IAS SmartDealerProducts, a provider of technology-based F&I solutions, announces SmartEye NET, an add-on to SmartEye that it says allows automotive dealerships to digitally record customer Finance and Insurance (F&I) transactions and store them at a remote facility over the Internet. The program now gives dealerships the ability to archive, sort, retrieve, and view any F&I transactions within seconds via the Internet, from any location in the world, according to the company.

“SmartDealerProducts has given F&I professionals the ability to present their products using technology-based solutions in a professional, legal and ethical manner. SmartEye was launched in September 2000, and we now have over 600 F&I departments using the program for every transaction,” said Bob Corbin, president and COO, IAS. “SmartEye NET now allows dealers to upload their video and audio nightly via the Internet. These transactions are stored on our server which is housed in an ultra secure location in Austin, Texas.”

Because of the growing concern over proper disclosure, customer forgetfulness and quality assurance, many dealers are currently using the SmartEye NET’s parent product, SmartEye, for training and improvement purposes, says the company. SmartEye digitally records and archives F&I transactions on CD-ROM using innovative software and technology to provide full color, TV quality smooth motion video and high-quality audio.

“A customer will frequently call the dealership or our corporate office complaining that the salesperson or F&I manager did not properly explain a feature or warranty, and with SmartEye I have the power to digitally access the transaction in a matter of minutes,” said Jim Bagan, vice president, Roger Beasley Group. “But now with the addition of SmartEye NET, I can harness the power of the Internet from anywhere in the world to instantly access these videos within seconds to ensure we did our job right.”

“SmartEye NET transactions are available within seconds through a high speed Internet link between IAS’ server and the dealership F&I offices,” said Matt Nowicki, director of Information Technology, IAS. “The facility is very secure. They have a closed-circuit video surveillance systems and state-of-the-art card-key system restricting access to the facility that is monitored by a customized database system that logs individual access.”

According to the company, the servers are manned 24 hours a day 7 days a week. To ensure secure access, the dealer principal has complete control over user accounts for dealership personnel, outside training companies, or other individuals deemed appropriate by the dealer. SmartEye NET employs AES encryption for all communications over the Internet. AES has been adopted by the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) for use throughout various government agencies and projects.