TORONTO -

OPENLANE has rolled out a Canadian mobile site that will allow dealers to use their Apple iPhone/iPod touch and Google Android-based smartphones to tap into their accounts.

And in celebration of the new site, there is a drawing for dealers to win an iPad 2. Dealers can visit the mobile site and log-in to enter between now and June 21.

Explaining how the mobile site works, officials noted that, basically, Canadian dealers who work with OPENLANE can pull up vehicles they have either bid on or are monitoring on OPENLANE.ca while on-the-go.

The site will come in English and French editions.

The U.S. version of the site was rolled out at the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention and Expo earlier this year. The same features and functions are available on the Canadian version.

These include:

—Quicker and easier access to vehicles.
—Ability to browse thousands of vehicles.
—High-resolution photography.
—Full condition reports.
—Purchasing can be done directly through phone.

Moreover, two new features for both the U.S. and Canadian sites will include:

—One-Click Rebid, which allows dealers to make subsequent bids without having to submit checkout options again.

—Dealers can also utilize Default Checkout Options, which automatically generates pre-selected preferences like payment and transport, among others. So when a dealer bids, buys or makes an offer, these are already pulled up.

The My Account page on the site allows dealers to configure these two options.

Clark Hammond, OPENLANE’s director of product management, said: “We’ve always been committed to providing our dealers with the most efficient sales process possible.

“Our dealers are becoming increasingly reliant on their mobile devices to communicate and conduct business, and we wanted to ensure that all their OPENLANE needs were met while they were on-the-go,” Hammond added. “By providing them with a full-featured mobile site, they can now rest assured that they will never miss an important sale.”

Offering some dealer perspective, Jason Melville, used-car manager at Jackson’s Toyota in Ontario, noted: “I’m really excited that I can access my entire OPENLANE account when I’m out traveling and away from the dealership now.

“Being able to monitor my Watchlist items will ensure that I stay ahead of the auction bids and get the vehicles that I need for my dealership,” he concluded.