ARMONK, N.Y., and ATLANTA -

AutoTrader.com announced Wednesday it is using IBM technology as part of its electronic sales order system to simplify and accelerate the experience for dealer and manufacturer customers.

Officials explained IBM’s Smarter Commerce initiative can help companies bring new levels of automation to marketing, sales and fulfillment to support a customer-centered approach to commerce. 

The company highlighted the software is designed to make it easier and faster for AutoTrader’s dealers and OEM clients to promote their vehicles to consumers. 

IBM went on to state its platform can help dealers improve how they sell their vehicles through AutoTrader.com by simplifying the process to select promotions and configure, capture and complete orders for AutoTrader’s advertising programs.

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 can:

—Integrate easily with AutoTrader.com homegrown applications to provide customers with easier, more efficient ways of ordering vehicles online.

—Guide a dealership on how to quickly and easily put together an advertisement that best flaunts the store’s new, used or certified pre-owned vehicles for sale.  

—Help that dealership select the best package to most effectively reach its prospective customers through context-sensitive capabilities.

Officials pointed out 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. 

“Providing access to leading-edge applications of information and technology are core to providing the best online automotive shopping experience,” stated Gib Finley, director of 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,” Finley added.

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