Chrome Introduces Transaction-Based Vehicle Configuration and Comparison Service; Web Services Offering Gives Clients Instant Access to Automotive Information

PORTLAND, Ore.--June 28, 2004--Chrome Systems Corporation, provider of automotive data, configuration and comparison technology and commerce solutions, today announced a new service for Application Developers that enables them to leverage nearly 20 years of Chrome's experience in automotive information and technology. This new service allows developers to create their own interfaces to the Chrome Knowledge Platform(TM), enabling them to request and receive specific vehicle data from one of three Chrome services: Description, Configuration or Comparison.

By using standard Web Services technology, clients developing applications can quickly become automotive experts, without having to stray from their own development environments. Because the data is hosted and maintained by Chrome, clients no longer need to distribute data updates, manage a hosting environment or invest in massive computing power. Additionally, clients pay on a transaction basis, a benefit for Lenders, insurance companies, and auction houses for example, who utilize this type of information on a case-by-case basis.

Chrome's "Configuration and Comparison" service is the second service deployed on the Chrome Knowledge Platform. This service gives clients the capability to configure and price vehicles, based on Chrome's full data set, ensuring that vehicles cannot be mis-configured, or mis-priced. Clients can also compare fully configured or base vehicles to each other. Comparisons can identify the benefits of one vehicle over the other in natural language or return a side-by-side list of what's on each vehicle.

"Chrome has been the industry leader in data accuracy and timeliness, driving many of the largest professional configuration systems in the US," said David Mingle, Chrome's president. "Now we are making this same data available to everyone. Developers of all size can now easily and affordably add one of our services to their systems and offer specific vehicle information to their customers, regardless of their preferred technology platform."

The "Description" service was the first service offered on the Chrome Knowledge Platform and was launched in April, 2004. It provides the most comprehensive VIN enhancement data available today, including complete listings of standard features, available factory options and colors, and normalized feature flags for efficient searching and aggregation. The "Description" service also provides access to this same data via a Year, Make, Model, Style selection process.

Access to the knowledge platform is open to any business seeking to utilize the extensive vehicle information in Chrome's database on transaction-by-transaction basis.

For two years in a row Chrome's unbiased and comprehensive vehicle data was determined to be the most accurate on the Internet, according to an independent study by CNW Marketing/Research.

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 with the introduction of PC Carbook(R), and since 1986 has collected, analyzed and enhanced "raw" automotive data from all manufacturers.