Chrome Systems Corp., a privately held Portland automotive data company, and Stronghold Technologies, a mobile applications company based in Whippany, N.J., announced a partnership that integrates Chrome's vehicle pricing, comparison and auto specification information into Stronghold's mobile application for automotive retailing, DealerAdvance.
The DealerAdvance system uses wireless handheld devices to deliver car-buying information from independent, third-party sources such as Chrome. Consumers shopping at dealerships that use DealerAdvance can conduct side-by-side new vehicle comparisons on all makes and models.
"Sharing information with consumers from a widely respected, independent automotive information source such as Chrome is a major step for dealers in gaining consumer trust, and a crucial component of our business," said Chris Carey, CEO and president of Stronghold Technologies. Consumers who check out auto features and pricing before they come to dealerships feel more confidence in dealers whose data are consistent with what the consumer has already found on the internet or elsewhere.
While Chrome does not yet have projected revenue figures for its partnership with Stronghold Technologies, "DealerAdvance provides us with another way into dealerships," said Dave Thompson, spokesperson for Chrome. "We'd like to think they [dealerships] would want the same comparison product on their desktops" that they have wirelessly with DealerAdvance. About half of all dealers in the U.S. and Canada now use Chrome products to research vehicle pricing and options, compare vehicles, or to order vehicles from auto manufacturers.
Chrome has also just introduced a new service called QuickStart to help auto manufacturers and the system integrators who develop software for them work with Chrome's AutoBuilder platform. AutoBuilder allows auto manufacturers' software to be automatically updated with current car configuration and pricing data, which change frequently over a wide spectrum of makes and models.
"We went to a lot of trouble and expense to build a platform for automotive applications so no one has to re-invent the wheel the wheel being accurate configuration fed by accurate data," said Thompson.
Companies that could use QuickStart services to implement AutoBuilder into car manufacturers' proprietary software are IBM Global Services, i2, and Siebel Systems. While Chrome could not name specific customers for AutoBuilder or QuickStart, the company is already a Siebel Systems content provider.
Contact Aliza Earnshaw at 503-219-3433 or by email at aearnshaw@bizjournals.com.