Directed Electronics Announces SmartStart for BlackBerry

Best of Innovations Award-Winning Viper(R) SmartStart(TM) will Launch on BlackBerry App World in Q1 2010 Using Existing Hardware

'Start Your Car from Virtually Anywhere with Your BlackBerry'

VISTA, Calif., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- (CES) - Directed Electronics announced that its award-winning Viper SmartStart, which allows users to start their car with their iPhone, will also work on most BlackBerry Smartphones starting in Q1 2010.

According to Mike Simmons, Executive Vice President of Directed Electronics: "Viper SmartStart will soon be available on BlackBerry devices through a free app in BlackBerry App World, providing BlackBerry users all of the great features that iPhone users have been enjoying since the product was introduced in October."
Particularly popular in cold weather climates, remote start allows users to start their vehicle by remote control to defrost the windows and pre-warm the cabin, so they get into a warm car that's ready to drive. It can also be used to pre-cool the car in the summer. Most remote start systems use a small remote control on the user's keychain to activate remote start, but these "keyfobs" typically have limited range. Viper SmartStart has virtually unlimited range - an important feature to remote start users.
BlackBerry users with most security or remote start systems from Viper, Clifford or Python will be able to download the free app from BlackBerry App World, have SmartStart professionally installed on their vehicle, then activate their account. Depending on installation, users will be able to start their car, lock and unlock the doors, arm or disarm their security system, pop the trunk, or panic their siren, which can also be used as a car finder - all using their BlackBerry.
According to Kevin Duffy, President of Directed Electronics, "We are making Viper SmartStart technology accessible to tens of millions of BlackBerry users - a significant and distinctly different market from the iPhone, whose users are likely to be just as receptive to the innovative features offered by our product."
Retailers already carry the necessary hardware - either the VSM100 Viper SmartStart module, or the equivalent DSM100 Directed SmartStart module, each with an MSRP of $299. Besides the free app, users will also need a compatible Viper, Python or Clifford remote start or remote start/security system, available at thousands of authorized retailers nationwide including Best Buy stores.
For more information, please visit www.viper.com/smartstart