Contributed by Bryce Veon

Today, it was announced that CDK has purchased Auto/Mate.  I expect this action to create a major disruption in the dealer management system (DMS) industry.

First, there is now one less option for dealerships to choose. Second, this purchase isn’t an effort to combine two smaller players in hopes of making a bigger impact in the marketplace. Rather, it’s a scenario in which one of the big 2 DMS providers eliminates another legitimate option.

History shows that this kind of acquisition often has a negative impact on all buyers, both customers and non-customers alike, because as supply shrinks, prices tend to rise and quality tends to fall. Buyers get less flexibility and innovation often slows.

Why? To get the ROI (return on investment) needed to offset the acquisition costs, the company will focus on consolidation of platforms, which causes changes in functionality, workflows, etc.  A consolidation of people is also common, often resulting in adverse impacts on customer support and account management. With the focus on offsetting the cost of the purchase, expect investments into the product and services to be greatly curtailed.

Yes, expect disruption. And consider your options. At Autosoft, we remain committed to diversification in the DMS industry. It’s one reason why we’ve been named Highest Rated DMS three years in a row by DrivingSales.

Improve Training Retention with Video

Video learning has exploded over the past few years. OEMs use it extensively with everyone from sales professionals to technicians for new model learning, continuing education certifications, and more. NADA and State Associations have broad virtual libraries for best practices and process training, regulatory and compliance learning options, and many other topics. You’ve most likely subscribed to at least one online video sales or F&I training series for your dealership team. You may have even made video part of your store’s onboarding for new hires.

It’s easy to see why video has taken over as the learning tool of choice. Did you know YouTube has over a billion users? That’s one-third of people online![1] The same thing that drives people to seek information and entertainment on YouTube is also fueling their use of other social media outlets, like Facebook and Instagram. The expectation for instant, on-demand information has spread to both education and marketing. Video learning is the answer.

The Real Value of Video 

Is video learning beneficial? Absolutely! It’s almost seven times more beneficial than documents or articles alone. Seven times! Stimulating both audio and visual senses gives the mind far less time to wander, and helps maintain focus. Successful learning videos commonly do these 3 things:

1. Grab attention within the first 8 seconds.
2. Keep it short (3 minutes or less).
3. Engage the viewer. A good instructional video can make ANY content come to life.

Learning videos fill a need in the education market to deliver information in a way people can remember. Did you know our attention rates are less than that of a goldfish? No joke! The average human attention span is merely eight seconds, compared to a goldfish with an attention span of nine seconds.[2] The combination of visual and audio versus just reading words is the key to getting and keeping our attention, and superior retention rates.

Not only do we have pitiful attention spans, we only remember 10% of what we hear or read after just 72 hours. Those stats rise to almost a 70% retention rate when we combine audio with visual stimulation that catches our attention.[3]

You might guess employees, especially millennial employees, favor video over other forms of learning. In fact, research proves it. Forrester research shows people are 75% more likely to watch a video than read documents, emails, or web articles.[4] That’s huge in the business world!

They can watch video training as they are able, on demand, and from anywhere. Plus, travel costs and schedule conflicts are reduced, conference rooms are freed up for other needs, and your training is consistently being delivered the same way each time.

Do It Right

To make your video learning successful, you must keep it short. Just because something is in video format, doesn’t mean people will remember it, especially if the content is dry or the video is long. YouTube statistics show the average length of an online video watched is just under three minutes. No matter how spectacular your video is, after three minutes your audience has lost interest. Understandably, it can be difficult to keep videos short, especially if you have a lot of content. The key here is to deliver it in “chunks.” Several small, three-minute chunks of material will hit the education sweet spot.

No matter how short the video, dull content will lose your audience every time. People aren’t looking for Hollywood style video learning with action clips and loud music, but you can’t just read a PowerPoint either. Your employees don’t need an excuse to fall asleep, so be sure the videos are engaging. Instructional designers are out there with the ideas and authoring tools to make any content more engaging and interactive. It might be a good idea to utilize them.

There you have it. To get the most training retention from your dealership team, start developing your own learning videos and start utilizing the multitude of industry learning videos available. Most importantly, make continuous learning through videos part of your dealership’s culture. As a matter of fact, why did I type all of this? I should have vlogged it instead!

Reference Links

[1] https://www.youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.html

[2] http://www.statisticbrain.com/attention-span-statistics/

[3] http://www.statisticbrain.com/attention-span-statistics/

[4] https://www.panopto.com/blog/5-facts-you-can-use-to-make-the-case-for-video-in-your-learning-development-organization/

https://www.forrester.com/report/Improve+Customer+Engagement+With+A+Blended+Learning+Strategy/-/E-RES115865#figure3

Not only is this a great Molly Hatchet song but it seems to be the norm when it comes to dealerships updating their operating systems or securing their computer networks. One of the lines in the song actually foretells of impending doom… ”When we gamble with our time, we choose our destiny.”

