2008-04-08 18:47:45 -
- Gumiyo, the automotive retail industry's leading mobile marketing company, today announced a new partnership with HomeNet, Inc., a leading provider of vehicle inventory management and marketing solutions, to provide auto dealers with a single-click mobile Web marketing solution. Built on Gumiyo's dynamic mobile marketing platform, the new service extends HomeNet's Inventory Online (IOL) Marketing Suite to mobile phones, literally
putting a dealership's inventory and showroom directly into the hands of qualified and interested buyers. It enables dealers to connect immediately with in-market consumers anytime and anywhere, providing them with on-demand detailed inventory listings, vehicle photos and Carfax reports.
"Our partnership with HomeNet marks our commitment to making mobile marketing a mainstream advertising channel for automotive professionals," said Shuki Lehavi, president and founder of Gumiyo. "It gives one of the largest dealer client bases in the industry direct access to a turn-key, virtually no-touch mobile Web marketing system to help sell their vehicles faster."
HomeNet's popular Inventory Online (IOL) Marketing Suite currently serves more than 12,000 automotive dealership locations throughout the United States and Canada, processing over 2.5 million vehicles each day. The strategic partnership gives IOL users access to 'IOL goText', the new mobile marketing solution powered by Gumiyo's mobile Web technology. IOL goText allows dealers to instantly distribute their vehicle inventory to the mobile Web with one click.
"In today's world, consumers don't just want on-demand information - they expect it," commented HomeNet CEO Jesse Biter. "IOL goText makes it easy for dealers to empower prospective buyers by equipping them with real-time access to robust inventory information anytime, anywhere. IOL goText is a terrific addition to the IOL suite and we expect that this powerful marketing tool will give dealers a competitive edge in their respective markets."
IOL goText automatically formats, optimizes and syncs a dealer's on-lot inventory for the Mobile Web. Once optimized, the new solution provides tools to connect car buyers with the dealership using simple SMS text messages.
Similar to text message voting popularized by American Idol, consumers can access the dealer's inventory via their mobile phone by keying a short Go Code(TM) (a simple keyword unique for each dealership) into the body of a text message and then sending it to 48696. The codes are marketed through the dealer's TV, print, radio and billboard campaigns, making traditional automotive advertising "clickable", trackable and measurable.
The reply message that comes back to the user includes information on the dealership and a mobile Web link to a media rich version of the dealer's showroom. Every vehicle listing viewed by the user on the mobile Web has a way for the buyer to send a text message to the dealership, initiate an email or live phone call, or notify the dealer that they would like to be contacted by phone or email.
Go Codes can also be extended with the last eight digits of the vehicle identification number (VIN) or the dealer's stock numbers to take a mobile consumer directly to a specific vehicle.
About Gumiyo (www.gumiyo.com)
Gumiyo provides a platform that matches and connects buyers and sellers by extending classifieds, marketplaces, and businesses to mobile phones. With its flexible private-label solution, Gumiyo enables organizations to quickly incorporate the mobile channel into their marketing mix with minimal investment while getting the best and latest technologies the mobile medium has to offer.
HomeNet, Inc. is a privately owned automotive technology provider. Founded in 1996, HomeNet's core focus is providing innovative technology solutions to help automotive dealers increase online sales. HomeNet offers its products to a variety of customers including dealers, OEMs, website providers, CRM providers, digital lot management firms, finance/leasing agents, auction agents, and more. The company is based on Christian principles and is headquartered in West Chester, PA, with satellite offices in AZ, FL, GA, IA, IL, TX, and UT. For more information, please visit www.homenetinc.com.
Gumiyo, Inc.
Richard Abronson, 888-486-9611 x8333
rich@gumiyo.com
or
Carter-West Public Relations
Dawn Chaban, 323-644-1844
dchaban@earthlink.net 
