August 2008, Automotive Fleet - Feature
How Technology Will Change Traditional Fleet Remarketing
By Jim Hallett
Starting with AucNet
This all started with a company known as AucNet. The company originated in the Japanese auto industry, where cars were successfully being sold electronically in a theater-style facility using joysticks and keypads.
AucNet likely created the impetus for Manheim and ADT Automotive years ago to begin listing and selling vehicles electronically, first on simple bulletin boards and then using interactive online sales.
Taking First Electronic Steps
Manheim’s first program was known as “Cyberlots,” with which I became very familiar early on because ADESA partnered with Manheim in 1996.
Manheim’s parent company, Cox Communications, was familiar with electronic listings through its newspaper business and particularly the Auto Trader publication (which later became AutoConnect). It was a natural progression to begin to list classified ads on electronic bulletin boards.
ADT Automotive was also looking hard at electronic business and probably conducted the earliest electronic auction within the industry on ADT Lion. In fact, ADT patented this electronic auction system, and it has continued to impact our industry.
Knowing the industry was moving into the electronic marketplace and having only a limited partnership with Manheim’s Cyberlots, ADESA entered into a more comprehensive alliance with ADT to work on technology initiatives, especially online selling.
About this time, all the major chains and independents created an industry consortium, pooling resources to offer the remarketing industry a universal inventory management tool.