Dealers Association Continues Exclusivity For Cobalt e-Business Package
SEATTLE--Jan. 28, 2003--Cobalt Earns Exclusive NADA Endorsement for Fourth Straight Year
The Cobalt Group today announced that the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) has renewed its exclusive endorsement of Cobalt's comprehensive e-business packages for the fourth consecutive year. Cobalt, the leading provider of e-business software and services to the automotive retail market, offers two NADA-endorsed Nitra packages that provide unsurpassed flexibility and control for dealers' e-business programs. Cobalt is one of only three companies whose products have ever been endorsed by NADA.
"Cobalt's Web site packages give automobile dealers everything they need to drive more online profits to every area of their business," said Don Gentry, NADA's chief information officer. "Cobalt's NADA-endorsed packages enable dealers to effectively manage and maximize their return on Internet marketing."
"The extension of NADA's endorsement of The Cobalt Group demonstrates the growing importance of the Internet as a marketing medium for dealers," said John Holt, president and CEO of The Cobalt Group. "Cobalt's Nitra e-business tools offer dealers a compelling, cost-effective way to directly market themselves to their increasingly Web-savvy customers."
The two NADA-endorsed e-business packages, Nitra Dealer Website and Nitra Professional, include Cobalt's e-business and customer relationship management applications and Nitra Web site management tools that deliver versatility, control and branding. They are available to dealers on a subscription basis.
Nitra includes customizable e-business marketing and management tools:
| -- | Cobalt Website Manager for Nitra, a powerful application that enables dealers to edit their Web sites' look and content in real time |
| -- | Marketing Library Manager, an extensive marketing library that includes OEM-provided images and text |
| -- | Nitra User Administration, which allows dealers to establish desired access levels for each staff member and provides a secure single user log-in and interface for all dealership sites and applications |
| -- | Web development and hosting and e-mail hosting |
| -- | AutoShow inventory manager, AdWizard Plus, TrafficReporter, eCare support, and product training |
Nitra Professional offers all the features of Nitra, plus:
-- Cobalt Lead Manager
-- PartsWorks parts locator
-- Enhanced Web site pages and marketing tools
-- Make & Match(TM) vehicle configurator
-- Cobalt University's best practices e-business training
About NADA
NADA represents more than 19,700 franchised new car and truck dealers holding nearly 43,000 separate franchises. For more information, please visit www.nada.org or call 703/821-7000.
About The Cobalt Group
The Cobalt Group works exclusively in the automotive retail market to help manufacturers and dealers develop integrated e-business programs by leveraging its industry leading technology, broad range of services and deep domain knowledge. As the automotive e-business leader, Cobalt is uniquely positioned to help its customers maximize their overall operating efficiencies and profits.
Cobalt offers a broad range of products and services developed specifically for the automotive marketplace including enterprise software for manufacturers and dealers; customer relationship management (CRM) software applications; online automotive commerce applications; the industry's largest OEM parts locating and marketing service; and dealership e-business best practices training, consulting, and process compliance analysis.
Cobalt operates a dealer network larger than any other technology provider in the automotive retail industry including 12,000 franchised dealers and more than 70 of the 100 largest dealer groups. Cobalt is the only software technology provider ever endorsed by 17 manufacturers and NADA.
With headquarters in Seattle, Cobalt has offices in several major U.S. cities, and a field sales and services force in 30 states, including all major U.S. metropolitan sales areas (MSAs).
For more information, please visit www.cobaltgroup.com or call 800/909-8244.