What are the solutions Logix Microsystems specialises in? Particularly automotive solutions like Izmo...
 We provide a complete suite of products, platforms, services, and solutions for creating and running a successful Internet automotive dealership. izmocars offerings include izmoweb, the interactive, custom designed dealer websites that are in fact Internet dealerships; izmoMobi, which is the first mobile website platform for automotive retail, izmoRainmaker, a complete online marketing solution that includes SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) SEM (Search Engine Marketing), brand building, social media optimisation (blogs, forums, Web 2.0 sites like My Space, etc); iCRM, a state-of-the-art automotive CRM based on the SaaS platform, certified by all major OEMs; iLM, an OEM certified Internet Lead Manager; izmoTHISS, which is a Hybrid Internet Sales Training System that delivers guaranteed results by re-orienting dealership sales processes and equipping dealer sales personnel with state-of-the-art selling tools and skills.
Add on auto is an advanced accessories configurator designed to sell auto accessories during the "insurance wait time", when car buyers are virtually captive in the dealership. Izmotoolkit is a set of innovative online sales tools based on the world's largest and most comprehensive set of automotive images and animatons developed by izmocars.
Izmomail is an email solution that takes the interactive, online experience to the prospect's inbox. Izmotrak is a fully managed customer communication solution for automotive dealers whereas izmoTeleTrak is a call forwarding and tracking solution. izmoPhoneUps at the other end is a pay-per-call solution, and izmoMedia, a portal solution for the Newspaper Industry. izmoAutos is a ready to print automotive magazine, and izmoConcierge, the only web concierge solution available for automotive dealers.
How do the solutions serve the auto clients?
Our automotive solutions enable automotive retailers to run a complete Internet dealership, and to compete successfully online. In a country like the US, where more than 91 per cent of prospective car buyers go online before they ever step into a dealership, izmocars makes it possible for automotive dealers to reach and engage these buyers when they are still in the early stages of their online research.
For example, if one Googles "Honda Cars, California", like most of the prospective buyers in California do, he/she will see Anderson Honda (www.andersondirect.com) at the top of the search results. Once the prospective buyer clicks on it, it takes him/her to the Anderson Honda Internet Dealership, which is an izmocars powered website. Once he/she reaches the website, there's everything needed to research and within easy reach. The buyer can check out the new and pre-owned vehicles in the Anderson Honda Inventory, look for online specials and discounts, take interior and exterior vehicle walk-throughs (internet test drive), check out colours and specs, download and print vehicle brochures, request a quick quote, or request a test-drive. In short, she has no need to go elsewhere.
While the first three search results for "Honda Cars, California" are likely to be izmocars websites, second on the list is San Leandro Honda (http://www.slhonda.com) which is an izmocars customer, and third on the list is Vacaville Honda, (http://www.vacavillehonda.com) another izmocars customer. With this kind of results, you can imagine the value addition that we provide to our customers. Anderson Honda in fact doubled their Internet traffic, leads, and sales the first month they switched to the izmocars web platform.
These results were created by four of our products, working in tandem. izmoRainmaker, our online marketing solution; izmoweb, our automotive retail website platform; Izmotoolkit, which consists of the world's largest and most compelling collection of vehicle images and animations and Izmomail, which provides instant quotes and responses.
How do the automotive solutions you offer compare with others?
There is no real comparison, because we are the only ones who offer auto dealers a complete, custom-built Internet dealership. Most of the other players in the auto dealer website market space offer pre-built cookie-cutter websites with very limited support. We, on the other hand, offer a complete custom-built Internet dealership with full rich-media capabilities and animated email auto-responders. Our Internet dealerships are supported by the only web concierge service for auto dealers. It means that one of our technically qualified concierges is always in charge of your website, proactively ensuring that it is always up and up-to-date. What do our competitors' clients get? Very limited call centre support, if at all. We also support our dealers with comprehensive search engine marketing, sales training, CRM, accessories sales, net-to-phone services and more.
Our competitors offer paid results based on keyword bidding at best. We not only make it easy for prospects to find our clients, we also train our clients how to convert these prospects into sales. As a result, clients who opt for izmoTHISS (the hybrid internet sales system) often report conversion ratios of 20 per cent and more, while the national average is below 5 per cent. Our auto retail CRM and Internet Lead Management Solutions are certified by all major automotive manufacturers. We cover the entire spectrum of services that the dealer needs to sell cars on the Internet. This frees up the dealer to concentrate on what he always does best-sell cars.
Who are your clients in the global markets outside India? What are the services these clients are availing? Did you develop any customised solutions to cater to their exact requirements?
General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Mitsubishi Motors are our clients in the OEM segment. Yahoo!, AOL and AutoUSA are the major clients in the portal segment. In the auto dealership segment, Fortune 500 automotive retailers like Hendrick Automotive are our clients. Auto Canada, which is a big Canadian Auto Retail group, is our customer now. We have great and long lasting customer relationships.
Our client retention rate is above 99 per cent, which is unheard of in the Industry, and we and are able to command significantly higher margins. Yahoo!, for instance, is a client since 2002. Our clients in the OEM and portal segment are major consumers of our automotive content, which includes the world's largest and most compelling collection of automotive imagery and animations, as well as custom photography.
We build Automotive Portals that scale to any level. Our Auto Retail clients predominantly use our Internet Dealerships to sell cars. As I said earlier, we do not offer cookie-cutter solutions. All our offerings are customised to client requirements.
Are you offering any solutions to companies in India or limiting your reach to the US?
We are in the Indian market now, with Carazoo, India's only automotive portal offering vehicle animations and walkthroughs. We are also beginning to offer Internet dealerships here. We are stepping into the EU market. In fact, we are in the process of building a state-of-the-art automotive studio there, along the lines of our Long Beach Studio in the US. We also have plans to enter the eastern markets.
Do you see a market space for the solutions you offer in India? In case you do, which are the areas you think are the ones to tap?
I think that the Internet can play a major role in shaping the automotive market in India. The products, platforms, services, and solutions that we offer in the US - the toughest automotive market in the world - is equally relevant here. One definitive point of entry is the automotive portals space, which we have now entered. Internet dealerships, search engine marketing, automotive CRM, sales training and accessories sales have huge potential here.
How are your solutions for the auto sector positioned in terms of value and cost?
Our products are among the highest priced in the market, and our clients stay the longest. Our customer retention ratio is above 99per cent, which speaks a lot about the value that we offer.
What is the effective life span of the product solutions that you offer? Until others catch up or offer more for less?
All our products are web-based and updated at our end frequently. That way, our products are not limited by a set life span. We are innovators in our space, and have huge entry barriers to protect us. It is not possible to build the world's largest collection of automotive animations and images overnight, even if you have hundreds of millions to spend. As I said earlier, we do not compete on price to sell the same services to the same prospects. Our strong point is innovation. By the time our competitors even remotely understand what we are doing, we are already innovating the next breakthrough.
Are you working with any auto sector clients in India? What are the services they have availed from you?
Carazoo, our Indian portal, is comprehensively exploring this area, and we are confident of a breakthrough shortly.
What are the benefits the auto sector customers have derived from using your systems?
We make it easy for their prospective customers to find them and buy from them. We make it easy for our clients to subscribe to our services, in the sense that we provide 24/7 service and support at no extra cost. As a result, our clients reach a bigger audience, have no downtime, and sell significantly more.
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