response and usage-based insurance. Both Octo Telematics and Directed Electronics believe significant opportunities exist for similar services in the United States, which is evidenced by insurance companies such as Progressive and GMAC Insurance offering telematics-based services as well as increased interest by federal and state agencies. Telematics is poised to increase opportunities for insurance companies and drivers through reduced risk, value-added services such as automatic crash response and accident damage management, safe driver rewards, and a cleaner environment by incentivizing responsible driving behaviors.
According to Kevin Duffy, President of Directed Electronics, "We are excited to join forces with Octo to create a compelling telematics offering for automotive insurance underwriters. With 750,000 active customers and 50 insurance company clients in Europe, Octo Telematics is the clear leader in the insurance telematics space, and our new partnership will leverage Octo's technology platform and experience to deliver these services in both the United States and Canada."
According to Germano Fanelli, Chief Executive Officer of Octo Telematics, "Directed's vast network of customers with installation capability, industry-leading technical support, and sizable logistics infrastructure will provide a powerful platform capable of accelerating our speed to market. We look forward to jointly working with insurance providers to further advance telematics offerings in North America."
For more information please contact Ken Gammage, Director of Communications at Directed Electronics. Email: ken.gammage@directed.com, phone: (760) 599-1325.
About Directed Electronics
Headquartered in Southern California, Directed Electronics is the largest designer and marketer in North America of consumer-branded vehicle security and remote start systems (sold under Viper®, Clifford®, Python®, Autostart® and other brand names through leading national retailers and specialty chains throughout North America and around the world). Directed Electronics is also a supplier of mobile audio products sold principally under the Orion® brand name, and digital OEM Integration products sold under the XPRESSKIT® brand name. Founded in 1982, the company's primary operations are located in Vista, California and Quebec, Canada. For more information, please visit http://www.directed.com/. Directed Electronics is a business unit of DEI Holdings, Inc. For more information go to http://www.deiholdings.com/.
Copyright © 2009 Directed Electronics, Inc. All rights reserved.
About Octo Telematics
Octo Telematics SpA is a MetaSystem Group company specializing in the provision of telematics systems and services for the insurance and automotive market, with a particular focus on sustainable mobility sector. Founded in Rome in 2002, Octo Telematics has 750,000 active customers, subsidiaries and partners in Europe, USA, South America, and Asia. Through the largest telematics fleet in Europe for the number of active clients and a database of the most complete figures and statistics globally, Octo Telematics represents a best practices scenario within the global panorama of vehicle telematics and infomobility. For further information, please visit: http://www.octotelematics.com/
For more press information, please contact Antonella Basile - Head of Communications at MetaSystem Group. Email: antonella.basile@metasystem.it, phone: +39 335 7698072
This release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, but not limited to, statements as to the expansion of the automotive insurance telematics market in the United States and plans that involve risks and uncertainties. We use words such as "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," the negative of these terms and similar expressions to identify forward looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Directed Electronics or DEI Holdings to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by those projected in the forward-looking statements for any reason. Shareholders and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward looking statements.
SOURCE Directed Electronics