WESTLAKE, T.X. — May 17, 2021 — Solera Holdings, Inc. (“Solera”) today announced that it will acquire Omnitracs, a complete fleet management platform, and DealerSocket, a leading SaaS provider to the automotive industry. These acquisitions will extend Solera’s position as the preeminent global data intelligence and technology leader serving all constituents engaged in vehicle lifecycle management.
Global Leadership in Vehicle Lifecycle Management
With operations in more than 90 countries, Solera is the global technology leader operating in a highly complex vehicle lifecycle management ecosystem. Solera’s software and unique data assets power the value-chain of a vehicle from purchase to claims, repair and resale. These acquisitions will build upon Solera’s strategy to minimize complexity and reduce friction at all touchpoints in the vehicle lifecycle with fully integrated intelligent technology platforms.
“Solera is the driving force behind the rapid digitization of the vehicle lifecycle, delivering intelligent, data-driven, mission-critical solutions for our customers,” said Darko Dejanovic, Chief Executive Officer of Solera. “These highly strategic acquisitions will enable us to expand into adjacent verticals and capitalize on emerging trends in our industry. Solera’s unique position in a large and growing market allows us to transform the industry through innovation, proprietary data assets, unmatched scale and deep customer relationships.”
With Omnitracs, Solera will offer a unified platform that encompasses safety, productivity and maintenance solutions for commercial fleets.
“By joining Solera, Omnitracs will be able to further extend our converged solutions, both in and on the vehicle, into fleet lifecycle management services while also extending our access to new markets,” said Ray Greer, Chief Executive Officer of Omnitracs.
The addition of DealerSocket’s cutting-edge platform completes an end-to-end suite of solutions for automotive dealerships, combining customer acquisition and retention solutions, inventory management, dealership management systems, e-titling and a unique service and maintenance platform.
“The combination of DealerSocket with Solera allows us to offer dealerships a fully unified platform to simplify workflows and enables us to become the digital backbone across all areas of a connected dealership, simplifying and improving the retail experience. We are thrilled to join the Solera team,” said Sejal Pietrzak, Chief Executive Officer of DealerSocket.
The acquisitions are expected to close during the second quarter of calendar year 2021, subject to definitive agreements that will include customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP is advising Solera on the acquisition. Greenberg Traurig, LLP is serving as legal counsel to Omnitracs and Ropes & Gray LLP is serving as legal counsel to DealerSocket.
About Solera
Solera is a global leader in risk and asset management data and software, empowering companies across the automotive and insurance ecosystem with trusted solutions to support connectivity across the vehicle value chain. Solera’s solutions bring together customers, insurers, and suppliers, empowering smarter decision-making through service, software, enriched data, proprietary algorithms, and machine learning that come together to deliver insight and are designed to ensure customers’ vehicles and property are optimally maintained and expertly repaired. Solera serves over 235,000 customers and partners in more than 90 countries across six continents. By drawing on the market-leading solution capabilities and business process best practices from its technologies around the world, Solera provides unsurpassed scale and strength with superior performance while delivering innovation to move the industry forward.
About Omnitracs
Omnitracs offers the only complete fleet intelligence software platform. Serving the largest for-hire and private fleets in the transportation and distribution industries, Omnitracs’s best-in-class solutions accelerate business success, improve efficiency, and enhance the driver experience for nearly 15,000 customers who collectively travel 250 million miles per week. Omnitracs pioneered digital transformation in trucking more than 30 years ago, and today offers a one-stop shop for enterprise-grade, data-driven solutions across compliance, telematics, workflow, routing, and video safety in over 50 countries across the globe. For more information, visit www.omnitracs.com.
About DealerSocket
DealerSocket serves over 9,000 automotive dealerships with best-in-class solutions for customer relationship management, digital retailing/marketing, websites, inventory management and analytics solutions, as well as leading enterprise-level dealership management systems. DealerSocket solutions transform the automotive experience with innovations and unparalleled, award-winning customer service. For more information, visit www.dealersocket.com.
Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about: the expected execution of definitive agreements relating to, and expected consummation of, Solera’s acquisitions of Omnitracs and DealerSocket (together, the “Acquisitions”); the expected financial, operational and strategic benefits of the Acquisitions; the expected benefits and value of current and future products and services to Solera’s, Omnitracs’s and DealerSocket’s customers, either alone or in conjunction with the products and services of other Solera group companies; and operational efficiencies that may be achieved by the combined companies as a result of the Acquisitions. These statements are based on Solera’s current expectations, estimates and assumptions and are subject to many risks, uncertainties and unknown future events that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Solera is under no obligation to (and specifically disclaims any such obligation to) update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contacts
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
Jed Repko / Ed Trissel
212-355-4449
[email protected]
SOURCE Solera Holdings, Inc.
Related Links
https://www.solera.com
DealerSocket’s all-new Mobile CRM is designed to save users valuable time, increase closing ratios, and keep managers connected with anywhere-at-anytime access to critical data
DALLAS, February 3, 2021 — DealerSocket, Inc., a leading SaaS provider to the automotive industry, today announced the launch of its next-generation Mobile CRM app, which sports a modern, easy-to-navigate user interface, and streamlined workflows for an ultra-efficient, tap-and-go experience designed to save users valuable time and make accountability management easier with anywhere-at-anytime access to critical data.
Completely redesigned to accommodate the unique processes and preferences of sales, BDC, internet, and management teams, DealerSocket’s Mobile CRM is available on iOS and Android and works seamlessly across any device to ensure accurate information across platforms. Dealers should experience an increase in closing ratios with the mobile app’s tap-and-type email and sales opportunity editing, an updated task interface with advanced filtering options and scheduling features, and enhanced customer and inventory search capabilities.
“When car shoppers submit an inquiry, they want instant gratification. When they’re on the lot and want to know what else is in inventory, they expect immediate answers. COVID-19 only accelerated the need for dealers to meet that demand via digital accessibility,” said Darren Harris, executive vice president and general manager of retail solutions at DealerSocket. “Eliminating barriers to the sale and ultimately improving the customer experience by making the CRM accessible anytime from anywhere, our new Mobile CRM provides users with — as we like to say — the best of socket right in their pocket.”
The tool’s sleek new interface is apparent the moment users click onto the Mobile CRM’s home screen, which features more simplified workflows for accessing important menus and locations within the CRM. An updated opportunities widget provides users with an immediate view of the last 20 recently accessed customers, along with filter options that mirror DealerSocket’s desktop CRM, and a global search feature that allows salespeople to look up opportunities by name and phone number.
The updated tasks interface hybridizes workflows from the Mobile CRM’s prior version and the desktop CRM. Additionally, the mobile tool’s updated inventory look-up feature provides a new search bar offering search-by-feature functionality.
The mobile app’s driver’s license scanner workflow also gets a new look and a more condensed click path for onboarding customers into the CRM, while the tool’s VIN scanner makes it easy to add a trade to a sales opportunity. Salespeople can also use the VIN scanner to search inventory. The new Mobile CRM also allows users to edit notification settings and switch between dealerships if part of a dealer group.
“COVID-19 confirmed what we always believed — that the CRM needs to be the central hub of a dealer’s retail strategy,” said DealerSocket Chief Product and Technology Officer Alok Tyagi. “That’s why our focus when it comes to our award-winning solution is on streamlining workflows and allowing sales teams to do more from one system. The launch of our new Mobile CRM is an extension of that, freeing managers and sales teams to operate within the CRM anytime and from anywhere.”
Zanchin Automotive Group implemented DealerSocket’s new Mobile CRM at four of its 30 rooftops. The impact was immediate. BDC Director Angie Terzic said lead-response times at those locations are down to 10 minutes or less, with team members even using the app to enter new opportunities into the CRM after store hours. Terzic likes it because she can address potential issues before they become problems.
“I use it all the time, even when I have access to my desktop. I don’t even take my laptop home with me anymore because I have everything I need on my phone,” she said. “Now, more than ever, customers don’t want to come into the store. They can do everything online from their phone. Now, so can we.”
McDuffee brings more than two decades of auto industry innovation and helping dealers leverage data and digital technologies in their sales, marketing, and service strategies.