In my job I travel to many dealerships and quite often engage with either the I.T. person or experience their computer network myself. I am constantly amazed at either how little is understood about a computer network or the apathy displayed about this most critical piece of their business’ infrastructure. The Gramm Leach Bliley Act, Safe Harbor Rules and Privacy Act all tell us how important it is to protect and safeguard not only your data, but all of the data you have collected from your customers. Ultimately, it is the dealer’s responsibility if a customer’s information gets lost or stolen.

With this being said, wouldn’t you think we would all take the utmost care and be diligent about making sure the access to our most critical data is always up to date and has the most security possible? You certainly would think so. However, this goes back to my dealer visits. I was in a store not too long ago and was asked to show how to perform a certain process with our software. I quickly agreed and asked if I could use one of their machines to show them an example. “Sure” was the quick response.

I went to a finance manager’s desk and moved the mouse to get the security screen to pop up. I asked for the other person to enter the password and he said “just hit the return key. The password is blank.” I was stunned to be sitting at an F&I manager’s desk and there wasn’t any security measures in place to make sure customer data nor dealership data was compromised. Sure enough, I hit the return key and the screen came to life. There I was looking at an online credit application that had all the information I would have needed to do some major damage to a customer’s credit file. I asked why they didn’t have the PC secured. Apparently the F&I manager has a hard time remembering all his passwords and felt this particular one was a nuisance. How much was that fine for losing customers’ data???

Another dealership allowed me to log onto one of their PC’s remotely. I immediately saw the start button wasn’t Windows 7 and asked to check the system’s properties. Turns out this machine was running Windows XP and wasn’t even up to date on its service packs. I asked the dealer if he knew that Windows XP is no longer supported by Microsoft and hasn’t been since April 8 of 2014, over a year ago. The dealer seemed shocked and told me most of his machines still run XP!!!

Another instance, I am completely astounded when I look at the system tray on a PC and don’t see a business grade anti-virus running. Most recently I found a network that was running the FREE VERSION of an anti-virus program. When I asked why the dealership was doing that, the GM told me it was cheaper than paying for one. I agreed but reminded him the FREE license doesn’t include commercial applications and wouldn’t pay for any damage or liability caused by using a personal anti-virus solution in a commercial setting. I also showed him where he was running a two year old version of the program and it hadn’t been updated in that same amount of time!

Another opportunity for disaster comes from the wireless access granted to customers when they are in the dealership. While getting my car serviced, I asked the cashier for a wifi password. She was very quick to give me the answer but pointed out it happened to be on a display that was sitting 2 feet from me! I thanked her and logged on to my laptop to get some work done. Imagine my shock when I saw every workstation, printer and network drive throughout the entire organization. Apparently, the network router they had was wireless so they turned it on and gave customers access. They didn’t realize this access was “behind” the firewall and gave customers access to everything in the dealership. It quickly got resolved.

Lastly, a dealer asked me if I could help him fix some customer files that were either damaged or had been somehow changed. I said “sure, no problem. All I need is your last backup and we will gladly restore it.” From the look on his face, I already knew the answer. His last backup of his system had been over 6 months ago. Fortunately, the customer’s information he was looking for was on there. Imagine if it hadn’t.

To put this all together, let me tell you how bad things can happen quickly. Think of one of those customers in the service lane logging onto your network with the wifi password. They get a little bored so they start surfing the net. One of the sites they go to happens to have a ransom virus embedded in it so when they view the page, the virus automatically downloads and gets proliferated throughout the dealership’s network. The customer finally logs off but by that time, the virus has spread to the service advisors computer and starts to branch out to the other workstations until, uh oh, it finds a server on the network. The ransom virus does what a ransom virus is supposed to do and encrypts portions of the server’s files and asks for you to send money to some offshore account to unlock your data.

You consider doing this because your entire network is down and you are basically out of business. In a stroke of genius, you call for I.T. support. No issues, they have heard of this before. They just need your latest backup and they can put it back together. Ughhh. The last backup was from 6 months ago so when your I.T. people do restore your data, you are missing the last 6 months’ worth of business.

This sounds horrible (and it is) but this doesn’t even include the $10,000 per instance of illegal software on your machines or the fines and lawsuits for letting personal confidential information getting out into the public domain.

