The Cobalt Group, a provider of e-business products and services to the automotive industry, announced today that Volkswagen of America has selected Cobalt's Lead Manager application for use by all Volkswagen dealers in the U.S.

Cobalt's Lead Manager is designed to help dealers efficiently manage all communications with their customers and prospects through a single Web-based application.

"Volkswagen dealers who use Cobalt's Lead Manager can respond to their online leads more frequently, gaining a tremendous competitive advantage and increasing customer satisfaction," said John Holt, president and CEO of The Cobalt Group. "And with wireless connectivity in Cobalt's Lead Manager that allows dealers to receive leads on their pagers and cell phones, dealers can respond more quickly than ever to online customer requests."

Cobalt's Lead Manager utilizes Java technology to create a tool that allows auto dealers to manage sales inquiries, evaluate return on investment on lead sources, and measure salesperson effectiveness through statistical reporting. Leads coming into the dealership over the Internet, by phone, or in person can be instantly assigned using rules-based and round robin lead distribution features.

According to Cobalt, floor sales personnel, Internet managers and parts and service staff can all utilize Lead Manager through the Internet interface or have customer and prospect requests routed directly to their cell phone or other wireless devices, or e-mail.

Dealership personnel can use Lead Manager as their daily work planner to prioritize and handle sales opportunities quickly, accordingd to Terry Smail, executive vice president of sales and account services for The Cobalt Group. Next action prompts, alerts to management and help functions ensure that leads don't fall through the cracks, according to Smail, who said Lead Manager maintains an in-depth database of customer leads, allowing for easy follow-up communications throughout the sale and following the sale.

"Auto manufacturers like Volkswagen that value superior response and service to Internet customers will outperform their competition," Smail said. "By arming its entire dealer network with CRM tools such as Cobalt's Lead Manager, Volkswagen is validating its dealers as the primary link to consumers and ensuring that the Volkswagen Internet shopping and buying experience is efficient and professional."

About The Cobalt Group

The Cobalt Group™, headquartered in Seattle, is a leading 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), one of the most widely visited consumer automotive information portals on the Web.

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

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.