Prospective vehicle buyers at www.ford.com will find all the gee-whiz features that the $162.5 billion automaker can buy. But one critical component of the car-buying experience - and perhaps the most important - is still missing: the ability to get a final purchase price.
Almost one-third of U.S. households that purchased a preowned vehicle between last fall and the spring this year used the Internet in the buying process, according to a new study released by Gartner Group Inc. in Stamford, Conn., today.
In a bid to keep pace with third-party online car brokers, General Motors in Detroit yesterday launched a joint venture with participating dealers to offer vehicle sales, pricing and competitive information online.
Spotfire Inc.'s decision-analysis tool allows users to collect statistical data and perform decision analysis via the Web. The latest version, Spotfire.net 5.0, features enhanced data-visualization capabilities that will aid users in visually detecting data trends and anomalies, company officials said.
DaimlerChrysler AG today detailed a new Web-based infrastructure initiative that's designed to link all aspects of its vehicle design, production and marketing operations.
In a bid to pass its top Motor City rival, Ford Motor last week launched a joint venture called Wingcast with San Diego-based partner Qualcomm to deliver in-vehicle wireless services.
E-GM, the General Motors Corp. business unit that's charged with driving Internet initiatives within the automotive giant, recounted a year's worth of progress at a press conference this week. But analysts gave the unit low scores on efforts to improve consumers' online purchasing experiences and to rev up Web-based vehicles sales.
In a bid to keep pace with its rivals, Ford Motor Co. plans to form a joint venture called Wingcast with Qualcomm Inc. to deliver in-vehicle wireless services, the two companies announced yesterday.
Start-up Collab.Net hopes to cement a place for Web-based community software development among commercial software vendors.
Delphi Automotive Systems Corp. is the world's largest auto parts marker. The Troy, Mich.-based company operates 176 manufacturing plants in 38 countries, posted revenue of $29 billion last year and has been in the midst of a major technology infusion since its spin-off from Detroit-based General Motors Corp. in May 1999.
Although many companies may want to unburden themselves from maintaining software applications, the majority of large and small businesses aren't ready to turn over applications to a service provider, according to research released last week by Cahners In-Stat Group.
After idling for months, DaimlerChrysler AG has launched an extensive upgrade to its U.S. consumer Web sites and this week expanded Web services to its top-notch Five Star dealers.
After less than six months in business, digital marketplace M-xchange.com Inc. closed its doors this week, citing a dearth of funding options and downward pressures in transaction fee-based business models.
With its former accountanting firm alleging illegal acts and calling for possible further income restatements, wireless-equipment maker Vari-L Co. faces an indefinite suspension of its stock trading by Nasdaq Stock Market Inc.
Microsoft Corp. previewed a slew of tools as part of its Microsoft.Net tool set at its Professional Developers Conference in Orlando earlier this month. Visual J++ didn't make an appearance at the show or in the tools package, and developers say the development tool won't be missed.