MotorPlace Auto Exchange, a division of The Cobalt Group, announced Aug. 23 that vice president and general manager Jeff Danford will join a panel of industry experts to discuss emerging Internet remarketing strategies at iRemarketing 2001/The Economy in Chicago on Sept. 10 at 3:45 p.m.

The Internet remarketing panel will discuss issues related to the marriage of traditional and Internet remarketing processes, services, challenges, breakthroughs, and technologies. The panel is part of a two-day conference that will examine various topics relating to the overall economy, automotive industry economic issues, and the corresponding impacts and effects on traditional and Internet remarketing of vehicles.

"The downturn in the economy is making it more important than ever for wholesale vehicle sellers and dealers to adopt new means of remarketing and acquiring used vehicles," Danford said. "The Internet panel discussion at iRemarketing 2001/The Economy will provide insight and strategies to help buyers and sellers of wholesale used vehicles better use the Internet to their advantage."

MotorPlace Auto Exchange, Cobalt's wholesale used-car buying service, is a new approach to auto remarketing that blends personalized service and technology to create an enhanced purchase experience, according to Cobalt. Dealers have 24-hour access to a nationwide inventory of vehicles and service from automotive experts who can help them handpick the right vehicles for their market.

For sellers, MotorPlace Auto Exchange reduces the expense associated with traditional remarketing channels by shortening the sales cycle and exposing inventory to a nationwide market of potential buyers, according to Cobalt. MotorPlace Auto Exchange is accessed through Cobalt's automotive portal, MotorPlace.com.

The iRemarketing 2001/The Economy executive conference will be held Sept. 9-11 at the Embassy Suites at O'Hare in Chicago. It is part of the 2001 Auto Remarketing Forum series of conferences that provide narrow focus and in-depth discussion on pertinent issues in the used vehicle remarketing arena. The conference is hosted by Auto Remarketing magazine and Auto Remarketing Weekly.

For more information about the conference or to register, visit www.sa-conferences.com.

About MotorPlace Auto Exchange

MotorPlace Auto Exchange, headquartered in Austin, Texas, is a wholly-owned division of The Cobalt Group.

According to Cobalt, MotorPlace Auto Exchange combines the strength of Cobalt's industry-leading dealer network, cutting-edge technology and personalized service to more effectively match buyers and sellers of wholesale used vehicles and reduce the inefficiencies and costs associated with remarketing and purchasing these vehicles.

MotorPlace Auto Exchange is accessed through Cobalt's automotive portal, MotorPlace.com, or by calling 1-800-406-4988.

About The Cobalt Group

Cobalt, headquartered in Seattle, is a provider of e-business products and services designed to help automotive dealers and manufacturers effectively manage their businesses online.

Cobalt's suite of e-business solutions includes Web services, Web site hosting, e-commerce applications, Internet-based customer relationship management applications, data management, and best practices training and consulting.

Nearly half of the nation's auto dealers use Cobalt's technology, including 8,900 Web services clients, and approximately 8,700 PartsVoice® (www.partsvoice.com) clients.

Cobalt's e-business products and services are endorsed by 14 automotive manufacturers and more than 50 of the 100 largest dealer groups in the United States. Cobalt is the only e-business provider endorsed by the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).

Cobalt operates MotorPlace.com™ (www.MotorPlace.com), an online business management and industry information resource for auto dealers. At MotorPlace.com, dealers utilize Cobalt tools to manage their Web sites, buy wholesale used vehicles through MotorPlace Auto Exchange, locate and market OEM parts through PartsVoice, purchase leads through Pick-or-Pass, and access industry information, news, events, and stock quotes.

Cobalt also operates DealerNet® (www.dealernet.com), a consumer automotive information portal.

IntegraLink Corporation, a Cobalt company, is a provider of automotive data collection and reporting services to the automotive industry.

Cobalt has offices in Portland, Ore., Detroit, Mich., Columbus, Ohio, and Austin, Texas.

For more information, visit www.cobaltgroup.com or call 1-800-909-8244.

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