ATLANTA and OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Oct. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Since AutoTrader.com acquired VinSolutions in June of this year, it has made a number of investments in the company to ensure it maintains its position as the leading software solutions package for dealers.

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VinSolutions operates as a subsidiary of AutoTrader.com, and the two businesses continue to collaborate on methods of infusing value into both companies and their customers. There are multiple areas that AutoTrader.com is focusing on to maximize the dealer's experience with VinSolutions.  A big priority is to help VinSolutions scale its operations and add staff to improve VinSolutions' products and services.  Specifically, AutoTrader.com is helping with the following initiatives:

1. Adding more IT staff to accelerate product innovation and development.
2. Adding IT hardware to ensure stability, application speed, security, redundancy and scalability.
3. Adding resources to the Service & Support team to improve dealers' support experience.
4. Allowing VinSolutions to access data from both AutoTrader.com and KBB to improve product innovation and features.
5. Developing deeper product integration between VinSolutions and vAuto.
6. Exploring cross-selling opportunities for those AutoTrader.com customers that would benefit most from the VinSolutions suite of products.

AutoTrader.com will leverage its deep and rich expertise in IT, customer service & support and product innovation to help strengthen VinSolutions' operations.

"As we announced during the acquisition, VinSolutions is a strong complement to our existing group of dealer software companies, and a priority for us is to ensure the scalability of VinSolutions software & customer support to create an even more powerful suite of Internet marketing and sales related software solutions for dealers," said AutoTrader.com President and CEO Chip Perry. "These steps that we're taking to maximize our investment in VinSolutions are only the beginning. We're really excited to see what the future holds for the VinSolutions product suite, backed by the strength of AutoTrader.com."

"The partnership with AutoTrader.com couldn't be stronger," said Mike Dullea, CEO of VinSolutions.com. "Our team continues to be very excited to work with AutoTrader.com because we are both passionate about helping dealers use the internet and innovative technology to grow their business.  Together we will strive to constantly improve how we serve our dealers and how we help them attract, serve and retain their customers."

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 continues to grow key business metrics, including revenue, profitability and site traffic. Today, AutoTrader.com attracts more than 15 million unique monthly visitors who utilize the site to review descriptions, photos and videos of vehicles for sale; research and compare vehicles; review pricing and specials; and read auto-related content like buying and selling tips and editorial coverage of major auto shows and automotive trends. AutoTrader.com operates two other auto marketing brands, AutoTraderClassics.com and AutoTraderLatino.com. AutoTrader.com also owns used vehicle management software company vAuto, Kelley Blue Book (Kbb.com) and HomeNet Automotive, a leading provider of online inventory management and merchandising solutions for the automotive retail industry.  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.

About VinSolutions (www.vinsolutions.com)

VinSolutions, headquartered in Overland Park, KS, consolidates data from all areas of an automotive dealership helping dealers to find, sell and keep customers more profitably with their fully-integrated "Dealership Marketing System". VinSolutions' all-in-one internal management and external sales and service marketing solution platform includes search marketing, online advertising, social media marketing tools, mobile marketing, websites, ILM (Internet Lead Management), CRM (Customer Relationship Management), sales force automation, desking, appraisal, finance, used vehicle marketing and market pricing, inventory management and distribution, window stickers, automated video tours, loyalty management and targeted marketing with email, text, direct mail and telemarketing services. This cloud-based system is available for large dealer groups and individual dealerships from anywhere an Internet connection is available and can be viewed from any smart phone including blackberry, Google DROID and iPhone.  VinSolutions' Dealership Marketing System is installed by their implementation experts and supported by best practice retail strategy consultation, process training and customer care. VinSolutions was named on the Inc. 500|5000 in 2010 and 2011 and has received many industry accolades including the Automotive Website Award for Best Integrated Website Platform and the Driving Sales Innovation Cup for VinLens™. VinSolutions is certified by GM, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, Hyundai, Acura, Mazda, Toyota, Subaru, Volkswagen, Audi, Volvo, Kia, Saab, Mitsubishi, Infiniti and Nissan and is ADP, Reynolds & Reynolds and DealerTrack DMS certified. Other alliances include, but are not limited to, Kelley Blue Book, Black Book, Galves, NADA, CARFAX, R.L. Polk, AIS Rebates, KnowMe, AutoSoft, Arkona,  Autodata and RouteOne. Founded in 2006, VinSolutions became a subsidiary of AutoTrader.com in 2011.

SOURCE AutoTrader.com