Blinker’s cloud-based end-to-end software allows car dealerships and OEMs to offer and administer car subscription-as-a-service to their own customers.
Titan DMS will be the first distributor for the Blinker platform in the Australian market and will offer the Blinker software service to car dealerships around the country.
Explaining his expansion into subscription car purchasing, Titan DMS managing director Matthew Kroll told GoAutoNews Premium that not only did Titan DMS provide dealers with the computing power to run their businesses, the company was often called on by dealers to provide advice on how they can run their dealerships more efficiently and more profitably.
“We find ourselves advising on how dealers might reduce costs, which is quite important in this environment, and we also suggest opportunities on how to increase revenue,” he said.
“So while we are delivering dealer management software, for us it is about delivering process to dealerships and delivering education on how they can operate better.
“We have been following car subscriptions overseas and watching how it has been changing other automotive marketplaces and we have also been following it closely now it has hit Australian shores.
“Blinker, for me, was the first subscription company in Australia that had a total dealer focus and that is where our focus is as well.
“If you look at the subscription models that are out there, while they will work with dealerships, generally they are going through their own portal under their own brand and their own website.
“Whereas Blinker is more about giving the dealership the tools to retain the customer who is in front of them at any point in time.
“To me, that is where the significance was. We think we are in the industry to help the franchise dealer network at the OEM level or at the dealer level and this was the first time we saw a subscription-based tool that really centred around the dealer.”
Mr Kroll said that he was impressed with the Blinker software and also the level of knowledge and experience in the subscription space that Blinker possessed through its HelloCars platform.
“You can build software but you cannot put a price on that level of education,” he said.
“We are excited to now be able to offer the Blinker platform to our dealer partners around Australia. Titan DMS and Blinker already share many dealer customers so this partnership is a natural next step.”
Mr Kroll said that Blinker’s innovative technology would empower dealerships by providing greater ownership options for Australian drivers.
“Dealers can better maximise customer conversion through an alternative to the traditional sales model. Through Blinker, it is a model where everyone wins, including the consumer.”
Blinker managing director Michael Higgins told GoAutoNews Premium: “Titan DMS has a fantastic reputation and a quality product and so for us it was a natural alignment.
“In addition to our own team, they will be representing us with their client base which has a wide reach.”
Mr Higgins said that the Blinker software was cloud-based and that a dealer who signed on to the system could be selling cars by subscription in less than two weeks.
Part of Titan’s role will be to introduce dealers to the Blinker software which needs to interrogate the inventory within a dealer’s DMS.
“Titan will help dealers get set up and help them get the most out of the collaboration between Blinker and the Titan DMS,” Mr Higgins said.
“While car sales have traditionally been managed in a physical environment, dealers are now starting to embrace new digital solutions to complement face-to-face sales.
“This partnership represents a great milestone for Blinker and will support the business to grow as we establish ourselves as trailblazers in the local subscription software industry.
“Car subscription services are becoming an increasingly popular option for consumers who want a more flexible alternative to traditional car ownership,” he said.
Blinker provides a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform for car dealerships, resellers and manufacturers to offer their own vehicle subscription services to customers. The end-to-end platform provides partners with “subscription in a box”, including the software, training and services needed to offer the service to customers simply and easily.
Founded in Australia, Titan DMS has grown into a leading developer and supplier of cloud-based dealer management software solutions for automotive dealers and manufacturers worldwide, and is now installed in over 25 countries and counting.
It is currently the fastest-growing DMS platform in Australia with 20 per cent market share, and the preferred partner for OEM brands including Porsche and BMW.
By John Mellor
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