LONDON – March 15th, 2010 – Today, the UK’s most popular motoring website Auto Trader has released an iPhone app that uses image recognition technology to read car number plates. The new app enables users to quickly search for vital vehicle info, making car-buying decisions easier.
The Auto Trader Mobile iPhone App can provide make and model records as well as figures around the car’s performance and economy, making it easier for customers to decide what to buy. Additionally; the application will allow users to search for information on similar cars and dealers in the area via access to the Auto Trader listings, enabling like for like price comparisons.
A user can be transported from seeing a suitable car on the roadside to finding a model for sale nearby and calling the owner for a test drive just by using the functionality of the application. The software even uses GPS and Maps to help users to find their way to the nearest showroom.
Nick Gee, Director of Mobile at Auto Trader said: “We believe users will find the link between ‘real world’ and ‘digital world’ very compelling, providing a clear differentiator for mobile compared to other media. Using the iPhone users can now search for real-time digital information relating to a car sitting in front of them, a step which combined with the depth of cars listed on Auto Trader takes the car-buying process to a whole new level.”
Research conducted by Auto Trader in January, 2010 showed 45% of visitors to Auto Trader’s mobile site have used their phone to access further information about a car on a dealer forecourt. This figure increased from 40% last July; an emerging behaviour that has been a key influencer in the development of the App. Additionally, half of visitors to Auto Trader’s mobile site access it via an iPhone, providing a ready audience for the new app.
Nigel Vaz, Managing Director UK, SapientNitro, the company behind the app build said, “This app demonstrates how SapientNitro creates and architects exciting new customer experiences. By delivering traditional Auto Trader functionality and combining user-focused mobile design with impressive image recognition and geo-location capabilities, this app allows consumers to engage with the brand in a fresh way.”
About SapientNitro:
SapientNitro(SM), part of Sapient®, is the world’s first customer experience company. We create and engineer highly relevant experiences that accelerate business growth and fuel brand advocacy for our clients. By combining multi-channel marketing, multi-channel commerce, and the technology that binds them, we influence customer behaviour across the spectrum of content, communication and commerce channels, resulting in deeper, more meaningful relationships between customers and brands. SapientNitro services global leaders such as Citi, The Coca-Cola Company, Mars, Singapore Airlines, Target, and Vodafone through our operations in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. For more information, visit www.sapientnitro.com or follow us on Twitter @sapientnitro.
About Auto Trader:
Visit the new website at www.autotrader.co.uk?
AutoTrader.co.uk is the UK’s no 1 motoring website, with over 10.3 million monthly unique users, who carry out over 106 million searches on new and used vehicles*. The brand is building a competitive position across all effective channels including online, mobile and magazine. (*Source: Auto Trader Audit, January 2009). ?
AutoTrader.co.uk is owned by Trader Media Group, one of Europe’s largest specialist multi-media groups and provider of market leading websites and their associated magazines, including Top Marques, Bike Trader, Truck & Plant Trader, Ad Trader, Motorhome and Caravan Trader, Farmers Trader – all with the largest reach in their sectors, through web visitors and magazine readership.?
Trader Media Group operates in the UK, Ireland, Italy and South Africa. The Group is looking to expand on its winning formula: giving trade customers the opportunity to choose all effective channels to market; building the service and relationship with dealers and manufacturers; and strengthening its portfolio of automotive and specialist classified titles. Trader Media Group is jointly owned by Guardian Media Group and Apax Partners.