TradeMotion Plugs Dealerships Into the Future
AUSTIN, Texas--Automotive dealers now have a solution available to improve inventory management and provide real-time inventory data for consumers by simply plugging in BluTrax™, a Bluetooth™-enabled device. This month, TradeMotion™, a division of Intelligentz Automotive, released BluTrax™, providing automotive dealerships and manufacturers, small to large fleet companies, and rental agencies the ability to manage and analyze their inventory on a real-time basis. Compared to Active or Passive RFID solutions, BluTrax™ can not only manage inventory, but has an impressive read range of up to 750 feet, and now at a price point that provides an effective ROI while supporting all OBD protocol. TradeMotion has begun extending the application to its existing customer base which includes nearly 2,000 automotive franchises, government agencies and corporations with large fleets.
Intelligentz began working with Vital Engineering, Ltd., a United Kingdom company nearly one year ago to re-design their existing Car-Pal product. Intelligentz completed its acquisition of Vital Engineering last week and will market the design under the trademark BluTrax™. TradeMotion™ began searching for new technologies after test results last year showed inconsistencies with inventory data utilizing either Active or Passive RFID solutions. The bad data was primarily due to human error. Dealership employees, under active RF solutions, could remove the tag and place it next to an adjacent vehicle and drive off with the tag-less vehicle unnoticed. BluTrax™ prevents a breach in security by alerting management when a device is removed. “BluTrax™ was an ideal solution for our market that eliminates human errors, reduces implementation time and costs while providing the most accurate real-time data on the market today,” said Michael T. Lucas, Chairman and CEO. Once plugged in, BluTrax™ reports each vehicle’s Vehicle identification Number (VIN), mileage and fuel level, which cannot be achieved through other RFID solutions on the market today. Each device is equipped with the latest Bluetooth™ specification Version 2.0 which gives users a very impressive read range of up to 750 feet.
BluTrax™ plugs into the OBDII port of any vehicle manufactured after 1996, diagnosing and wirelessly reporting all car data to the management program. Dealerships have been using this method of analysis for years but required a stationary, cabled machine to do so. TradeMotion™ has made BluTrax™ so affordable that every car can be plugged in, allowing for full wireless and location report analysis of any vehicle at any given time. Businesses can not only account for their entire fleet, but obtain enhanced security as well. “We have the most advanced product on the market today, providing a superior inventory management system that does not require human interface after a simple 'plug in' feature,” said Mr. Lucas. Another feature allows for alert notifications to be sent out if a vehicle has been disabled, fuel level is below company policy, or a battery is dead. Dealerships can now avoid lost sales due to improper maintenance of cars before driven on a demonstration. A customer will most likely not purchase the vehicle if a problem arises during the demonstration period. After the vehicle has returned, a report from BluTrax™ will be sent to the main database and alert predetermined parties if the vehicle requires attention.
As early as next quarter, BluTrax™ diagnostic data retrieval will be integrated with TradeMotion’s factory parts database, now exceeding 20 million unique part numbers for 41 manufacturers. This allows local repair facilities to complete the repair cycle of sourcing and procuring the factory part from the authorized dealer. TradeMotion will be launching an aggressive campaign through its reseller network to promote BluTrax™ as a fleet management solution for dealers to promote to their large fleet and government customers.
“Online searches for new or used vehicles continues to be the trend in the marketplace for consumers over traditional methods. By the time a consumer accesses a dealership’s website to search for their desired vehicle, the data is obsolete. BluTrax™ can interface with existing web resellers to provide the most accurate real-time inventory visibility for consumers,” said Scott Anderson, Vice President of Marketing for TradeMotion.
Manufacturers as well as advertising agencies will also gain from BluTrax™. As more dealerships utilize this business method for managing inventory, real-time marketing data will be available for analysis. This information will help determine the effectiveness of an advertising campaign whether it’s local, regional or national. With BluTrax™, detailed reports can show the number of test drives by make, model and color and rank them in order or popularity. This data can be used by both the dealership management and manufacturers to compare the effectiveness of their advertising budget.
About Intelligentz
Intelligentz has gained worldwide recognition in the marketplace since the issuance of parent company Unisone Corporation’s intellectual property portfolio spanning across 32 countries in February of 2006. Pangaea Systems was acquired by Intelligentz in 2005, the assets of TradeMotion Software and Parts.com were acquired in January of 2007, as well as Franklin Wireless in May 2007, now known as SecurLynx, and most recently Vital Engineering in September 2007. All of these acquisitions, when combined with the Unisone Intellectual Property portfolio, have become an integral part in Intelligentz’s overall growth. The company’s flagship inventory management and RFID automation software enables businesses to tag, track, and manage their inventory with real-time monitoring. In addition, Intelligentz offers the most elite security asset and personnel tracking software on the market today. For more information or to schedule an information webinar, visit www.intelligentz.net.