Two of the giants of the auto retail industry are renewing the vows of their marriage.

Dealership software provider CDK Global and Group 1 Automotive have announced an extension of their agreement to provide the massive dealership group’s U.S. franchise stores with the CDK Dealership Xperience platform.

The open and integrated platform is designed to provide a foundation of built-in functionality that unifies workflows at the dealership into a single experience, which CDK said “modernizes how dealers sell and service cars and operate their businesses in a digital world.”

With the extension, Group 1 — an early adopter of CDK — can further leverage the capabilities of the CDK Modern Retail Suite, including digital retailing, customer relationship management and F&I, as well as building and integrating apps and real-time workflows with APIs delivered through auto industry developer platform Fortellis.

“In a rapidly changing retail environment, we regularly look for ways to leverage technology in our dealerships to make the vehicle-buying process fast, easy and customer-friendly,” said James Druzbik, chief information officer of Group 1, which operates 203 dealerships in the U.S. and U.K. “Extending our relationship with CDK brings us what we believe are the best scalable solutions available.”

CDK said its software is currently used by the majority of franchise dealerships in North America, including five of the six major publicly held dealership groups in the U.S.

CDK president and CEO Brian MacDonald said the extension with Group 1 is part of the company’s mission to “drive digital transformation across the automotive industry with the depth and breadth of CDK software. CDK is uniquely positioned at the center of the automotive ecosystem, and this relationship is a testament to the hard work our team has done for decades to help better connect dealers, OEMs and consumers together.”

GNYADA donates $25,000 to local Red Cross

The Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association has donated $25,000 to the local chapter of the American Red Cross to outfit an emergency response vehicle with essential supplies to allow the Red Cross to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies and disasters.

The contribution is part of a long-standing partnership between the organizations aimed at supporting critical emergency services in the region.

“This donation underscores our dedication to supporting the vital work they do in our communities,” GNYADA president Mark Schienberg said. “Franchised new-car dealers are longstanding contributors to the well-being and resilience of our neighborhoods, donating tens of millions of dollars to good causes each year. Our dealers have always been and continue to be actively involved in philanthropic efforts.”

GNYADA said the partnership with the American Red Cross is a testament to the association’s ongoing commitment to community service and disaster preparedness.

American Red Cross Greater New York Region interim CEO Celena Roldán Sarillo said the organization relies on partnerships to carry out its mission of providing emergency assistance, disaster relief and education.

“We are deeply thankful for the continued support from GNYADA,” she said. “This donation will significantly enhance our ability to respond to emergencies and provide much-needed aid to those affected by disasters.”