ChannelNet Selects AVV's Data Extraction Solution to Bring Aggregated Inventory to Automotive Retailers

AVV's Auto Download Service (ADS) to be part of user-friendly product for posting multi-brand inventory online

MILL VALLEY, Calif., Sept. 1 -- ChannelNet (www.channelnet.com), the premier builder of multichannel marketplace solutions has selected Autobytel's AVV subsidiary (www.avv.com), a leader in dealership management tools and services, to enable the posting of aggregated inventory for single and multi-franchise automotive retailer Web sites through AVV's Auto Download Service (ADS) product. By joining forces, ChannelNet and AVV can provide automotive retailers with an efficient process for extracting and posting new and used vehicle inventory that supports all brands sold by the retailer.

"Eighty-nine percent of automotive shoppers conduct research online before visiting a showroom*, and they expect to be able to find the exact vehicle they are looking for in stock at a local retailer," said ChannelNet CEO and Founder Paula Tompkins. "Working with AVV, we believe we can significantly increase a retailer's ability to close a sale by enabling their customers to easily search actual inventory online."

AVV's proprietary Auto Download Services (ADS) will extract and standardize inventory data from the DMS (dealer management system), dramatically streamlining a previously cumbersome process that required specialized computer hardware and extended download periods. ChannelNet will then import this standardized, purified data into its robust database for customized display on the retailer's Web site. Automotive retailers will have the ability to modify inventory and upload multiple pictures for each vehicle they wish to display. This inventory service will be offered as part of ChannelNet's Automotive Retailer Web Site program or for integration into any retailer Web site provided by another third-party.

"Our core mission has always been to bring user-friendly, cost-efficient technology to the nation's automotive retailers," said AVV Vice President and General Manager Dan Vogel. "We're pleased to work with ChannelNet to bring retailers an efficient and effective solution for extracting inventory data from their DMS and delivering it to their in-market customers."

ADS is the foundation of the inventory solution and transforms isolated DMS information into Web-friendly marketing data. ADS has been programmed with secure, procedures that verify and convert DMS data into a consistent format, automatically correcting misspellings and translating abbreviations and code words into detailed descriptions. The service is highly flexible, automatically translating retailers' unique business rules such as pricing formulas into final Web-ready content.

ChannelNet Automotive Retailer Web Sites are powered by the company's patent-pending software product, ChannelNet SiteBuilder(TM). ChannelNet Automotive Retailer Web Sites are the next generation of Web sites that help retailers more effectively market and sell their vehicles using the Internet. The program offers professional single and multi-franchise retailer Web sites with critical selling and lead-generation features that meet manufactured- required Web standards. Easy-to-use, non-technical administration tools allow retailers to quickly update and manage content. As a result of a partnership with Omniture, ChannelNet offers automotive retailers robust Web analytics and reporting capabilities as well.

ChannelNet provides Web sites and services to more than 5,300 Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Land Rover, Jaguar, and Volvo dealers and retailers in 29 countries and 10 languages.

  AVV, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Autobytel Inc.

  About ChannelNet

Founded in 1985, ChannelNet(R) (formerly The SoftAd Group) is the premier builder of multichannel marketplaces designed to help global automotive manufacturers and their franchise retailers sell more cars, trucks, parts and service. The company has nearly 20 years' experience supporting automotive sales and marketing processes through the use of interactive technologies for many of the leading automotive brands, including Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, BMW N.A., Nissan Europe, General Motors, Cadillac, and Buick. Since 1995, ChannelNet has acquired an install base using its technology and services of more than 5,300 automotive retailers worldwide. The privately-held company is based outside San Francisco in Mill Valley, California, with offices in Detroit, Michigan. For more information about ChannelNet and its solutions, visit www.channelnet.com.

*J.D. Powers and Associates