Digital Motorworks Supports Automotive E-Commerce Initiatives

    AUSTIN, Texas--June 5, 2001--Ninety-five of the nation's top 100 automotive e-dealers receive online data to support their e-business initiatives through technology solutions provided by Austin-based Digital Motorworks (DMi) to its customers, according to the company's CEO Ron Hardy.
    DMi's InfoIQ service, formerly known as AutoLoad, provides accurate, comprehensive and timely information to support the e-business programs of OEMs, major automotive dealer groups and independent portals, Hardy noted.
    "DMi solutions collect data from over 9,000 dealerships on a daily basis in order to provide accurate, up-to-date inventory, sales, service and warranty information to its customers," he said. "Ninety-five of the top 100 e-dealers as ranked by Ward's Dealer Business magazine are among those 9,000 dealerships."
    The data DMi helps collect is used by OEMs, independent portals such as Cars.com, and the e-business applications of major dealer groups such as AutoNation to improve the car-buying experience of thousands of consumers every day, the DMi executive added.
    "The success of AutoNation's online initiatives depends greatly on the quality of the data that powers them," said Allan Stejskal, senior vice president of e-commerce at AutoNation. "Thanks to Digital Motorworks, we can deliver real cars in real time to our customers."
    Created to recognize innovative dealers who are using the Internet to facilitate auto sales, Ward's e-Dealer 100 list ranks dealers based on the number of units sold through the Internet. The list defines an Internet sale as one in which a customer initiates contact with a dealership online and an Internet staff member handles the subsequent sale. The Ward's list is the first independent, industry-wide effort of its kind.
    Mr. Hardy noted that the Internet is playing an increasingly important role in the car buying experience. In 1998, 25% of new vehicle buyers used the Internet for information gathering. By 2003, that number is expected to reach 73%.