The Cobalt Group Opens Product Development Office in Austin, Texas
13 May 1999
The Cobalt Group, Leader in Internet Marketing Solutions for Auto Dealers, Opens Product Development Office in Austin, Texas
SEATTLE--May 13, 1999--Seattle-based company
The Cobalt Group, the nation's leading provider of Internet marketing solutions for automotive dealerships and manufacturers, announced today that it will open an office in Austin, Texas to expand its product development capabilities and geographic presence outside of the Pacific Northwest.
The office in Austin is the first of what Cobalt expects to be a series of expansion efforts outside of the Pacific Northwest. The office in Austin will focus on product development and will be the driving force behind Cobalt's rapidly expanding portfolio of products. The move is part of a strategic effort to attract development talent that was, up until now, geographically limited to the Seattle area.
Ron Harter, Director of Product Development for Cobalt, will lead the Austin office, which is located in the city's West Central district.
Harter is no stranger to the Austin technology community, having worked there since 1989. He spent 15 years in various divisions of IBM including the Network Computer, Microelectronics and Power Personal Systems divisions. Prior to joining Cobalt, he was Senior Technology Strategist for Dell Computer Corp.
"Austin has emerged as a mecca for successful Internet companies," said Rajan Krishnamurty, Vice President of Software Development for The Cobalt Group. "Austin's strong educational component in the University of Texas, a wonderful geography and delightful quality of life make it a strong draw for talented software engineers. We fully intend to leverage these elements with our growing company to put together a strong, motivated and energetic team focused on new Internet products for the automotive industry."
Cobalt develops, markets and sells Internet marketing solutions for automotive dealerships across the country. Its products enable dealers to develop and enhance their dealership's online presence, such as tools for online advertising, searchable inventory for new and used vehicles, new model comparisons and measuring and tracking the effectiveness of their web site. One of its best-known products is DealerNet(R), the first consumer auto destination site on the Internet.
About The Cobalt Group
The Cobalt Group(TM) (www.cobaltgroup.com) is the nation's largest provider of Internet marketing solutions to automotive dealerships, hosting and servicing more than 8,000 dealer Web sites nationwide. Its marketing system has been endorsed by 11 auto manufacturers as well as Case Corp. , one of the world's largest designers, manufacturers and distributors of agricultural and construction equipment. Cobalt also owns DealerNet(R) (www.dealernet.com), one of the best-known auto destination sites on the Web.
Cobalt was founded in March 1995 and is backed by Warburg, Pincus Equity Partners, L.P. and First Analysis Corporation. In May, Cobalt acquired PartsVoice, which is based in Portland, OR and is the largest OEM auto parts locating and marketing company. Cobalt has 265 employees and is headquartered in Seattle.
-- The Cobalt Group, Inc. and Cobalt are trademarks of The Cobalt Group. DealerNet is a registered trademark of The Cobalt Group.