NATIONAL Tyres and Autocare has launched a pan-European tyre network to target the continent's burgeoning cross-border fleet market. The fast-fit specialist has linked all of tyre giant Continental's 2,850 branches across 18 countries under the same integrated IT system and branding.

Each outlet will now feature the banner name tyre expert or pneus expert, and will have to meet specific quality criteria to guarantee their service standards, be they independent outlets or corporately owned by Continental. The tyre expert network has only been possible due to a seven-year, £200 million investment with Siemens Business Services to install the same operating system in each branch.

This will ensure tyre expert centres across Europe will follow fleets' individual authorisation and tyre fitment procedures, and gather the detailed management information demanded by fleet operation and purchase departments. The network covers 2,850 branches and is set to expand to 3,500 by the end of next year in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Switzerland.