STAR Publishes Information Technology Guidelines for Automotive Dealers
MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 30 -- STAR (Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail), the IT standards body for the North American retail automotive industry, has published the "Dealership Infrastructure Guidelines" (DIG), which will help to facilitate the standardization of an open, common IT infrastructure for all automotive dealerships.
The DIG is a technology reference manual intended to assist dealers and their technology partners in developing a simplified, more cost-effective IT network. It includes information on Internet access, security, local area network design, PC hardware, and other IT components.
The latest version of the Dealership Infrastructure Guidelines features updates on wireless networks in the dealership and enhancements to improve dealership IT security. Dealers can use it to prepare their IT infrastructure for the next generation dealer-to-OEM communication systems.
STAR is a non-profit, auto industry-wide initiative to create voluntary IT standards for the data elements and transmission format used by manufacturers, dealers, and retail system providers to communicate with each other. STAR's initiatives will result in a more efficient data exchange between dealers and manufacturers, with lower costs, more accurate and timely data, and increased levels of customer satisfaction.
STAR's 39 members, consisting of 18 automotive manufacturers (OEMs), 20 Retail Service Providers (RSPs), and 1 dealer group, unanimously approved the guidelines on September 26. This is the first release of the document that includes STAR member contributions.
Later this year, STAR will release a complementary document, the "Transport Guidelines," to assist OEMs and RSPs in establishing a common data exchange with one another.
"STAR's delivery of these Dealership Infrastructure Guidelines lays the foundation for dealers to move towards an open, common Internet infrastructure in order to more effectively conduct business with their partners and customers. In addition, these guidelines will assist in improving dealer-to- OEM communications and eliminating the costly, proprietary solutions that multi-franchised dealers need for each brand," says Vic Zappia, chair of STAR.
The DIG can be downloaded for free at: www.starstandard.org About STAR (www.starstandard.org )
The Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail (STAR) organization is the Information Technology (IT) standards organization for the retail automotive industry. The goal of the STAR organization is to use IT standards as a catalyst in fulfilling the business information needs of dealers and manufacturers while reducing the time and effort previously required to support this activity.
Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, STAR is a not-for-profit volunteer organization and its members include Dealers, Manufacturers and Retail System Providers (RSPs). As members, they are interested in developing, promoting, and administering voluntary IT standards in the retail automotive industry and improving the effectiveness, timeliness and competitiveness of the IT solutions needed within the retail automotive industry.
STAR membership roster: Dealer Groups: NADA
Retail System Providers: ADP, Advent Resources, Inc., Automotive Industry Action Group, American Financial Services Association, Arkona, Auto/Mate Inc., Cobalt Group, DealerTrack, EDS Automotive Retail Group, Motorcycle Industry Council, NAT, Inc., NeoSynergy, LLC, Open Applications Group, PBS Financial Systems Inc., PROCEDE Software, Reynolds & Reynolds, RouteOne, Sun Microsystems, TIBCO, UCS
Manufacturers: American Honda Motor Co., Inc., American Suzuki Motor Corp., BMW of North America, Inc., DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corp., Jaguar Cars, Kia Motors America, Mazda North American Operations, Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, Inc., Nissan North America, Inc., Porsche Cars North America, Inc., Renault SA, Saab Cars USA, Subaru, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Volkswagen of America, Volvo Cars of North America