Frost & Sullivan Recognizes Manheim's Client-Focused Remarketing Services in the Automotive Industry

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 28 -- Frost & Sullivan selected Manheim, a world's leading provider of automotive remarketing services, as the recipient of the 2006 Client Value Enhancement Award. Manheim was recognized for its commitment to using innovative technology to improve its client's profitability, operational efficiency, and overall auction experience.

Manheim provides automotive remarketing services that help clients maximize the value of their vehicles. With the rise in the vehicle population and North American consumers' penchant for new vehicles, the remarketing of vehicles is a growing industry.

Manheim was recognized for a variety of client offerings, including its live auction that brings together buyers and sellers in a competitive bidding environment. Through this service and others, Manheim has sold more than five million used vehicles.

Simulcast, Manheim's revolutionary remote bidding product, brings the live auction to its buyers and sellers through real-time audio and video and enables dealers to participate in the auction remotely. Simulcast also provides buyers with access to a larger volume and variety of vehicles, allowing the seller to gain a greater return.

"One of Manheim's most distinctive features is its Online Vehicle Exchange, where buyers and sellers in the wholesale market can conduct business 24 hours a day, seven days a week," says Frost & Sullivan Senior Consulting Analyst Mary-Beth Kellenberger. "This site gives sellers the ability to remarket their vehicles earlier in the remarketing cycle than traditional live auctions, while buyers can see, compare, and purchase vehicles either in a 'Buy Now' or online auction dynamic bid environment."

The company was also recognized for its innovative research facility, Manheim DRIVE (Development, Research, Innovation, Vision, and Excellence), where industry experts come together to focus on solving key business challenges impacting Manheim and its customers. Manheim DRIVE also serves as a testing ground for new ideas, tools, and technologies.

The company's Total Resource Auctions (TRA) provide remarketing services to insurance companies, commercial consignors, and dealers that specialize in salvaged, damaged, and inoperative vehicles as well as those recovered from theft. TRA allows buyers and sellers all over the world to participate live at auctions or online via Simulcast.

Among all market participants, Manheim offers a variety of financing options to the vehicle remarketing industry. Manheim Automotive Financial Services (MAFS) includes inventory financing for automobiles, big trucks, motorcycles, and recreational vehicles as well as rental car financing and dealer receivables.

Each of Manheim's service enhancement features was strategically executed to achieve the three goals of increased accessibility to vehicles, reduced transaction time, and 'best in class' information to support a quick buying decision.

Each year Frost & Sullivan presents the Client Value Enhancement Award to a company that has demonstrated the ability to expand their customer base, while maintaining its existing install base, with more innovative value creation and enhancement strategies than competing vendors. This award recognizes the company's successful technology, sales entry, customer acquisition, service strategies, and the degree to which those strategies have met customers' stated needs and requirements.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Manheim

Manheim is the world's leading provider of automotive remarketing services. Through its live auctions and array of technology products, Manheim impacts every stage of a used vehicle's life cycle, helping commercial sellers and automobile dealers realize the full value of their vehicles.

The company's services include reconditioning, certification, inspections, dealer financing, transport, title management, and marshaling, among others. Manheim is also the leader in remarketing technology, using its online tools to connect buyers and sellers around the globe to the world's largest, most comprehensive wholesale marketplace. In 2005, Manheim handled nearly 10 million used vehicles -- and sold more than five million -- representing more than $50 billion in value.

Manheim's subsidiary companies provide value-added remarketing products, including paintless dent removal (Dent Wizard (R)), Auto Body Repair, and salvage vehicle remarketing (Total Resource Auctions).

A wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Atlanta-based Manheim is a global organization with 32,000 employees at its 139 U.S. and international locations. For more information, visit http://www.manheim.com/ .

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services, and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit http://www.awards.frost.com/ or http://www.automotive.frost.com/ .