Press Releases

Press Releases

Activant Marks 25th Anniversary of Electronic Cataloging

Quarter-Century After Revolutionizing Aftermarket with First eCatalog, Activant Remains Gold Standard for Data Completeness, Accuracy, Usability

LIVERMORE, Calif., September 15, 2009 – The aftermarket “Electronic Catalog,” an innovative business solution that has helped revolutionize the way automotive and medium-duty replacement parts are specified and sold, is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Activant Solutions, which invented the aftermarket “eCat” in 1984 and has continued to expand this vital research tool's features and benefits ever since, is marking the anniversary through an employee celebration and a series of industry initiatives that will be announced over the balance of 2009.

The company's first-generation Triad® catalog, comprising approximately 30,000 part numbers for a few hundred thousand applications, was launched August 15, 1984. The catalog quickly proved its value within a fragmented parts distribution market facing a rapidly increasing number of vehicle platforms and part numbers. Distributors and jobbers quickly learned that their counterpeople were faster, more efficient and accurate when they used the Triad catalog rather than conventional paper-based resources. This new technology also helped eliminate common pricing mistakes and improve inventory control and buying practices.

By the late 1980s thousands of distributors and jobbers subscribed to the monthly Triad Electronic Catalog. This user base continued to expand throughout the 1990s as service dealers embraced the value of the Activant replacement parts data integrated into their shop management solutions.

Activant has continued to develop innovative new eCatalog functionality to drive additional efficiency improvements for all users, who now include not only “traditional” distributors, jobbers, retailers, service chains, and independent service dealers, but also Web-based businesses such as Internet Auto Parts. Moreover, virtually each new monthly release of the Activant® eCatalog expands the company's industry-leading set of aftermarket parts data, which now comprises more than 7.9 million parts covering approximately 148.5 million applications.

“Activant's catalog has always been the best in the aftermarket,” said Scott Sallstrom, co-owner and finance director for B & J Parts and Machine, a Vancouver, B.C.-based jobber that used the first Triad catalog and has been an Activant customer ever since. “The industry has changed quite a bit over the years but the rationale for using Activant has remained the same – it has superior coverage and is faster and easier to use.”

“If I took the Activant eCatalog away from my counterpeople, it would destroy them. Their catalog plays a significant role in our continued success.”

Rather than a single monthly version, the Activant catalog is published in 15 separate formats to address the requirements of virtually every popular aftermarket computer platform. In addition to the company's extensive parts database – covering some 2,600 product lines from more than 800 manufacturers – the Activant PartExpert® eCatalog suite includes the Activant Cover-to-Cover® graphical eCatalog module, BuyerAssist® electronic buyer's guide, InterChange® OE and competitive interchange module, and All Lines reference feature. Activant combines these value-added tools with a variety of third-party databases such as the Activant LaborExpert® labor estimating tool and Activant TireExpert™ tire fitment and replacement guide to help users increase sales and customer loyalty.

The PartExpert suite also incorporates a variety of features that enable parts businesses to save time and increase profitability. These include VIN Lookup™, a comprehensive VIN decoding tool; the MCL-by-Make™ feature, which enables businesses to prioritize lookup results by brand, product design and price point; and Activant OE Carry-Forward®, which automatically updates coverage to the next model year when OE product design remains the same.

The company's latest eCatalog innovation, the Activant LaserCat® 3 catalog interface, offers a highly intuitive, configurable user environment that helps significantly reduce the number of “clicks” needed to find the right part for any covered application.

“We've come a long way from the comparatively simple application catalog of the 1980s, but we're not resting on our laurels,” said Tom Aliotti, senior vice president of the Activant automotive business group. “Activant continues to aggressively invest not only in innovative eCatalog technologies, but also in a wide range of new resources that will continue to reduce the time needed to bring the latest product data to the counterperson and service writer.”

About Activant Solutions

Activant Solutions Inc. is a leading technology provider of business management solutions serving small and medium-sized distributors and specialty retailers. Activant provides customers with industry-specific software, professional services, content, supply chain connectivity, and analytics. Over 30,000 customer locations use Activant to manage their day-to-day operations, in both USA and Canada. Activant's systems are designed to help customers increase sales, boost productivity, operate more cost-efficiently, improve inventory turns and enhance trading partner relationships. Headquartered in Livermore, California, Activant has operations in Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. For more information, please visit www.activant.com.

This announcement relating to Activant may contain statements that are forward looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, such as statements concerning trends, future technology or products, or Activant's execution. These statements are based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties which could materially affect the company's results, including, without limitation, market demand for products and technology, the company's ability to meet that market demand, the integration of Activant's technology and products with technology and products supplied by others, the integration of Activant's products into the businesses of its customers, customer acceptance of Activant's products, and the retention and deployment of skilled Activant service providers. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update or publicly revise any of the forward-looking statements. Please refer to our most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2009, filed with the Securities Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on August 13, 2009, and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2008, both of which can be found through the Activant investor relations website at www.activant.com/company/investors, for a full discussion of the risks and other factors.

Note: Activant, the Activant stylized logo, the Triad stylized logo, Activant Cover-to-Cover, BuyerAssist, InterChange, LaborExpert, LaserCat, Activant OE Carry-Forward, and PartExpert are registered trademarks, and MCL-by-Make, TireExpert and VIN Lookup are trademarks, of Activant Solutions Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Press Contact:
Drew Shippy
Pinnacle Communication Group
Tel: 330.688.3500
drew@pinnmedia.com