CALICO: Calico guides online car buyers direct to European dealers
NOV 6, 1999, M2 Communications - Reading, UK -- OneSwoop.com, the
UK's first automotive transactional- based eCommerce website, has
turned to Andersen Consulting and Calico Commerce Inc. (Nasdaq: CLIC)
to build a robust on-line sales capability for its pioneering Web
business. OneSwoop.com allows customers to configure, select and order
customised automobiles directly from their desktops, whilst realising
dramatic cost savings - in some cases, up to forty percent off
equivalent UK vehicle showroom prices.
Andersen Consulting, a leading global management and technology
consultancy, and Calico, a leading provider of electronic commerce
software and services, are teaming to deliver sophisticated eCommerce
capabilities that are necessary to sell vehicles over the Internet.
Calico's software solution, known as "eSales," guides OneSwoop
customers through every step of the purchasing process by matching
individual preferences with compatible product and service offerings.
Customers are presented with personalised information on automobile
make, model, specification and price options and have full control of
the online vehicle selection and purchasing process.
Initially, cars will be available from Ford, General Motors, Peugeot,
Rover and VW/Audi dealers, with other manufacturers added
progressively. It is anticipated that the first cars purchased through
OneSwoop.com will be sourced from dealers in Belgium, Denmark, Greece,
Holland, Ireland and Spain. OneSwoop intends to expand its operation
into the rest of Europe early next year.
In addition, OneSwoop.com will offer to arrange financial services,
insurance. home delivery and warranties, enabling customers to complete
the entire purchase through the OneSwoop.com site.
"OneSwoop.com is poised to change the online automobile buying
experience, removing the financial and logistical issues associated
with the process," said Alexander van de Ven, director and co-founder,
OneSwoop.com. "With Calico eSales, our customers are empowered to
select and purchase customised automobiles in a completely flexible,
user-driven fashion. By delivering this value to our customers we will
earn their long-term loyalty, which will helps us gain important
strategic advantages in this highly competitive market."
Calico empowers companies such as OneSwoop.com to sell complex
products and services intuitively and effectively via the Web. Calico
eSales is a customer-focused commerce solution that matches unique
customer needs to business initiatives across all channels, leading a
customer from initial interest to order placement while engaging them
in repeat buying relationships. During the purchasing process, Calico
eSales dynamically provides customers with custom, context- specific
information such as product features, discounts and competitor
offerings so that they are equipped to make informed buying decisions
online. Consequently, corporations are able to increase revenues,
reduce costs and foster loyalty among their customers, which is
critical with competitors only a click away.
"OneSwoop is redefining the automobile buying experience by putting
the customer in the driver's seat," said Alan Naumann, president and
CEO, Calico Commerce. "We are particularly excited because OneSwoop is
the first ever deployment of Calico eSales in the automotive industry,
an explosive growth sector in electronic commerce." |
