Parrot's DriveBlue Car Kit Talks Back to New Jersey and Washington, D.C. Hands-Free Legislation; Voice-Activated Car Kit Creates Safe Driving Environment

Business Wire, July 15, 2004

NEW YORK -- If you're driving while talking on your cell phone, it will cost you in New Jersey and Washington D.C. now that the law requires drivers to use hands-free devices while using wireless phones. Similar legislation, which is also in effect in New York State, is nearing passage in California. During a grace period through July, violators of hands-free laws are being warned, but not ticketed.

This phase-in period allows consumers to prepare by purchasing hands-free accessories. Parrot, a European leader in the development of Bluetooth automotive products, offers a line of hands-free devices. Among them is DriveBlue, the first Bluetooth(R) hands-free car kit requiring no installation. Ready-to-use and portable, DriveBlue instantly and wirelessly provides advanced hands-free functionality. It plugs into any car's cigarette lighter and is compatible with all Bluetooth-enabled phones currently on the U.S. market.

Simply enter your information into the system's address book and voice recognition dialing gives you an automatic connection in Full Duplex mode within a range of 10m (33 feet). This means you can answer a call while driving even if your cell phone is in the trunk of your car. Launched in May 2004, DriveBlue retails at $99.

"DriveBlue is a totally hands-free option for those consumers needing to comply with new laws," said Christophe Dissaux, Executive Vice President of Parrot, Inc. "Driving safely should be number one priority and Parrot's DriveBlue offers both safety and convenience," Dissaux added.

Other Parrot products include theCK3000, the first-ever Bluetooth car kit. The CK3000 is hardwired to your car's stereo speakers for maximum audio quality.

ABOUT PARROT

Headquartered in Paris, Parrot is a privately-held company founded in 1994 by Henri Seydoux. The company, with U.S. offices in New York, provides proven and reliable technology for automotive telecommunications. From the outset, Parrot focused on embedded noise-robust voice recognition and signal processing technologies for mobile computing and automotive markets, adding Bluetooth to its core competence in 2002. The company is now the Bluetooth car kit leader in Europe with products sold in 35 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.say-parrot.com.