SLANTS & TRENDS–NEW PRODUCTS AND INFORMATION

ADP INTROS NEXT-GENERATION DMS

January 31, 2005—ADP’s new w.e.b.Suite2005, its next-generation dealer management system, features the increased integration that dealer focus groups requested. This latest generation integrates with other ADP solutions so dealers can migrate easily without throwing out their old system, say company officials. Of particular interest to dealers: an executive desktop that allows dealers to quickly go through a series of menus to get increasingly detailed info from any department. For example, the dealer can determine how much individual customers have spent on sales and service, whether they have parts on order, and the status of any pending deals with the store. The dealer can also monitor the performance of individual salespeople and whether they’ve completed their daily worksheets; view which models and colors are selling well; and see which service techs’ grosses are below average.

AMERICAN AUTO EXCHANGE INTROS INVENTORY MANAGEMENT TOOLS

January 31, 2005—American Auto Exchange (aaXchange) has debuted tech tools, ranging from pricing and inventory management to acquisition and disposition, to help dealers make knowledgeable decisions with little or no guesswork. In conjunction with DealerBasics, aaXchange collects and supplies data to dealers to set accurate retail prices on used cars in real time. aaXchange also introduced SmartLaunch, which enables dealers to list cars on eBay Motors using aaXchange’s analytical tools to determine pricing. The eBay portal is integrated with aaXchange for ease of use. The latter has also partnered with Auction Broadcasting Co. to offer a tool dealers can use to buy vehicles; it uses integrated intelligence with dealership management systems to find vehicles for dealer inventories. Plus, aaXchange has developed a tool for new-car ordering that gives dealers defensible data and recommendations during allocation meetings with manufacturers.

AUTO MART COMBINES DEALER PRINT AND INTERNET AD POTENTIAL

January 31, 2005—Auto Mart, owned by Trader Publishing Co., today released a new program that creates a synergy between a dealer’s print and Internet advertising. The program, called Ad Code, allows a reader of the Auto Mart print magazine who sees a vehicle listing of interest to enter a short code on the AutoMart.com home page; the unit will be displayed online with additional info. Consumers can see additional color photos and vehicle features, and even e-mail the dealer. They can also view the dealer’s entire online inventory and link directly to the dealer’s Web site.

EDMUNDS.COM OFFERS ENHANCED CAR IMAGERY

January 31, 2005—Edmunds.com has announced an enhanced imagery product that it’s selling to other companies—so far, Hyundai, Reynolds and Reynolds, Dealer.com, HomeNet, and XIGroup. The new product offers 360-degree spins of a car’s exterior and 360-degree interior panoramas. The Interactive New Vehicle Advisor lets viewers pan, rotate, and zoom in to see different angles and focus on details. The stock-image library—35 images for each vehicle--consists of a standardized set of interior and exterior vehicle shots, with one standard exterior image of each vehicle in every available color.

EXPERIAN’S AUTOCHECK BECOMES MAZDA SUPPLIER

January 31, 2005—Mazda has joined Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury in selecting Experian’s AutoCheck to exclusively provide vehicle history reports for the automaker’s Certified Pre-owned vehicle program. AutoCheck enables Mazda to strengthen its certification program by making it easier to obtain vehicle history reports and allowing customers to feel more confident in their used- vehicle purchase decision. AutoCheck also includes Buyback Insurance—a plan that protects dealers and customers against major title defects. Separately, Mazda dealers can use AutoCheck for vehicles outside the Mazda program.

ONSTATION DEBUTS E-MAIL-BASED CUSTOMER-COMMUNICATION TOOL

January 31, 2005—OnStation, a provider of automatic e-mail-based customer communications for dealerships introduced e-Advantage, a tool that keeps dealers in touch with their customers, reminding them automatically about service intervals, appointments, and all things customers need to know during the life cycle of their vehicle. OnStation integrates with dealership management systems to target and time e-mail communications. OnStation also helps dealerships acquire customer e-mail addresses by doing sweep-searches and cross-referencing for existing customers. All e-mails are customized for each dealership. OnStation began as the American Automobile Association’s recommended CRM for its licensed garages and currently is in communication with 2 million owners of 3 million vehicles in the aftermarket. The company launched the pilot program with dealerships in November.