Autobase Adds Chrome Vehicle Configuration and Comparison Tool to Sales Force Automation Offering

    PORTLAND, Ore.--Jan. 27, 2003--Chrome Systems Corporation, provider of automotive data, configuration technology and commerce solutions, and Autobase, provider of Sales Force Automation software, announced today that Chrome Carbook(TM) will be accessed directly from within Autobase Interactive(TM).
    Autobase, Inc. has been providing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to the automotive industry since 1988, with systems in place on 8,000 desktops in 46 states. Their most recent release, Autobase Interactive, is a CRM suite that manages, analyzes, and makes client information readily accessible for dealership sales staff and managers. The information in the system can then be used to create new client relationships and generate repeat and referral business. The result is increased sales, decreased costs, and improved customer satisfaction index (CSI) ratings.
    Chrome Carbook, a Web-based vehicle configuration, comparison and pricing tool, will be an integral part of Autobase Interactive. A dealership's sales agent can help a customer build a vehicle using Chrome Carbook, and then further the sales process by comparing the vehicle with competitive makes and models. By sharing this competitive information with the customer, dealers have a better chance of selling the benefits of their models over other models, thereby securing the sale.
    "There is an amazing amount of synergy between our companies and our products," said Danny James, Vice President of Marketing at Autobase. "The ability for dealership sales personnel to not only knowledgeably compare the vehicles they represent; but also explain why their vehicle better fits the needs of the customer is a crucial step toward securing the sale and creating a satisfied customer for life."
    Using Autobase Interactive, customers can also receive customized messages detailing information about the vehicle they are interested in, effectively closing the "be back" loop.

    About Chrome

    With more than 13,500 clients, including half of all automotive dealers in the U.S. and Canada, Chrome provides vehicle content, software, technology and services to deliver complete enterprise solutions to all segments of the retail automotive industry. These segments include manufacturers, fleet companies, dealers, Internet sites, and financial institutions.
    Chrome pioneered the technology behind electronic vehicle configuration and for more than 17 years has collected, analyzed and enhanced "raw" automotive data from all manufacturers. Chrome provides the North American ordering system for General Motors and its 8,300 dealers. Chrome sets the standard in ordering systems for fleet management, serving 9 of the 10 largest fleet leasing companies.