Imagine, all of this could have been avoided had someone taken the time to understand and protect their network. Be sure you are utilizing the latest firmware for the hardware you have. Make sure you are not using out of date software or out of date anti-virus subscriptions. Run your backups as scheduled and be sure to have two copies, one on-site and one off-site just in case the building burns down, washes away or is taken out by an EMP! Know the end-of-life for any operating system you are using and have a plan to upgrade before the end. Windows Server 2003 is not being supported any longer and should be immediately upgraded. Windows Server 2008 is due to sunset in January of 2020 (still have some time there). Finally, know the law. Get a good understanding of GLB, Privacy Act, Red Flags, OFAC and all the other laws that the dealership is responsible for. And for goodness sake, make sure you have a guest wireless network that is in front of your firewall and completely separate from your companies IP scheme.

Bottom line, if you don’t understand computer networks, the maintaining of a network or the laws that govern business in a car dealership, I would highly suggest you find someone who does. Either hire them or pay for their service; in the long run, it will save you a ton of money!

Not only is this a great Molly Hatchet song but it seems to be the norm when it comes to dealerships updating their operating systems or securing their computer networks. One of the lines in the song actually foretells of impending doom… ”When we gamble with our time, we choose our destiny.”

In my job I travel to many dealerships and quite often engage with either the I.T. person or experience their computer network myself. I am constantly amazed at either how little is understood about a computer network or the apathy displayed about this most critical piece of their business’ infrastructure. The Gramm Leach Bliley Act, Safe Harbor Rules and Privacy Act all tell us how important it is to protect and safeguard not only your data, but all of the data you have collected from your customers. Ultimately, it is the dealer’s responsibility if a customer’s information gets lost or stolen.

With this being said, wouldn’t you think we would all take the utmost care and be diligent about making sure the access to our most critical data is always up to date and has the most security possible? You certainly would think so. However, this goes back to my dealer visits. I was in a store not too long ago and was asked to show how to perform a certain process with our software. I quickly agreed and asked if I could use one of their machines to show them an example. “Sure” was the quick response.

I went to a finance manager’s desk and moved the mouse to get the security screen to pop up. I asked for the other person to enter the password and he said “just hit the return key. The password is blank.” I was stunned to be sitting at an F&I manager’s desk and there wasn’t any security measures in place to make sure customer data nor dealership data was compromised. Sure enough, I hit the return key and the screen came to life. There I was looking at an online credit application that had all the information I would have needed to do some major damage to a customer’s credit file. I asked why they didn’t have the PC secured. Apparently the F&I manager has a hard time remembering all his passwords and felt this particular one was a nuisance. How much was that fine for losing customers’ data???

Another dealership allowed me to log onto one of their PC’s remotely. I immediately saw the start button wasn’t Windows 7 and asked to check the system’s properties. Turns out this machine was running Windows XP and wasn’t even up to date on its service packs. I asked the dealer if he knew that Windows XP is no longer supported by Microsoft and hasn’t been since April 8 of 2014, over a year ago. The dealer seemed shocked and told me most of his machines still run XP!!!

Another instance, I am completely astounded when I look at the system tray on a PC and don’t see a business grade anti-virus running. Most recently I found a network that was running the FREE VERSION of an anti-virus program. When I asked why the dealership was doing that, the GM told me it was cheaper than paying for one. I agreed but reminded him the FREE license doesn’t include commercial applications and wouldn’t pay for any damage or liability caused by using a personal anti-virus solution in a commercial setting. I also showed him where he was running a two year old version of the program and it hadn’t been updated in that same amount of time!

Another opportunity for disaster comes from the wireless access granted to customers when they are in the dealership. While getting my car serviced, I asked the cashier for a wifi password. She was very quick to give me the answer but pointed out it happened to be on a display that was sitting 2 feet from me! I thanked her and logged on to my laptop to get some work done. Imagine my shock when I saw every workstation, printer and network drive throughout the entire organization. Apparently, the network router they had was wireless so they turned it on and gave customers access. They didn’t realize this access was “behind” the firewall and gave customers access to everything in the dealership. It quickly got resolved.

Lastly, a dealer asked me if I could help him fix some customer files that were either damaged or had been somehow changed. I said “sure, no problem. All I need is your last backup and we will gladly restore it.” From the look on his face, I already knew the answer. His last backup of his system had been over 6 months ago. Fortunately, the customer’s information he was looking for was on there. Imagine if it hadn’t.

To put this all together, let me tell you how bad things can happen quickly. Think of one of those customers in the service lane logging onto your network with the wifi password. They get a little bored so they start surfing the net. One of the sites they go to happens to have a ransom virus embedded in it so when they view the page, the virus automatically downloads and gets proliferated throughout the dealership’s network. The customer finally logs off but by that time, the virus has spread to the service advisors computer and starts to branch out to the other workstations until, uh oh, it finds a server on the network. The ransom virus does what a ransom virus is supposed to do and encrypts portions of the server’s files and asks for you to send money to some offshore account to unlock your data.

You consider doing this because your entire network is down and you are basically out of business. In a stroke of genius, you call for I.T. support. No issues, they have heard of this before. They just need your latest backup and they can put it back together. Ughhh. The last backup was from 6 months ago so when your I.T. people do restore your data, you are missing the last 6 months’ worth of business.

