Celebrating Celebro for Automotive: Auto dealers have many tools at their disposal with GMTI's full-bodied package for both sending ads to the World-Wide Web and tracking inventory.

Comprehensive packages speed classifieds and text on-line

NEW ORLEANS -- When it came to servers for the World-Wide Web, NEXPO first-timers ranged from production system add-ons to single-purpose servers bundled with software and wrapped up with a bow.

This isn't everything you could buy; it's worth taking a look at other suppliers who either didn't appear at NEXPO or were showing improved versions of previously released models. (For more, search the Cole Papers archives, http://www.colegroup.com/, for "web content server.")


AUTOBase
Associated Information Systems International, Auburn, Calif., http:// www.aisipub.com/.

Features: Dealer inventory system feeds a web server and printed publications, with automated ad uploading, credit-checking form, images, voice and ad costing. The package includes everything from modems to sales-force training.

Platforms: Customized clients run on Windows 3.1/95/NT; central server on Windows NT, Sybase SQL database, Microsoft Internet Access Server.

Prerequisites: None; turnkey installation. Hardware can be purchased locally.

Live and latest customers: Denton (Texas) Record-Chronicle is coming on-line soon. Development partner Times-Union of Albany, N.Y., shows Capital Cars at http://www.timesunion.com/.

Entry price: $42,000 for typical starter package; includes server hardware, installation, front-end interface and start-up customization for seven dealer clients. Sybase OS license is extra, $900 to $1100, based on number of clients. Additional Autobase clients are $1000. Systems training is $3000 per person.


AutoMart
Management Process Integrators Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz., http://www.mpiinc.com/.

Features: Searchable car ads, grabbed from dealer inventory systems or Kelley Blue Book reports. Photos, logos, loan calculator. Readers submit ads and
search VIN registrations through a browser-based form.

Platforms: Browser-based client runs anywhere. Windows NT or UNIX server.

Prerequisites: None; stand-alone system.

Live customer: San Diego (Calif.) Union-Tribune Auto Buying Net, http://www.uniontribune.com/.

Entry price: Three-tiered pricing based on circulation, $75,000 to $225,000 for turnkey systems. Revenue-sharing or per-ad fee relationships available.


Celebro for Automotive
Gannett Media Technologies International, Cincinnati, http://www.gmti.com/.

Features: Creates or swallows dealer's choice of inventory records for reader's selection through audiotext, fax-back, e-mail alerts, WWW, kiosks. Incorporates logos, photos. Interfaces with production system for print products. Dealers can whip up their own display ads with Adobe PageMaker and customized templates.

Platforms: Windows NT or DEC Alpha newspaper-based servers included in the turnkey package. Dealers need Windows 95 PCs to run the client.

Prerequisites: None.

Beta customer: Go Cinci of the Cincinnati Enquirer, http://www.gocinci.com/.

Entry price: $50,000 to $250,000, depending on circulation.


DTWebClient
Digital Technology International, Orem, Utah, http://www.dtint.com/.

Features: Using reference calls to SGML-tagged stories in the production database, DTWebClient fills in HTML templates automatically -- the epitome of hands-off web preparation. Get goodies from reporters or readers using any popular web browser. It's the tightest print-to-Web bridge this season.

Platforms: Any Windows NT or UNIX server, especially Sun SPARC. Ideal if running on the same box as the web server.

Prerequisites: DT production database.

Beta customer: Utah County Journal, Orem, Utah, http://www.ucjournal.com/.

Entry price: $39,970 for a typical middle-range system, software only.

-- MJL

From THE COLE PAPERS, August 1997, Copyright © 1997, All Rights Reserved.