SOS International is established by the Royal Danish Automobile Club (KDAK) and The Zone Rescue Corps. SOS provides services to KDAK members, and soon also offers service abroad to motorists, members and non-members alike. The territory covered now takes in the whole of Western Europe; personal assistance abroad commences.
SOS International is established as a limited liability company (A/S), with KDAK, Räddningskåren AB, Stockholm and the insurance company Thule, Stockholm as owners.
Thule introduces the first travel health insurance with worldwide SOS service.
All Swedish, most Finnish and Norwegian insurance companies and Denmark’s Europæiske Vare- og Rejsegodsforsikring A/S enter into a joint Nordic agreement to use SOS International as their Nordic assistance organisation.
The majority of Danish car insurance companies sign up to the agreement now known as “Det Røde Kort” (“the red card”). Under the agreement, SOS administers roadside assistance for breakdowns and accidents abroad to vehicles with comprehensive insurance cover.
SOS' association-owned corporate status is restructured as a wholly market-driven company owned directly by 24 Nordic insurance companies. At the same time, a Nordic consolidation strategy is put in place.
SOS acquires the Swedish assistance organisation Skade- och Räddningslarm AB, which changes its name to SOS International AB. A network of 26 SOS service offices is established in key travel destinations.
A subsidiary division is created in Helsinki under the name of SOS International Oy.
SOS takes over the administration of the Danish travel health insurance scheme (den Offentlige Rejsesygesikring i Danmark) and subsequently acquires the Danish assistance organisation Euro-Alarm A/S. Another acquisition is Global Medical Support (GMS) of Norway, specialising in medical emergency response, assistance and advice.