DETROIT, March 27 /PRNewswire/ -- ATX Group, the world's largest independent telematics services provider to the automotive industry, will team with the Society of Automotive Engineers to introduce the first annual three-day forum for in-depth discussions regarding automotive business issues during SAE's annual World Congress April 14-16 in Detroit. The new Executive Business Theater, complimenting SAE's current technical theaters, will kick off with day-long sessions on Globalization April 14, Innovation on April 15 and Financial Strategies on April 16. The sessions will be held in the Detroit Hall at Cobo Arena. Consulting4Drive GmbH, a German-based consulting firm, is also teaming with ATX and SAE on this new program.
David Hemming, President and CEO of the Pacific Rim Alliance, will kick off the forum as keynote to Monday's Globalization discussion. Howard Moskowitz, author of the book Selling Blue Elephants, will keynote Tuesday's Innovations session, and Timothy D. Leuliette, chairman & CEO, Leuliette Partners, will headline the Financial Strategy session on Wednesday.
"ATX and SAE believe strongly that technical advancements in the automotive industry must be balanced with the economic realities of today's rapidly changing business environment," said ATX President and CEO Steve Millstein. "It is not enough to simply offer a technical solution and then hope somehow the solutions fit within a business model. They should be concurrent processes. We are proud to partner with SAE to offer a program to examine business issues at one of the World's premier automotive industry events."
Over the course of the three days, panel discussions are also planned on the challenges of globalization, the need for innovation in marketing to the Millennial Generation, finding the balance between managing market-driven innovation and profit projections, the financial decision-making required when dealing with risky markets, emerging global trends, and the secrets to making money in the automotive business.
Millstein noted that the focus on business solutions is critical for a telematics provider such as ATX, which customizes telematics to address specific business needs in specific markets rather than promoting it as a shrink-wrapped, one-stop solution that can purportedly generate revenue by claiming to meet a wide variety of consumer, commercial and public policy needs.
ABOUT ATX: Based in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, and Dusseldorf, Germany, ATX Group is the world's largest provider of customized telematics services to the automotive industry, serving both North America and Europe. ATX telematics services are designed to provide enhanced safety, security and driving convenience to vehicle owners. These services include location-specific emergency and roadside assistance, automatic collision notification, stolen vehicle recovery, remote diagnostics and real-time traffic and navigation assistance. ATX also customizes telematics services to help automobile manufacturers and their affiliated dealerships to use telematics data to reduce costs, enhance vehicle servicing, and more closely manage customer relationships. ATX services are provided to vehicle owners through the brand names of its customers -- Mercedes-Benz, BMW, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Maybach, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. For more information, visit www.atxg.com.