IntegraLink's DMS Integration Capabilities Enhanced By Playing Field Acquisition; Global Automotive Integration Network (GAIN) Links Dealer Management Systems to Financial Lenders
SEATTLE--March 1, 2006--The IntegraLink division of The Cobalt Group, Inc. -- the leading provider of marketing services to the retail automotive industry -- has acquired key technology assets from Playing Field, Inc., of Troy, Michigan. Among the assets acquired is Playing Field's real-time transactions integration hub, which facilitates connectivity between dealerships and financial lenders."This acquisition enhances IntegraLink's ability to serve dealers more effectively," said Cobalt Vice President Kevin Distelhorst. "Playing Field's technology will enable much-needed bi-directional data communications capabilities between auto dealerships and finance acceptance networks."
Playing Field's centralized Web service routes data and transactions between dozens of otherwise incompatible business software applications and service providers. It will be re-branded as the IntegraLink Global Automotive Integration Network (GAIN).
GAIN's initial application allows auto dealerships to connect data from their DMS or F&I systems to service providers, such as financial acceptance networks and OEMs. In late 2005, CU Direct Corporation, which developed and administers the Credit Union Direct Lending (CUDL) and DecisionApp programs, began providing an on-line service incorporating Playing Field technologies that streamline dealers' indirect lending processes. Using GAIN, participating dealers can transmit data directly to CUDL without having to re-enter any of the information. By eliminating the need to enter the same data multiple times, GAIN avoids errors and accelerates the lending process. Once a loan has been approved, updated information is reported back to the dealer's system.
GAIN works with dealership management systems from Automotive Computer Services (ACS), ADAM, Advent Resources, Arkona, Automotive Marketing Profit Systems (AMPS), Auto/Mate, AutoSoft International (ASI), Data Consultants (Grapevine), David Lewis & Associates, DealerTrend, DPC Systems, Dubuque Data Services, Market Scan and Supreme Software.
About The Cobalt Group
The Cobalt Group is North America's leading provider of automotive marketing services. For more than a decade, Cobalt's exclusive mission has been to help automobile dealers and manufacturers increase their retailing effectiveness and profits. Cobalt provides marketing services to more than half the automotive dealerships in the United States, Canada and Mexico and is endorsed by more than two-thirds of the world's major automotive manufacturers. Cobalt is also endorsed by the American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA).
About IntegraLink
IntegraLink was acquired by Cobalt in 2000. The company collects data from more than 15,000 auto and truck dealerships in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company successfully extracts data from more than 40 different DMS platforms and is a trusted provider for the automotive retail industry, including four of the five largest OEM's serving North America.
About Playing Field
Playing Field, Inc., was founded in May 20, 200604 by five former EDS Automotive Retail Group executives. The company offers a Web-based transaction hub that allows disparate computer business systems to exchange data regardless of their individual technologies. The service went "live" in August 2005 and began processing credit applications for lending institutions and car dealers.
Cobalt, The Cobalt Group, IntegraLink, and GAIN are trademarks of The Cobalt Group, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.