This sounds horrible (and it is) but this doesn’t even include the $10,000 per instance of illegal software on your machines or the fines and lawsuits for letting personal confidential information getting out into the public domain.

Imagine, all of this could have been avoided had someone taken the time to understand and protect their network. Be sure you are utilizing the latest firmware for the hardware you have. Make sure you are not using out of date software or out of date anti-virus subscriptions. Run your backups as scheduled and be sure to have two copies, one on-site and one off-site just in case the building burns down, washes away or is taken out by an EMP! Know the end-of-life for any operating system you are using and have a plan to upgrade before the end. Windows Server 2003 is not being supported any longer and should be immediately upgraded. Windows Server 2008 is due to sunset in January of 2020 (still have some time there). Finally, know the law. Get a good understanding of GLB, Privacy Act, Red Flags, OFAC and all the other laws that the dealership is responsible for. And for goodness sake, make sure you have a guest wireless network that is in front of your firewall and completely separate from your companies IP scheme.

Bottom line, if you don’t understand computer networks, the maintaining of a network or the laws that govern business in a car dealership, I would highly suggest you find someone who does. Either hire them or pay for their service; in the long run, it will save you a ton of money!

West Middlesex, PA – February 6th, 2015 – Autosoft, Inc. has received the “Highest Rated” DMS Award in the sixth annual DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards, presented at a special event in conjunction with the 2015 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Expo. Autosoft’s FLEX DMS solution received the highest dealer satisfaction ranking in the DMS category, as determined by the thousands of auto dealers who are part of the DrivingSales.com community.

“We work hard every day to create DMS solutions that drive our customers’ businesses forward,” said Autosoft President and CEO Bryce Veon. “An award like this, determined by our customers’ votes, is both gratifying and humbling. We continue to enhance our core offering, invest in new solutions, and provide superior support services. It’s a winning strategy that our customers have come to expect from us, and we are proud that they have recognized us through DrivingSales ratings.”

For more than 26 years, Autosoft has powered automotive dealerships with flexible, easy to use, and affordable DMS solutions. Today, Autosoft is the preferred DMS provider of more than 30,000 users in 2,000 car dealerships.

“We congratulate Autosoft on being recognized as one of the best-of-the-best by the people to whom their services count the most: the dealer community,” said DrivingSales CEO and Founder Jared Hamilton. “For six years, and through over 21,000 validated reviews, DrivingSales Vendor Ratings has helped dealers make smarter, more informed decisions, leading them to outstanding service providers such as Autosoft.”

The DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards are based on cumulative ratings tallied and verified over the calendar year (January – December) at DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings. DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings is the industry’s only neutral, comprehensive vendor rating forum featuring real-time peer reviews and honest competitor comparisons, and provides dealerships with important information from actual customers who have hands-on experience using vendor products/solutions in their stores. Each rating is verified as coming from an actual dealership employee.

Full award results are available online. Award winners are showcased in the Q1 2015 issue of DrivingSales DealerExec which, in addition to being distributed at the 2015 NADA Convention and Expo, is delivered to every new car dealership nationwide, as well as to more than 2,000 of the top used car dealers in the U.S. For more information on DealerExec, please visit: dealerexecmag.com.

About Autosoft
Autosoft develops and supports integrated software solutions that simplify business operations to produce better business results for automotive retailers across the U.S. Complete dealership management system (DMS) capabilities with affordable month-to-month support fees are designed to improve dealership processes and profitability, and reduce operating costs. Learning is quick and easy with intuitive applications that result in greater system utilization. FLEX DMS is built on an open-system platform, giving dealers the most flexible and secure choices for managing and sharing data with OEMs and third parties. Managed hosting services offer convenience and mobility, providing secure and reliable access from any chosen device. Autosoft is the preferred solution of more than 30,000 users in 2,000 car dealerships and consistently receives the highest customer satisfaction and most-likely-to-recommend ratings. www.autosoftdms.com.

About DrivingSales
DrivingSales enables retail automotive dealers to learn, connect, innovate, and prosper in a rapidly changing retail environment. DrivingSales operates three business units geared at delivering actionable insight to dealers: DrivingSales Media, which comprises the DrivingSales.com dealer community, DrivingSales News, Dealer Executive Magazine, and multiple industry conferences. DrivingSales University, the leading provider of automotive retail education content and certification programs, and DrivingSales Data, the industry’s largest cross-channel data analytics platform.

