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Sakar Autovision, France’s Leading Provider of Vehicle Inspection Services, Selects LXE Rugged Mobile Computers

GENNEVILLIERS, France & ATLANTA--LXE Inc., a division of EMS Technologies, Inc. , announced today that it has entered the vehicle-inspection services market with a major effort in partnership with Sakar Autovision, the leading provider of vehicle-inspection services in France. The companies are announcing today that LXE will replace Autovision’s entire terminal fleet with LXE’s rugged mobile computers. The contract will include a total of 2,500 LXE MX7 computers, which will be deployed across Autovision’s network this year.

“We decided to completely overhaul our aging terminals and opted for the MX7 handheld computer from LXE. This choice fits squarely with our strategy to sharpen our competitive edge by equipping our network with latest-generation, durable and scalable mobile computers. LXE has listened to the needs of its users by developing an MX7 handheld terminal that meets our specifications and pledged their support throughout the project. Replacing our current terminals is part of a global project for the Sakar Autovision group, which plans to equip all of its centers with Wi-Fi networks. Installations are planned for this year,” says Gérard Athier, CEO of Karoil, Sakar Autovision’s computing subsidiary.

Sakar Autovision is currently supported by a network of 925 light vehicle centers and 112 heavy vehicle centers in France. The migration to LXE equipment will be extended to every European site within the Sakar Autovision group, which is planning to acquire further MX7 handsets in 2010.

“LXE already has a significant presence in the automotive sector through its auto-maker customers, and today’s announcement expands our presence into the vehicle-inspection services market,” says Stephen Newell, general manager of LXE. “We’re pleased we have an agreement and have begun shipping product. The two companies collaborated closely throughout the effort and established a long-term relationship. We worked with a team of professionals, fully sensitive to the issues at stake for Sakar Autovision, who made their decisions with the rigor they deserved. Signing this agreement reinforces our strategy as a manufacturer of rugged mobile computing products, as well as our customers’ confidence in the MX7 handheld terminal, the best-seller in our already broad range of mobile computing devices.”

Newell adds that the operation demonstrates LXE’s capabilities not just in designing products that meet market requirements, but also in tailoring its equipment to customer specifications.