The CitNOW Group, a UK-based global leader in digital communications for the automotive retail sector, has further expanded its international footprint with the acquisition of dealerdesk, a provider of enquiry management solutions based in Hamburg, Germany.

• CitNOW Group is a global market leader in digital communications in automotive retailing
• Partnership will see dealerdesk enhance its omnichannel customer experience
• New acquisition will facilitate new insights into inventory management and customer databases
• CitNOW Group’s latest addition is part of strategy to transform the automotive customer journey

This latest acquisition forms part of CitNOW Group’s strategy to expand the reach and capabilities of its product portfolio, supporting all elements of the customer journey – from initial sales enquiry through to ongoing ownership. The dealerdesk suite of communication and enquiry management products will enhance the CitNOW Group portfolio and help dealers further improve the effectiveness of their customer interactions.

Geoffrey Page-Morris, CEO of CitNOW Group, said: “We’re aware of the strong and growing reputation that dealerdesk has established in the German automotive market. By incorporating dealerdesk and its suite of products into the CitNOW Group family, we will enhance our collective proposition for retailers in Germany, helping them create seamless customer experiences while boosting profitability and retention.”

Soner Catakli, Managing Director at dealerdesk said: “Joining CitNOW Group will ensure we have the resources and capability to really accelerate the development of dealerdesk and its solutions. CitNOW Group was a natural choice to partner with as they are best placed to support our mission to digitise the dealer space in Europe. With the CitNOW Group, we can provide a product offering that spans the whole retail journey, from front-end customer interactions through to the back-end retailer systems.”

Since its inception, CitNOW Group has rapidly established itself as a global market leader, with over 13 million sales opportunities created, 60 million videos processed and over 10,000 dealer installations across 64 countries. It currently has the highest penetration of any software provider in the UK motor retail sector, with approximately 75% of franchised dealerships using at least one of its products.

Driven by a vision to transform the way the automotive world communicates, the CitNOW Group wants to unite the retailer and customer through technology. To achieve this the Group is building a global portfolio of businesses which currently include AutoSLM, Auto Imaging, CitNOW, Dealerweb, dealerdesk, Quik, Reef, REALtime Communications, Tootle, Web1on1.

CitNOW Group has further expanded its operational footprint with the acquisition of Auto Imaging, a leading provider of digital solutions for the UK motor industry. Auto Imaging offers a range of products that help dealers to capture, augment and aggregate their vehicle listing assets.

• Auto Imaging helps dealers capture more consistent vehicle imagery and speed up the vehicle listings process
• Acquisition supports CitNOW Group strategy to enhance all facets of the customer journey
• CitNOW Group further expands its reach with acquisitions of lead management service AutoSLM and German communication hub, dealerdesk

This latest acquisition forms part of CitNOW Group’s strategy to expand the reach and capabilities of its product portfolio, supporting all elements of the customer journey. Auto Imaging tools will enhance the CitNOW Group portfolio, enabling dealers to capture more consistent vehicle imagery, provide immediate quality control of imagery, automated stock video, and accelerate their deployment within online listings.

Geoffrey Page-Morris, CEO of CitNOW Group, said: “Bringing Auto Imaging under the CitNOW Group umbrella is sure to enhance the value of our collective proposition for dealers, helping them improve the standard of their vehicle listings and workflow efficiency. The end-customer is always at the forefront of our minds, and this latest addition is part of our ongoing effort to improve effectiveness and efficiency in automotive retail by delivering rich digital solutions.”

Chris Gray, Managing Director of Auto Imaging added: “We feel our Imaging and Video solution is a natural fit within the wider CitNOW Group portfolio. We look forward to enhancing an already strong product offering in the next stage of what has been a very exciting journey for us so far.”

CitNOW Group has also increased its domestic and international presence with the acquisition of sales lead management provider AutoSLM, and dealerdesk, a multichannel customer relations management hub. UK-based AutoSLM helps dealers in multiple markets improve sales conversion rates by optimising the efficiency and effectiveness of their customer relationship management processes.

The dealerdesk suite of products is designed to connect customers to retailers through all communications channels. The company helps synchronise dealership operations, improving customer relationship management, time management systems and customer database accuracy.

These latest acquisitions follow the recent integration of RTC, Web1on1, Dealerweb, Tootle, Reef Business Systems and US-based Quik into the CitNOW Group. The Group recently secured a significant new investment from the leading mid-market private equity investor Livingbridge, alongside additional funding from current backer, Tenzing.

CitNOW Group continues growth with acquisition of Real Time Communications (RTC)

CitNOW Group is continuing to expand its technology portfolio with the acquisition of Real Time Communications (RTC), an industry-leading supplier of integrated technologies that streamline sales and aftersales operations for automotive retailers.

• Real Time Communications helps dealers streamline sales and aftersales operations
• Shared knowledge and technology will improve retailer efficiency, boost profitability and create a seamless customer experience
• Expansion supports CitNOW Group’s ambition to transform the way the automotive world communicates

This latest acquisition forms part of CitNOW Group’s strategy to expand the reach of its products throughout the customer journey. RTC helps retailers simplify workflows in both sales and aftersales, by enabling staff to manage the entire customer journey in one place, using simple, user-friendly platforms and actionable insight reporting. The existing RTC team will continue to support and develop the products as part of CitNOW Group.

Working with RTC, the CitNOW Group aims to further expand its product portfolio to help retailers improve profitability and deliver a seamless customer experience. In particular, the collaboration is expected to result in significant advances in the effectiveness of aftersales-focused services, resulting in increased productivity and efficiency savings in the workshop, as well as boosting customer satisfaction and retention.

Geoffrey Page-Morris, CEO of CitNOW Group, said: “With more than 20 years’ experience equipping retailers with the tools to help them keep pace as the automotive industry rapidly evolves, RTC is a natural fit as part of the Group. The complimentary technology developed by our colleagues at RTC will play a big part in helping us to achieve our mission of improving efficiency for retailers and supporting them to maximise their revenue potential. We welcome RTC into the CitNOW Group family as we move one step closer to our ultimate ambition of making life easier for dealerships and transforming the way the automotive world communicates”

Tim Baumfield, CEO of Real Time Communications added: “This is an exciting opportunity to help us further strengthen and grow existing RTC products through accelerated development and deeper integrations. We are excited to be joining CitNOW Group and becoming part of its expanding portfolio as we work together to improve productivity and efficiency in aftersales.”

The acquisition of RTC follows shortly after CitNOW Group secured a significant new investment from leading mid-market private equity investor Livingbridge, alongside additional funding from current backer Tenzing. CitNOW Group continues to accelerate its growth strategy with recent mergers and acquisitions including Web1on1 in the Netherlands, Dealerweb, Tootle and Reef Business Systems in the UK, and Quik in the US.