SLANTS & TRENDS—NEW PRODUCTS AND INFORMATION

CARS.COM ANNOUNCES 2008 LIFESTYLE AWARDS WINNERS
February 10, 2008—The editorial staff of Cars.com (booth 8001S) announced the winners of its 2008 Lifestyle awards. The honors recognize the vehicles best suited for the diverse lifestyle needs of today’s car buyers. The site recently added the ability to search for new cars according to lifestyle, from first-time drivers to sun lovers and commuters. “Our Lifestyle Buying Guide lets shoppers search for cars across categories, comparing everything from trucks and SUVs to minivans and sedans,” says Cars.com managing editor Patrick Olsen. The winners, by category, are: Family Car of the Year: 2008 Mazda CX-9; Work Car of the Year: 2008 Honda Accord; Play Car of the Year: 2008 BMW 335i Convertible; and Eco-Friendly Car of the Year: 2008 Toyota Camry.

VAUTO’S INDUSTRY-FIRST TECHNOLOGY MEASURES USED-CAR DAYS’ SUPPLY
February 10, 2008—Chicago-based vAuto (booth 7515S) unveiled a new Web-based technology that provides dealerships with accurate supply, demand, and pricing data on virtually any type of used vehicle in their market. Fueled by the auto industry's only "live" view of the entire used-car retail market, the company's next-generation software offers dealerships details on top-selling used cars and light trucks in their area, based on days' supply and the vehicle's year, make, model, trim, and specific equipment levels. "With our exclusive Live Market View and AutoMatch systems, we can identify the fastest-moving used vehicles in any market to a granular level never before possible," says vAuto president and CEO Keith Jezek.

AUTOMOTIVE BROADCASTING NETWORK OFFERS NEW MARKETING CHANNEL FOR DEALERS
February 10, 2008—Automotive Broadcasting Network (ABN), at booth 6915S, has partnered with CBS to provide a marketing channel to help dealers increase sales. The in-dealership network shows family-friendly entertainment from some of the top-rated shows on CBS, including “The Late Show with Craig Ferguson,”  “Entertainment Tonight,” and “60  Minutes.” The shows entertain customers and can help “reduce perceived wait time at the dealership,” says ABN president and CEO Jerry Daniels.  Also, dealers can air their own ads, showing walkarounds of new vehicles or informing customers of the store’s amenities. The network also lets dealers show a segment called “tech tips,” which is tailored to their makes and tells customers about things such as tire wear and how to properly close their gas cap.

DEALER.COM: ‘TOTAL’ CONTROL OVER ONLINE MARKETING
February 10, 2008—Burlington, Vt.–based Dealer.com (booth 3557W), a provider of online marketing solutions for the car industry, announced the launch of “Total Control Dominator,” a product and service combination that gives dealers more control over their entire search engine marketing program while making it more simple and efficient in a new user-friendly, Web-based interface, the company says. Its technology platform automates keyword selection, configuring more than 8,000 of the top keywords. Real-time bidding and ad unit monitoring work simultaneously, resulting in low-cost, high-quality phone and e-mail leads for every profit center of the dealership, including sales, parts, and service.

AUCTIONACCESS GETS NEW VERSION
February 10, 2008—February 10, 2008—AuctionACCESS Version 3.0, from Birmingham, Ala.–based AutoTec (booth 6947S), offers vehicle auction pros three new features: a single AuctionACCESS card needed for entry at all participating auction locations; myACCESS, the customizable Web site that lets users manage their auction accounts; and the upcoming release of online registration with faster access to auction locations. Supporting the latest AuctionACCESS technology: auction firms Manheim, ADESA, Auction Broadcasting Co., BSC America, ServNet Auctions, and several major independent auto auctions. AutoTec president Chuck Redden says AuctionACCESS Version 3.0, which will include a new annual membership program for all users, is designed to improve the way the auction industry operates. Version 3.0 highlights include increased security, 24/7 account management, auction pre-registration, and faster access to auction locations.

NETLINK UNVEILS NEW DMS TOOL
February 10, 2008—Netlink (booth 1833W), a Michigan-based automotive information technology company, unveiled its latest version of DataWare, an advanced dealer management system (DMS) extraction and integration tool. The new release has a dealer-centric focus and improves DMS abilities. "Netlink has invested more than $1 million in this new extraction and integration platform since the acquisition of VINPlus last year," says RJ Wentz, vice president of automotive retail practice. "The DataWare platform was the most advanced tool in the industry before the acquisition, but with Netlink's significant capital investment, we are 18 to 24 months ahead of anyone else in the market.

JMSOLUTIONS, DMEAUTOMOTIVE INTRO APPS TO MAXIMIZE PROFITABILITY
February 10, 2008—Deerfield Beach, Fla.- based JMsolutions (booth 7551S), a provider of Web-based products and services, and Daytona Beach–based DMEautomotive, a multichannel automotive marketing provider, jointly announced the introduction of fully integrated applications that help dealers maximize profitability. JMsolutions' AAX inventory solutions and CMX customer solutions, along with SMX marketing solutions by DMEautomotive—known collectively as "SuiteTalk”—offer a “seamless information exchange between business process applications and marketing communication systems,” says JMsolutions president Scott Barrett.

INTERACTIVE FINANCIAL MARKETING GROUP OFFERS NEW FEATURE FOR ITS DOLLAR SYSTEM
February 10, 2008—Richmond, Va.–based InterActive Financial Marketing Group (booth 5335N), a division of lead-generation company Dominion Enterprises, introduced a real-time quality control feature for its Internet lead management system—Dollar. The new control program will allow dealers to immediately report a bad lead and receive a replacement lead within 24 hours. The immediacy of the technology will do away with time-consuming, end-of-month account reconciliations for dealers. The marketing group generates leads for dealers through a system of more than 500 URLs.

CENTRALDISPATCH.COM HAS NEW ONLINE TOOL TO SIMPLIFY VEHICLE TRANSPORTATION
February 10, 2008—San Diego, Calif.-based CentralDispatch.com (booth 2614W) has announced a new online vehicle management tool that further automates and simplifies vehicle transportation for both auto dealers and car carriers. Built into the CentralDispatch Web-based system, it is essentially a CRM system for vehicle transportation that connects shippers to carriers via the Internet. The new tool allows dealers to post details online about vehicles to transport, including pickup and delivery locations, and make and model of vehicles to be moved. Interested carriers respond with bids, and with a click, dealers can assign the vehicles to a preferred carrier. The entire process and the movement of the vehicle can be followed online from any location. Any change in status generates an e-mail alert. CentralDispatch matches thousands of dealers, auctions, rental car companies, and others with more than 5,000 carriers.