The Cobalt Group Forms Field Service Department to Help Automotive Manufacturers and Dealers Implement E-Business Initiatives
SEATTLE--June 19, 2001--The Cobalt Group , a leading provider of e-business products and services to the automotive industry, announced today that it has formed a Field Service department to offer customized, in-dealership consulting services to automotive dealers across the U.S. and Canada.
Cobalt's regionally based Field Service consultants work on a dedicated basis with manufacturers and dealers to implement their Cobalt-developed e-business programs and help them realize a rapid return on their e-business investment.
"We're breaking new ground in our mission to support automotive dealers' and manufacturers' e-business efforts," said Terry Smail, executive vice president of sales and account services for The Cobalt Group. "The in-dealership service and training provided by Cobalt's Field Service organization is critical to helping dealers and manufacturers work together to implement and execute their e-business programs and increase their return on investment."
Cobalt's experienced automotive e-business Field Service consultants provide in-depth product, best practices and Internet process training to program participants. The Field Service consultants are dedicated to a manufacturer or dealer group and offer extensive knowledge of corporate branding, standards, and online and offline retail automotive marketing and sales strategies. Their expertise enables them to help dealers better incorporate manufacturer or dealer group initiatives with existing dealership and marketplace conditions.
Luis Rivera, Internet sales consultant for DiFeo Nissan in Jersey City, N.J., is pleased with how Cobalt's new service program has contributed to the dealership's Internet results. "Cobalt solved a number of technical problems and also helped us to think about our business in new ways," said Rivera. "The results have been tremendous -- our Internet traffic and leads are up, and our Internet-based gross sales have increased substantially."
The new Field Service department is a key component of Cobalt's comprehensive and integrated approach to manufacturer and dealer e-business programs. Through manufacturer and dealer group endorsed programs, dealers can utilize Cobalt's Field Service personnel for in-dealership consulting and training. Additional phone-based training and technical support is available to dealers through Cobalt's eCare department, and advanced training is available from Cobalt's Dealer Advisory Services.
About The Cobalt Group
The Cobalt Group(TM) , headquartered in Seattle, is a leading provider of e-business products and services that help automotive dealers and manufacturers effectively manage their businesses online. Cobalt's suite of e-business solutions includes Web services, Web site hosting, e-commerce applications, Internet-based customer relationship management applications, data management, and best practices training and consulting.
Nearly half of the nation's auto dealers use Cobalt's technology, including 8,950 Web services clients, and approximately 9,000 PartsVoice(R) (www.partsvoice.com) clients. Cobalt's e-business products and services are endorsed by 14 automotive manufacturers and more than 50 of the 100 largest dealer groups in the United States. Cobalt is the only e-business provider endorsed by the National Automobile Dealers Association.
Cobalt operates MotorPlace.com(TM) (www.MotorPlace.com), an online business management and industry information resource for auto dealers. At MotorPlace.com, dealers utilize Cobalt tools to manage their Web sites, buy wholesale used vehicles through MotorPlace Auto Exchange, locate and market OEM parts through PartsVoice, purchase leads through Pick-or-Pass, and access industry information, news, events, and stock quotes. Cobalt also operates DealerNet(R) (www.dealernet.com), one of the most widely visited consumer automotive information portals on the Web. IntegraLink Corporation, a Cobalt company, is the auto industry's premier provider of automotive data collection and reporting services.
Cobalt has offices in Seattle, Wash.; Portland, Ore.; Detroit, Mich.; Columbus, Ohio; and Austin, Texas. For more information, please visit www.cobaltgroup.com or call 800/909-8244.