Cobalt earns exclusive NADA endorsement for fourth straight year
SEATTLE (January 28, 2003) - The Cobalt Group today announced that the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) has renewed its exclusive endorsement of Cobalt's comprehensive e-business packages for the fourth consecutive year. Cobalt, the leading provider of e-business software and services to the automotive retail market, offers two NADA-endorsed Nitra packages that provide unsurpassed flexibility and control for dealers' e-business programs. Cobalt is one of only three companies whose products have ever been endorsed by NADA.

"Cobalt's Web site packages give automobile dealers everything they need to drive more online profits to every area of their business," said Don Gentry, NADA's chief information officer. "Cobalt's NADA-endorsed packages enable dealers to effectively manage and maximize their return on Internet marketing."

"The extension of NADA's endorsement of The Cobalt Group demonstrates the growing importance of the Internet as a marketing medium for dealers," said John Holt, president and CEO of The Cobalt Group. "Cobalt's Nitra e-business tools offer dealers a compelling, cost-effective way to directly market themselves to their increasingly Web-savvy customers."
The two NADA-endorsed e-business packages, Nitra Dealer Website and Nitra Professional, include Cobalt's e-business and customer relationship management applications and Nitra Web site management tools that deliver versatility, control and branding. They are available to dealers on a subscription basis. Nitra includes customizable e-business marketing and management tools:

• Cobalt Website Manager for Nitra, a powerful application that enables dealers to edit their Web sites' look and content in real time
• Marketing Library Manager, an extensive marketing library that includes OEM-provided images and text
• Nitra User Administration, which allows dealers to establish desired access levels for each staff member and provides a secure single user log-in and interface for all dealership sites and applications
• Web development and hosting and e-mail hosting
• AutoShow inventory manager, AdWizard Plus, TrafficReporter, eCare support, and product training

Nitra Professional offers all the features of Nitra, plus:

• Cobalt Lead Manager
• PartsWorks parts locator
• Enhanced Web site pages and marketing tools
• Make & Match? vehicle configurator
• Cobalt University's best practices e-business training
  

About NADA
NADA represents more than 19,700 franchised new car and truck dealers holding nearly 43,000 separate franchises. For more information, please visit www.nada.org or call (703) 821-7000.