J.D. Power acquires Superior Integrated Solutions Inc./Darwin Automotive, a leading provider of automotive finance & insurance software used by automotive dealerships. Terms of the transaction are not disclosed.
J.D. Power says the acquisition enhances the value it can provide with its data, analytics and software components to auto dealers, OEMs, third parties and consumers as the industry continues to employ new technologies to improve the consumer experience.
“We are focused on maximizing the value of our extensive data and analytics assets by connecting the key components of the auto industry supply chain, from OEMs to dealers to consumers, and empowering each link in that chain with critical intelligence, streamlined workflows and user-friendly software,” Dave Habiger (pictured below, left), president and CEO of J.D. Power, says in a news release.
“By partnering with (CEO) Phillip Battista and his amazing team at Superior Integrated Solutions/Darwin Automotive, we will be well positioned to help auto dealers maximize profits while delivering a world-class customer experience.”
Superior Integrated Solutions/Darwin Automotive senior leadership and its 88 employees will join J.D. Power and will form the base of a new dealership technologies division.
Superior Integrated Solutions has been a leader in F&I software and digital retailing with more than 7,700 dealers using its technology. Its Darwin Automotive Platform is an industry-leading F&I menu software application, supporting both showroom and digital sales with personalized, customer-focused tools to select vehicle financing and protection options.
The technology leverages data and predictive analytics to customize customer offers based on a range of criteria including specific vehicle information, overall deal structure and the situation for each individual customer, creating the optimal F&I package.
Widely adopted by the largest dealer groups in the U.S., the Darwin Automotive Platform is used in one-third of all new-vehicle transactions today, J.D. Power says.
“The auto industry is undergoing a historic transformation that will put powerful customer analytics and highly customized, multi-channel solutions at the center of the vehicle purchase experience,” says Battista, who will become president of dealership technologies at J.D. Power. “J.D. Power is an iconic brand that drives consumer confidence worldwide and the combination of the J.D. Power brand and our technology will be a game changer for the industry, affecting everyone from online consumers to dealers to OEMs to insurers.”
