I.D. Systems Appoints Former Qualcomm VP, Norman Ellis, as Chief Operating Officer


Woodcliff Lake, NJ – I.D. Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDSY), a leading provider of wireless M2M asset management solutions, has appointed industry veteran Norman Ellis to the position of chief operating officer. Mr. Ellis will be responsible for I.D. Systems’ customer-facing operations, including sales, marketing, customer service, implementation and support.



Prior to joining I.D. Systems, Mr. Ellis spent 16 years at Omnitracs, a leading provider of fleet management solutions and a division of NASDAQ-listed Qualcomm. As vice president of sales, services and marketing for North America, he was responsible for nearly $400 million in annual sales and a technology upgrade program that drove a 78% CAGR in conversion revenues from 2007 to 2013. 



In November 2013, Mr. Ellis played an active role in Qualcomm’s $800 million sale of Omnitracs to Vista Equity Partners and subsequently helped the company secure hundreds of millions in financing and acquire Roadnet Technologies, a global provider of fleet and mobile management software.



“With 35 years of hands-on experience managing sales and operations for global transportation and M2M asset management companies, Norm is an ideal candidate to take on a broad range of responsibilities to help I.D. Systems manage our next phase of growth,” said Kenneth Ehrman, I.D. Systems’ chairman and CEO. “Norm was a key contributor in establishing Qualcomm as a global leader in over-the-road fleet management solutions, and we believe his experience and leadership will help I.D. Systems expand our penetration and share of the growing worldwide market for wireless industrial vehicle management systems and transportation asset management solutions.”



“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join I.D. Systems at this exciting inflection point in its history,” said Mr. Ellis. “With new management, a focus on process excellence, a fresh approach to address market needs, industry-leading wireless M2M solutions, and a marquee global customer base, I.D. Systems seems clearly poised to enter a new era of growth. I look forward to contributing to that growth.”



Prior to his career at Qualcomm, Mr. Ellis held vice president and senior vice president positions with Service Transport, Overnite Transportation, and Mason and Dixon Lines. He received a B.A. in Business Administration from Emory and Henry College in Virginia, and completed executive development programs at Stanford University and the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.



I.D. Systems Announces Inducement Grant Under NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)



In connection with his appointment as chief operating officer of I.D. Systems, on July 21, 2014, Mr. Ellis received options to purchase up to 100,000 shares of I.D. Systems’ common stock, at a price equal to $5.24 per share, the closing price per share of the common stock on the date of grant. One-third of the options will vest on each anniversary of the date of grant provided that Mr. Ellis continues to be an employee of I.D. Systems on each such anniversary. The options will expire after ten years. The options were granted outside of I.D. Systems’ stockholder-approved equity compensation plans as an inducement material to Mr. Ellis’ entering into employment with I.D. Systems. The options were approved by the Compensation Committee of I.D. Systems’ Board of Directors, which is comprised of independent directors, and granted in reliance on NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4), which requires public announcement thereof.



About I.D. Systems

Headquartered in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, with subsidiaries in Texas, Germany, and the United Kingdom, I.D. Systems, Inc. is a leading global provider of wireless M2M solutions for securing, controlling, tracking, and managing high-value enterprise assets, including industrial vehicles, rental cars, trailers, containers, and cargo.  The company’s patented technologies address the needs of organizations to monitor and analyze their assets to increase efficiency and productivity, reduce costs, and improve profitability. For more information, please visit www.id-systems.com.


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