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Leading Truck Manufacturers Rely on Panasonic Toughbook Rugged Notebooks to Improve Diagnostics and Speed Repair
[February 07, 2006]

Leading Truck Manufacturers Rely on Panasonic Toughbook Rugged Notebooks to Improve Diagnostics and Speed Repair


SECAUCUS, N.J. --(Business Wire)-- Feb. 7, 2006 -- Panasonic Computer Solutions:

-- International Truck and Engine Corporation and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America among Key Customers

-- Panasonic Mobile Computing Solutions for the Automotive Industry to Be Displayed at NADA 2006, Booth 566

Panasonic Computer Solutions Company today announced that more than two dozen major customers in the automotive industry have selected Panasonic(R) Toughbook(R) computers to provide reliable, durable, mobile computing solutions to help streamline operations, reduce costs and improve customer service.



International Truck and Engine Corporation, Warrenville, Illinois, and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Logan Township, New Jersey, are among the industry leaders who have recognized that true mobility requires durability and have equipped their technicians and dealers with rugged, integrated wireless computing solutions from Panasonic.

International Truck and Engine Corporation, the operating company of Navistar International Corporation (NYSE: NAV), produces International(R) brand commercial trucks, mid-range diesel engines and IC brand school buses and is a private label designer and manufacturer of diesel engines for the pickup truck, van and SUV markets. The company has been using Panasonic Toughbook notebook computers since 1999 and has recently deployed an additional 1,300 units throughout its more than 600 North American service dealers.


Rob Burns is the manager of dealer service tools for International Truck and Engine. He cites the reliability and durability of Toughbook technology as critical elements to ongoing customer satisfaction.

"With Toughbook computers, we know the machine is going to work when customers pull their vehicle into the shop," said Burns. "These computers give us the tools to diagnose essentially every system on our trucks--wherever we need to--and the ability to get our customers back on the road as quickly as possible. Our customers win, our dealers win and International Truck wins. Everybody's happy."

Integrated wireless capabilities from Panasonic and wireless tools at International dealerships further streamline dealer operations and reduce costs by enabling fault code information to be transmitted wirelessly, allowing service tickets to be drawn up by administrative staff, rather than more expensive technical resources.

According to Burns, Panasonic's commitment to its products through service and support is a major differentiator. "The three year, no-fault warranty, backed by a company the size of Panasonic, is priceless," Burns said.

Mitsubishi Fuso markets a complete line of diesel-powered, medium-duty, cabover trucks through more than 170 dealer locations throughout the United States and Canada. Currently, there are more than 80,000 Mitsubishi Fuso vehicles in use in the U.S. and Canada, fulfilling the transportation needs of a wide variety of businesses and industries.

Mitsubishi Fuso has deployed 200 Panasonic Toughbook CF-29's with touchscreen displays to perform factory and in-transit diagnostic tests of their trucks' fuel, transmission and ABS control systems. Wired to the truck through a vehicle interface which maintains communication with all three systems, the computer displays sensor and actuator information key to quality and diagnostic testing.

According to Jim Peary, director of corporate systems at Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, competitive evaluation led to the conclusion that Panasonic Toughbooks were the only computers that could operate in the variety of conditions demanded of them.

"The Toughbook is designed to withstand our environment: it can get wet, it can get dirty," said Peary. "It can be rough in a truck shop--and bumpy on our road tests--and our Toughbooks have proven they're up to the test with nearly 100% reliability. This is important to us, because we want our resources focused on building and testing our trucks, not on managing information technology."

"Getting to the bottom of service issues quickly, wherever they happen, is critically important to automotive manufacturers," said Bill Presler, Business Development, Strategic Markets, Panasonic Computer Solutions Company. "Service technicians can't afford to lose valuable time and energy troubleshooting their laptops. We're pleased that so many manufacturers have come to trust reliable and dependable solutions from Panasonic."

For a demonstration of Panasonic mobile computing solutions for the automotive industry, visit Booth 566 at the NADA Convention and Exposition, Orlando Florida, Feb 11-14, 2006.

About Panasonic Computer Solutions Company

Panasonic Computer Solutions Company empowers the mobile workforce. The company is a unit of Panasonic Corporation of North America, which is the principal North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC). Panasonic has delivered reliable, durable mobile solutions through its Toughbook(R) line of notebook computers for thirteen years and has expanded the boundaries of wireless technology through a broad portfolio of products, ranging from fully rugged, industrial strength notebook computers and tablet PCs to thin and light semi-rugged notebooks. A core manufacturer, Matsushita and its subsidiaries control the entire process of design, manufacture, quality assurance, service and support. As a result, Panasonic Toughbooks are known for having the lowest failure rates in the industry. Government, industrial, and commercial users--from Fortune 1,000 companies to small businesses--rely on solutions from Panasonic, wherever their work takes them.

All brand and company/product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies. All specifications are subject to change without notice. Information on Panasonic's full line of notebook PCs for the mobile professional can be obtained by calling 800-662-3537 or at http://www.panasonic.com/toughbook.

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