Founded by a third-generation car dealer in 2008, today DrivingSales is utilized by over 60% of franchised dealerships in North America as a reso

urce to improve their business performance. To learn more about the DrivingSales community, news, training or performance analytics visit DrivingSales.com, DrivingSalesNews.com, DrivingSalesUniversity.com and DrivingSalesData.com

Autosoft Media Relations:
Stephanie Woeste (swoeste@autosoftdms.com), Autosoft, Inc., 724.906.6249

DrivingSales Media Relations:
Melanie Webber (melanie@mwebbcom.com), mWEBB Communications, 949.307.1723

West Middlesex, PA – February 6th, 2015 – Autosoft, Inc. has received the “Highest Rated” DMS Award in the sixth annual DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards, presented at a special event in conjunction with the 2015 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Expo. Autosoft’s FLEX DMS solution received the highest dealer satisfaction ranking in the DMS category, as determined by the thousands of auto dealers who are part of the DrivingSales.com community.

“We work hard every day to create DMS solutions that drive our customers’ businesses forward,” said Autosoft President and CEO Bryce Veon. “An award like this, determined by our customers’ votes, is both gratifying and humbling. We continue to enhance our core offering, invest in new solutions, and provide superior support services. It’s a winning strategy that our customers have come to expect from us, and we are proud that they have recognized us through DrivingSales ratings.”

For more than 26 years, Autosoft has powered automotive dealerships with flexible, easy to use, and affordable DMS solutions. Today, Autosoft is the preferred DMS provider of more than 30,000 users in 2,000 car dealerships.

“We congratulate Autosoft on being recognized as one of the best-of-the-best by the people to whom their services count the most: the dealer community,” said DrivingSales CEO and Founder Jared Hamilton. “For six years, and through over 21,000 validated reviews, DrivingSales Vendor Ratings has helped dealers make smarter, more informed decisions, leading them to outstanding service providers such as Autosoft.”

The DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards are based on cumulative ratings tallied and verified over the calendar year (January – December) at DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings. DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings is the industry’s only neutral, comprehensive vendor rating forum featuring real-time peer reviews and honest competitor comparisons, and provides dealerships with important information from actual customers who have hands-on experience using vendor products/solutions in their stores. Each rating is verified as coming from an actual dealership employee.

Full award results are available online. Award winners are showcased in the Q1 2015 issue of DrivingSales DealerExec which, in addition to being distributed at the 2015 NADA Convention and Expo, is delivered to every new car dealership nationwide, as well as to more than 2,000 of the top used car dealers in the U.S. For more information on DealerExec, please visit: dealerexecmag.com.

About Autosoft
Autosoft develops and supports integrated software solutions that simplify business operations to produce better business results for automotive retailers across the U.S. Complete dealership management system (DMS) capabilities with affordable month-to-month support fees are designed to improve dealership processes and profitability, and reduce operating costs. Learning is quick and easy with intuitive applications that result in greater system utilization. FLEX DMS is built on an open-system platform, giving dealers the most flexible and secure choices for managing and sharing data with OEMs and third parties. Managed hosting services offer convenience and mobility, providing secure and reliable access from any chosen device. Autosoft is the preferred solution of more than 30,000 users in 2,000 car dealerships and consistently receives the highest customer satisfaction and most-likely-to-recommend ratings. www.autosoftdms.com.

About DrivingSales
DrivingSales enables retail automotive dealers to learn, connect, innovate, and prosper in a rapidly changing retail environment. DrivingSales operates three business units geared at delivering actionable insight to dealers: DrivingSales Media, which comprises the DrivingSales.com dealer community, DrivingSales News, Dealer Executive Magazine, and multiple industry conferences. DrivingSales University, the leading provider of automotive retail education content and certification programs, and DrivingSales Data, the industry’s largest cross-channel data analytics platform.

Founded by a third-generation car dealer in 2008, today DrivingSales is utilized by over 60% of franchised dealerships in North America as a reso

urce to improve their business performance. To learn more about the DrivingSales community, news, training or performance analytics visit DrivingSales.com, DrivingSalesNews.com, DrivingSalesUniversity.com and DrivingSalesData.com

Autosoft Media Relations:
Stephanie Woeste (swoeste@autosoftdms.com), Autosoft, Inc., 724.906.6249

DrivingSales Media Relations:
Melanie Webber (melanie@mwebbcom.com), mWEBB Communications, 949.307.1723

Ranked #1 in Dealer Satisfaction, Autosoft,Inc. wins award in DMS Category

San Francisco, CA – January 22, 2015 – Autosoft, Inc. Flex DMS has received the “Highest Rated” Dealership Management System Award in the sixth annual DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards, presented at a special event today in conjunction with the 2015 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Expo. Autosoft, Inc. Flex DMS received the highest dealer satisfaction ranking in the Dealership Management System category, as determined by the thousands of auto dealers who are part of the DrivingSales.com community.

