CarParts Technologies Delivers New Version of VAST Tire and Service Point-of-Sale System

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif.--Oct. 2, 20038, 2003--

Integration with OpenWebs(TM) Commerce Server and Tradera(TM) Tire Warehouse System Offers Advanced Platform for Supply Chain Efficiency

CarParts Technologies Inc. (CPT), the leading provider of open, eCommerce and business automation software solutions for the North American automotive aftermarket, today announced it has successfully deployed the newest version of its market leading tire and auto service point-of-sale (POS) system, VAST version 6.0. One of the most notable features designed into the new version of VAST 6.0 is the outside purchasing capability, which enables the outside purchasing of parts and tires to be done electronically while salespeople are providing customer quotes at the point of service.

"In today's marketplace, ensuring adequate gross margins and availability of tires and parts during the estimating phase is critical to store profitability and customer satisfaction," said David McCann, CEO of CarParts Technologies, Inc. "CPT's new VAST 6.0 provides a seamless connection between the dealer and distributor while the consumer is at the counter. This allows service outlets to more efficiently partner with their warehouse suppliers to source and buy during the selling process."

With VAST 6.0 tire distributors running on Tradera can allow their dealer customers to query and confirm availability and pricing in less than 10 seconds without the hassle of a Web browser.

"We've just completed upgrading all 41 of our tire centers to VAST 6.0," said Andy Andonian, CEO of Discount Tire Centers of Southern California. "This new version of VAST delivers many new features we have been requesting of CPT over the last 12 months. VAST's ability to electronically connect with our primary tire vendor for both tire purchasing and national account handling is a feature we will leverage to reduce costs, improve efficiency and increase our revenues and margins."

"The combination of VAST 6.0 and the OpenWebs Commerce Server provides a level of customer service we've strived to implement for years," said Randy Groh, vice president of marketing for US Tire and Exhaust in Wisconsin. "The ability for us to automatically push customer specific pricing and buying rules into their POS system will significantly reduce the use of phone and fax and will save hours of manual labor given our hundreds of downstream customers. Our customers will gain full visibility into our on-hand inventories, thereby increasing their confidence at time of order."

About CarParts Technologies, Inc.

CarParts Technologies, Inc. is the leading provider of extended supply chain software solutions for the automotive aftermarket. The CarParts Technologies OpenWebs eCommerce platform enables efficient online trade, integration and collaboration between buyers, suppliers and commerce service providers. The solutions are used in more than 3,000 leading aftermarket outlets including tier 1 manufacturers, program groups, tire and service chains, warehouse distributors and independent installers.

CarParts Technologies' open, end-to-end solutions allow companies to generate new sales, operate more cost efficiently, accelerate inventory turns and maintain stronger relationships with suppliers and trading partners.

Established in 1997, CarParts Technologies' complete suite of business solutions has delivered compelling returns on investment to customers across the entire aftermarket supply chain. Headquartered in San Juan Capistrano, California, CarParts Technologies has received venture capital funding from Rho Ventures, BEV Capital, Investor AB and St. Paul Venture Capital.

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