DALLAS, December 21, 2020 — DealerSocket, Inc., a leading SaaS provider to the automotive industry, today announced the appointment of Byron McDuffee as chief operating officer (COO). The 22-year automotive industry veteran will oversee DealerSocket’s operations, customer success and support, corporate development, strategy, vendor management, and analytics teams.
“Byron is an accomplished auto industry leader, and we are excited to welcome him to DealerSocket and our executive team,” said DealerSocket CEO Sejal Pietrzak. “Byron has strong experience in leading global teams, creating successful growth strategies, optimizing processes, and driving analytics. He has a dealer-first customer service approach and a keen focus on building a strong company culture and positive employee engagement, all of which aligns with DealerSocket’s priorities. I am thrilled that he has joined us, and he is already making a significant positive impact to our company.”
McDuffee previously served as senior vice president and general manager of Automotive Services at Equifax, where he led and managed all aspects of the automotive business. McDuffee also served in a variety of leadership roles at CDK Global, including general management responsibilities and as the head of the company’s global strategy and corporate ventures group.
“I’m excited to join DealerSocket, an organization whose goals are so closely aligned with my experience and passion for this great industry,” said McDuffee. “DealerSocket has made significant strides in helping dealers leverage data and product innovation to define the customer journey, increase buyer satisfaction, and maximize dealership profit potential. The acquisition of Auto/Mate elevates the company’s market position even more, giving dealers a much-needed new choice in the full platform-provider space.”
McDuffee, who will relocate from Illinois to DealerSocket’s Dallas headquarters in 2021, officially joined DealerSocket in November.
CARRBORO, N.C. — TradePending, the leader in data-driven trade-in tools and dynamic inventory merchandising, today announced that DealerSocket, Inc., a leading SaaS provider to the automotive industry, has chosen its SNAP API to power trade-in valuations for its award-winning PrecisePrice digital retail solution.
Launched in 2016, the SNAP API now powers 26 of the automotive industry’s most influential digital retailing, finance, and chat solutions. The API provides instant access to real-time vehicle listing data and TradePending’s valuation methodology. The goal is to ensure that consumers have a seamless and uniform experience when valuing their trade-ins through any channel on a dealer’s website. When a consumer visits a dealer’s website using both TradePending’s SNAP trade-in tool and DealerSocket’s SNAP API-powered PrecisePrice tool, the consumer receives the same trade-in values and local market customizations across all products.
“We’re thrilled to partner with DealerSocket. We both share the common goals of providing more transparency and simplicity in the car buying process,” said TradePending CEO Brice Englert. “By implementing the SNAP API, DealerSocket provides its more than 9,000 dealer customers with access to a digital retailing solution with the most modern, accurate, and effective trade-in valuation methodology on the market today.”
Critical to the success of the trade-in process is providing real-time and localized market data. TradePending continues to be the only solution that operates on as tight a radius as possible from a specific ZIP code, measuring local retail “ask prices.” This methodology adjusts values based upon a proprietary matrix of reduction calculations, as well as retail supply and demand forces. Most importantly, TradePending updates these values daily to stay aligned with the market.
“If the past few months have proven anything, it’s that trade-in valuations need to be based on real-time data from the retail market, and localized to the consumer’s location,” Englert continued. “Using book values or wholesale prices based upon national averages or large regional areas provides consumers with inaccurate values. Nothing erodes confidence in a dealership more quickly than when a consumer feels like they’re being misled about the value of their car. Our transparent approach, easily enabled for other partners via the SNAP API, creates more realistic conversations and better outcomes for consumers and dealers alike.”
PrecisePrice empowers dealers to deliver a true omnichannel buying experience, allowing car shoppers to engage the platform’s self-desking capabilities online, then save and retrieve their deal at a later time or in the dealership’s showroom. The functionality also allows BDC staffers and showroom salespeople to guide phone-in and walk-in shoppers through the PrecisePrice buying process on a mobile device.
“Aggregated data we collected during the height of COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders shows that consumers continued to initiate trade appraisals through online lead forms,” Darren Harris, executive vice president and general manager of retail solutions at DealerSocket. “That tells us that online trade evaluations represent a key opportunity for dealers. That’s why we’re excited to partner with TradePending, which has developed a quick and mobile-friendly process that sets up dealers to have meaningful conversations with in-market customers.”