The Autosoft FLEX DMS helps streamline business functions for maximum efficiency:

• Affordable, powerful functionality gives dealers a proven way to manage operations and communicate with customers and prospects, while servicing and selling cars quickly
• Easy to use, scalable architecture for a single store or a dealer group
• Integration capabilities with leading technology providers
• A reliable, dependable platform DMS that has been the core of Autosoft’s business for more than 25 years

“We congratulate Autosoft, Inc. Flex DMS on being recognized as one of the best-of-the-best by the people to whom their services count the most: the dealer community,” said DrivingSales CEO and Founder Jared Hamilton. “For six years, and through over 21,000 validated reviews, DrivingSales Vendor Ratings has helped dealers make smarter, more informed decisions, leading them to outstanding service providers such as Autosoft”

The DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards are based on cumulative ratings tallied and verified over the calendar year (January – December) at DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings.  DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings is the industry’s only neutral, comprehensive vendor rating forum featuring real-time peer reviews and honest competitor comparisons, and provides dealerships with important information from actual customers who have hands-on experience using vendor products/solutions in their stores. Each rating is verified as coming from an actual dealership employee.

Full award results are available online at http://dealersatisfactionawards.com/. Award winners are showcased in the Q1 2015 issue of DrivingSales DealerExec which, in addition to being distributed at the 2015 NADA Convention and Expo, is delivered to every new car dealership nationwide, as well as to more than 2,000 of the top used car dealers in the U.S. For more information on DealerExec, please visit: dealerexecmag.com.

About Autosoft

Autosoft develops and supports integrated software solutions that simplify business operations to produce better business results for automotive retailers across the U.S. Complete dealership management system (DMS) capabilities with affordable month-to-month support fees are designed to improve dealership processes and profitability, and reduce operating costs. Learning is quick and easy with intuitive applications that result in greater system utilization.  FLEX DMS is built on an open-system platform, giving dealers the most flexible and secure choices for managing and sharing data with OEMs and third parties. Managed hosting services offer convenience and mobility, providing secure and reliable access from any chosen device. Autosoft is the preferred solution of more than 30,000 users in 2,000 car dealerships and consistently receives the highest customer satisfaction and most-likely-to-recommend ratings. www.autosoftdms.com.

About DrivingSales  

DrivingSales enables automotive dealers, manufacturers and vendors to learn, connect, innovate, and prosper in a rapidly changing retail environment. DrivingSales operates three business units:  DrivingSales Media, which comprises DrivingSales.com, DSNews.com, the largest news, information and community hub in Automotive Retail, and  several of the industry’s best regarded conferences, including the DrivingSales Executive Summit and DrivingSales President’s Club; DrivingSales University, the leading provider of automotive retail education content and certification programs, and  DrivingSales Data, the industry’s largest cross-channel data analytics platform.

Founded by a third-generation car dealer in 2008, today DrivingSales is utilized by over 60% of franchised dealerships in North America as a resource to improve their business performance.  To learn more about the DrivingSales community, news, training or performance analytics visit DrivingSales.com, DSNews.com, DrivingSalesUniversity.com and DrivingSalesData.com.

Autosoft, Inc. Media Relations:

Stephanie Woeste (swoeste@autosoftdms.com), 724.906.6249

DrivingSales Media Relations:

Melanie Webber (melanie@mwebbcom.com), mWEBB Communications, 949.307.1723

Ranked #1 in Dealer Satisfaction, Autosoft,Inc. wins award in DMS Category

San Francisco, CA – January 22, 2015 – Autosoft, Inc. Flex DMS has received the “Highest Rated” Dealership Management System Award in the sixth annual DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards, presented at a special event today in conjunction with the 2015 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Expo. Autosoft, Inc. Flex DMS received the highest dealer satisfaction ranking in the Dealership Management System category, as determined by the thousands of auto dealers who are part of the DrivingSales.com community.

The Autosoft FLEX DMS helps streamline business functions for maximum efficiency:

• Affordable, powerful functionality gives dealers a proven way to manage operations and communicate with customers and prospects, while servicing and selling cars quickly
• Easy to use, scalable architecture for a single store or a dealer group
• Integration capabilities with leading technology providers
• A reliable, dependable platform DMS that has been the core of Autosoft’s business for more than 25 years

“We congratulate Autosoft, Inc. Flex DMS on being recognized as one of the best-of-the-best by the people to whom their services count the most: the dealer community,” said DrivingSales CEO and Founder Jared Hamilton. “For six years, and through over 21,000 validated reviews, DrivingSales Vendor Ratings has helped dealers make smarter, more informed decisions, leading them to outstanding service providers such as Autosoft”

The DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards are based on cumulative ratings tallied and verified over the calendar year (January – December) at DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings.  DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings is the industry’s only neutral, comprehensive vendor rating forum featuring real-time peer reviews and honest competitor comparisons, and provides dealerships with important information from actual customers who have hands-on experience using vendor products/solutions in their stores. Each rating is verified as coming from an actual dealership employee.

