IBM Smarter Commerce Helps AutoTrader Accelerate Its Online Auto Marketplace

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Nov 09, 2011, 02:15 ET

ARMONK, N.Y. and ATLANTA, Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that AutoTrader.com, a leading online automotive marketplace, is using IBM technology for Smarter Commerce as part of its Electronic Sales Order system to simplify and accelerate the ordering experience for its dealer and manufacturer customers.

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IBM's Smarter Commerce initiative helps companies bring new levels of automation to marketing, sales and fulfillment to support a customer-centered approach to commerce. The software makes it easier and faster for AutoTrader's clients - auto dealers and manufacturers – to promote their vehicles to consumers. It enables these clients to improve how they sell their cars through AutoTrader.com by simplifying the process to select promotions and configure, capture and complete orders for AutoTrader's advertising programs.

"Providing access to leading-edge applications of information and technology are core to providing the best online automotive shopping experience," said Gib Finley, director, Business Applications, at AutoTrader.com. "IBM delivered innovative ordering technology that make it as easy as possible for our clients to do business with us."

AutoTrader.com is using IBM's Sterling Commerce Configure, Price, Quote software to simplify the configuration and capture of orders for its advertising solutions. For example, the software:

Integrates easily with AutoTrader.com home-grown applications to provide customers with easier, more efficient ways of ordering cars online.
Guides a car dealership on how to quickly and easily put together an advertisement that best flaunts the dealerships' new, used or pre-owned vehicles for sale.
Helps that dealership select the best package to most effectively reach its prospective customers through context-sensitive capabilities.

AutoTrader.com IT delivered its Electronic Sales Order System (ESO) as a critical component of the company's overall business strategy to dramatically improve the way people research, locate and advertise vehicles. With Smarter Commerce, the company has been recognized for its use of service-oriented architecture (SOA), master data management, sales catalog, order configuration, information management and real-time business intelligence. In fact, AutoTrader.com was named to the 2010 InformationWeek 500 (InformationWeek's annual listing of the nation's most innovative users of business technology) for its work developing ESO.

More information on Smarter Commerce can be found at www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/smarter_commerce/overview/

About AutoTrader.com

Atlanta-based AutoTrader.com, created in 1997, is the Internet's ultimate automotive marketplace and consumer information website. AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location millions of new cars, used cars and certified pre-owned cars from thousands of auto dealers and private sellers and is a leading online resource for auto dealers, individuals and manufacturers to advertise and market their vehicles to in-market shoppers. The company also provides a robust suite of software tools for dealers and manufacturers to help them manage and market their vehicle inventory and display advertising on the Internet. AutoTrader.com operates two other auto marketing brands, AutoTraderClassics.com and AutoTraderLatino.com. AutoTrader.com also owns used vehicle management software company vAuto. AutoTrader.com is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. Providence Equity Partners is a 25 percent owner of the company and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is also an investor. For more information, please visit www.autotrader.com.

IBM PR Contact: Julie Redard, [email protected], 978-399-5076

SOURCE IBM