ARI announced today that it ranked No. 7 on this year's InformationWeek Elite 100, a list of the top business technology innovators in the U.S. 

"It is an honor to be recognized for the third time by InformationWeek as a top business technology innovator and to be named among the top ten of this year's Elite 100," said Steve Haindl, ARI's executive vice president and CIO. "This year we share this recognition with members of our vendor relations and fleet management services teams, who worked with us to develop an original business model for our industry that provides growth opportunities for our business partners while extending greater cost savings to our customers."

The undertaking that ARI completed in 2013 correlates data from various business systems relative to existing vendors, customer vehicles and financial transactions. The solution allows ARI to visibly analyze a market down to the operating vehicles, maintenance spend and proximate vendors. Correlating this information with geospatial dashboards provides ARI with a clear picture and allows the company both to better communicate with its vendors about the opportunities in their immediate market and to negotiate stronger discounts on behalf of its clients.

"The digital business movement is a force CIOs can't ignore. Digital businesses are adept at using the web in conjunction with mobile, social, analytics, and other technologies to not only boost sales, but also change their relationships with customers. The 2014 InformationWeek Elite 100 highlights companies that are leading this digital business revolution, redefining business models and reshaping industries," said Rob Preston, InformationWeek's editor-in-chief.

ARI was presented with this award on April 1 at the InformationWeek Elite 100 awards ceremony and gala in Las Vegas, Nevada. The full list of winners can be found here.

Previously named the InformationWeek 500 awards, the more selective Elite 100 Awards marks the 26th year InformationWeek has identified and honored the nation's most innovative users of business technology. ARI was ranked on the InformationWeek 500 in 2012 and 2013.