Full award results are available online at http://dealersatisfactionawards.com/. Award winners are showcased in the Q1 2015 issue of DrivingSales DealerExec which, in addition to being distributed at the 2015 NADA Convention and Expo, is delivered to every new car dealership nationwide, as well as to more than 2,000 of the top used car dealers in the U.S. For more information on DealerExec, please visit: dealerexecmag.com.

About Autosoft

Autosoft develops and supports integrated software solutions that simplify business operations to produce better business results for automotive retailers across the U.S. Complete dealership management system (DMS) capabilities with affordable month-to-month support fees are designed to improve dealership processes and profitability, and reduce operating costs. Learning is quick and easy with intuitive applications that result in greater system utilization.  FLEX DMS is built on an open-system platform, giving dealers the most flexible and secure choices for managing and sharing data with OEMs and third parties. Managed hosting services offer convenience and mobility, providing secure and reliable access from any chosen device. Autosoft is the preferred solution of more than 30,000 users in 2,000 car dealerships and consistently receives the highest customer satisfaction and most-likely-to-recommend ratings. www.autosoftdms.com.

About DrivingSales  

DrivingSales enables automotive dealers, manufacturers and vendors to learn, connect, innovate, and prosper in a rapidly changing retail environment. DrivingSales operates three business units:  DrivingSales Media, which comprises DrivingSales.com, DSNews.com, the largest news, information and community hub in Automotive Retail, and  several of the industry’s best regarded conferences, including the DrivingSales Executive Summit and DrivingSales President’s Club; DrivingSales University, the leading provider of automotive retail education content and certification programs, and  DrivingSales Data, the industry’s largest cross-channel data analytics platform.

Founded by a third-generation car dealer in 2008, today DrivingSales is utilized by over 60% of franchised dealerships in North America as a resource to improve their business performance.  To learn more about the DrivingSales community, news, training or performance analytics visit DrivingSales.com, DSNews.com, DrivingSalesUniversity.com and DrivingSalesData.com.

Autosoft, Inc. Media Relations:

Stephanie Woeste (swoeste@autosoftdms.com), 724.906.6249

DrivingSales Media Relations:

Melanie Webber (melanie@mwebbcom.com), mWEBB Communications, 949.307.1723

DMS Provider Receives Two Prestigious Recognitions in 2014

WEST MIDDLESEX, PA (PRWEB) September 22, 2014

Autosoft, Inc., an innovative software and services company serving the automotive retail industry, is proud to announce its selection as one of the top 100 Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania.

“We’re proud to be a company that offers the opportunity to do amazing things,” says Bryce Veon, president and CEO, Autosoft. “Creating and being a great place to work benefits our employees and customers alike. Being a great place to work for makes us a great place to work with. It shows we care about our employees and customers, and who doesn’t want to be with the best?”

The awards program, created in 2000, is one of the first statewide programs of its kind in the country. It was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Pennsylvania, which are benefiting the state's economy and its workforce.

“We’re growing because our employees are dedicated to our success. For this reason, we focus heavily on providing a great environment, support for ideas, the right tools to get the job done, and a place to feel comfortable collaborating and having fun. To attract the best software developers, product managers, sales associates, customer support staff and other skilled professionals, we’ve examined what makes for a great workplace, the issues that employees deal with and the best ways to make Autosoft’s employees’ work and personal lives mesh.” This philosophy has resulted in programs designed to make employees happier, healthier, more engaged with the community in which they work, and aware of how appreciated they are by Autosoft’s leadership,” says Veon.

The company has established a wellness program to help employees achieve better health and manage stress, while the Autosoft A-Team keeps the workplace energetic. The committee behind the A-Team hosts cookouts, associate cook-offs, themed days at the office, and social outings to build team spirit and connection. Through the Autosoft Cares committee, the company organizes activities and fundraisers that give back to the communities Autosoft and its employees call home.

Companies from across the state entered the two-part process to determine the 100 Best Places to Work in PA. The first part was evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophies, systems and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25% of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75% of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process.

Autosoft will be recognized at the Best Places to Work in PA awards banquet on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014, at the Lancaster County Convention Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Rankings will be revealed at the ceremony. In August, Autosoft was selected as one of the “Best Places to Work in Western PA” by the Pittsburgh Business Times; rankings of this honor will be announced Oct. 30, 2014 at an awards program to be held at the Westin Convention Center Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

About Autosoft, Inc.
In an established automotive retailing marketplace, Autosoft, Inc., headquartered in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania, with offices in Dayton, Ohio, is breaking the mold with innovative, user-friendly technology and business-friendly terms and conditions. Through new software and services, customers throughout North America now have convenient, affordable access to the tools they need to run a car dealership from any Internet-enabled device. We are proud that we put customers first, with more than 30,000 users in 2,000 car dealerships, and that we have a growing associate team that lives this practice of exceptional customer care and support.

