AudaExplore Exceeds $3 Million in Donations to Collision Repair Education Foundation

SAN DIEGO and HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., March 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- AudaExplore (formerly the U.S. operations of Audatex North America, Inc. and Explore Information Services), a leading provider of automotive claims, underwriting and information solutions to the insurance carrier, repair shop and government agency markets, and the Collision Repair Education Foundation, a philanthropic organization that enables education activities in the collision repair industry, today announced that AudaExplore has exceeded $3 million in software donations to the Foundation since the launch of its Audatex Educational Institutions Program in 2010. To date, more than 137 collision repair school programs in 35 states across the U.S. have benefited from in-kind donations of the company's estimating software through the program's partnership with the Foundation.

"We've been a consistent supporter of the Collision Repair Education Foundation since it was established in 1991," said Wolfgang Ahrens, Managing Director, AudaExplore. "AudaExplore is proud to play a role in shaping the future of our industry by making our world-class technology available to schools so that students can step right into their careers with the knowledge that they've been trained on the very best, most complete estimating software available on the market."

Under the Audatex Educational Institutions Program, AudaExplore provides a comprehensive software and training package — free of charge — to vocational and technical schools throughout the U.S. To qualify, schools must complete an online survey conducted by the Collision Repair Education Foundation. Thousands of students nationwide participate in the free online training that is available as part of the Educational Institutions Programs. Since AudaExplore is a member of the I-CAR Industry Training Alliance, select AudaExplore training courses qualify for points that apply to the I-CAR Gold Class Professionals® and Platinum Individual™ programs.

According to Collision Repair Education Foundation Executive Director Clark Plucinski, in-kind software donations greatly assist collision school programs nationwide. "AudaExplore's contributions are vital to our next generation of industry leaders," said Plucinski. "On behalf of the collision repair instructors and students who benefit from this support, we are grateful to AudaExplore for its ongoing role in giving our students the best technical education possible."

"As an AudaExplore associate and a member of the executive committee of the Collision Repair Education Foundation Board of Trustees, I know the value this donation represents to students in terms of what it brings to the learning experience and how it prepares them for the real world," said Rick Tuuri, Vice President, Industry Relations, AudaExplore. "We take great pride in our involvement with the foundation and in reaching this important milestone."

One of the schools benefiting from the AudaExplore donation in 2012 was Manhattan Area Technical College in Manhattan, Kan. Collision Instructor Linn Schroll stated, "Audatex Estimating serves as an outstanding teaching tool that allows us to take the vehicle inspection process and transform it into a complete estimate, repair order and repair plan. We thank AudaExplore for helping us keep our students on the cutting edge of collision repair technology."

About the Collision Repair Education Foundation

The mission of the Collision Repair Education Foundation is to secure donations that support philanthropic and collision repair education activities that promote and enhance career opportunities in the industry. The ultimate goal is to create a future in which every entry-level technician hired will have graduated with the necessary skills and understanding of new technology to be well-trained, productive, and efficient employees from day one on the job. More information can be found at http://collisioneducationfoundation.org/

About AudaExplore
AudaExplore (formerly the U.S. operations of Audatex North America, Inc. and Explore Information Services) is a leading provider of automotive claims, underwriting and information solutions to the insurance carrier, repair shop and government agency markets. AudaExplore is a business unit of Solera Holdings, Inc., the leading global claims solutions provider serving the automotive industry. Solera provides world-class claims, underwriting and information solutions that help customers automate their processes; managing millions of claims each year efficiently and effectively, and resolving billions of dollars in claims settlements. As part of the Solera group of companies, the AudaExplore, AUTOonline, Market Scan, Sidexa, Informex, Inpart, ABZ, Hollander, HPI and IMS businesses all draw on unique global experience to develop and deliver the latest technologies, market intelligence and best practices on a local level. For more information, please visit our websites at www.exploredata.com and www.audatex.us.

SOURCE AudaExplore