DALLAS and LONG ISLAND, N.Y. -

Automotive software company eCarList revealed Wednesday that it has acquired DealerUps, a provider of CRM solutions for dealers.

Officials explained the acquisition means eCarList will integrate CRM into its inventory management and online marketing solutions. They believe the integration should make it easier for dealerships to fully own and control the vehicle merchandising process through one unified platform.

According to eCarList chief executive officer Len Critcher, the DealerUps software has been rewritten to work seamlessly with the eCarList platform. Critcher indicated the solution includes new features such as assigning and switching between leads and vehicle details, the ability to view all leads by vehicle, as well as improved visibility into all online marketing channels and success metrics. 

Critcher went on to note the new solution can provide unified integration with eCarList partner sites, including direct integration for online auction leads and bid management.

The company said the integration of DealerUps software into the eCarList platform is scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of this year. Management plans to showcase the solution at National Automobile Dealers Association Convention next month in San Francisco.

Executives from both companies recounted what each platform can deliver for dealers.

eCarList currently provides a full suite of online marketing tools to thousands of dealer customers enabling them to appraise, price and merchandise vehicle inventory in real time via one fully integrated software platform, including its TrueTarget mobile app. 

DealerUps can provide dealers with a CRM system to manage and market to current and prospective customers from one database. The system can track and report customer information in real time, including Internet leads, sales, service, walk-ins, and incoming and outgoing telephone calls.

“The integration of CRM will enable us to provide a single, efficient and cohesive solution across the entire vehicle merchandising cycle, freeing dealers from the headaches of multiple, uncoordinated touch points,” Critcher emphasized.

“By adding CRM to the eCarList platform, we are effectively syncing together our dealers’ inventory, merchandising, pricing, and customer relationship management needs — from vehicle acquisition to vehicle disposition — while increasing visibility into how their merchandising and marketing dollars are performing,” he continued.

“Inventory management is the cornerstone of effective vehicle merchandising, while CRM is the cornerstone of effective customer conversion,” Critcher added. “The integration of both equates to better processes, greater efficiencies and, most importantly, more volume for our customers.”

Stan Thomas, DealerUps’ executive vice president and general manager, gave his perspective, saying, “We are pleased to join one of the most exciting and leading-edge companies in the dealer technology industry on its mission to revolutionize the way dealers manage and merchandise their inventory.

“We believe that uniting eCarList’s award-winning technology with DealerUps’ best-in-class software will provide the most robust and complete automotive marketing platform in the industry,” Thomas concluded.