For more information about Autosoft, call Autosoft Marketing at 800-473-4630, email marketing(at)autosoft-asi(dot)com or visit the website at http://www.autosoftyoudrive.com.

About the Best Places to Work in PA
The program is a public/private partnership between Team Pennsylvania Foundation, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the Pennsylvania State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management, and the Central Penn Business Journal. In addition to the public/private partnership, the program is supported by the following organizations: Lead Sponsor—Team Pennsylvania Foundation; Major Sponsors—Capital BlueCross; Global HR Research; Ryan, Saul Ewing, LLP; and Santander; Founding Partners—Team Pennsylvania Foundation and the Central Penn Business Journal; Program Partner—The Department of Community and Economic Development.

For more information on the Best Places to Work in PA, visit http://www.bestplacestoworkinpa.com or contact Jamie Mowery, event coordinator at the Central Penn Business Journal at 717-236-4300 or jamiem(at)cpbj(dot)com.

DMS Provider Receives Two Prestigious Recognitions in 2014

WEST MIDDLESEX, PA (PRWEB) September 22, 2014

Autosoft, Inc., an innovative software and services company serving the automotive retail industry, is proud to announce its selection as one of the top 100 Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania.

“We’re proud to be a company that offers the opportunity to do amazing things,” says Bryce Veon, president and CEO, Autosoft. “Creating and being a great place to work benefits our employees and customers alike. Being a great place to work for makes us a great place to work with. It shows we care about our employees and customers, and who doesn’t want to be with the best?”

The awards program, created in 2000, is one of the first statewide programs of its kind in the country. It was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Pennsylvania, which are benefiting the state's economy and its workforce.

“We’re growing because our employees are dedicated to our success. For this reason, we focus heavily on providing a great environment, support for ideas, the right tools to get the job done, and a place to feel comfortable collaborating and having fun. To attract the best software developers, product managers, sales associates, customer support staff and other skilled professionals, we’ve examined what makes for a great workplace, the issues that employees deal with and the best ways to make Autosoft’s employees’ work and personal lives mesh.” This philosophy has resulted in programs designed to make employees happier, healthier, more engaged with the community in which they work, and aware of how appreciated they are by Autosoft’s leadership,” says Veon.

The company has established a wellness program to help employees achieve better health and manage stress, while the Autosoft A-Team keeps the workplace energetic. The committee behind the A-Team hosts cookouts, associate cook-offs, themed days at the office, and social outings to build team spirit and connection. Through the Autosoft Cares committee, the company organizes activities and fundraisers that give back to the communities Autosoft and its employees call home.

Companies from across the state entered the two-part process to determine the 100 Best Places to Work in PA. The first part was evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophies, systems and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25% of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75% of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process.

Autosoft will be recognized at the Best Places to Work in PA awards banquet on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014, at the Lancaster County Convention Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Rankings will be revealed at the ceremony. In August, Autosoft was selected as one of the “Best Places to Work in Western PA” by the Pittsburgh Business Times; rankings of this honor will be announced Oct. 30, 2014 at an awards program to be held at the Westin Convention Center Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

About Autosoft, Inc.
In an established automotive retailing marketplace, Autosoft, Inc., headquartered in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania, with offices in Dayton, Ohio, is breaking the mold with innovative, user-friendly technology and business-friendly terms and conditions. Through new software and services, customers throughout North America now have convenient, affordable access to the tools they need to run a car dealership from any Internet-enabled device. We are proud that we put customers first, with more than 30,000 users in 2,000 car dealerships, and that we have a growing associate team that lives this practice of exceptional customer care and support.

For more information about Autosoft, call Autosoft Marketing at 800-473-4630, email marketing(at)autosoft-asi(dot)com or visit the website at http://www.autosoftyoudrive.com.

About the Best Places to Work in PA
The program is a public/private partnership between Team Pennsylvania Foundation, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the Pennsylvania State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management, and the Central Penn Business Journal. In addition to the public/private partnership, the program is supported by the following organizations: Lead Sponsor—Team Pennsylvania Foundation; Major Sponsors—Capital BlueCross; Global HR Research; Ryan, Saul Ewing, LLP; and Santander; Founding Partners—Team Pennsylvania Foundation and the Central Penn Business Journal; Program Partner—The Department of Community and Economic Development.

For more information on the Best Places to Work in PA, visit http://www.bestplacestoworkinpa.com or contact Jamie Mowery, event coordinator at the Central Penn Business Journal at 717-236-4300 or jamiem(at)cpbj(dot)com.