Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/404080
A f te rm a rke t D a i l y N e ws 2 3 Th u r s d a y, N o ve m b e r 6 , 2 0 1 4 STREAMLINE YOUR SHOP WITH AUTOVITALS' SMARTFLOW An interview with Uwe Kleinschmidt, CEO of AutoVitals. ADN: What makes AutoVitals uniquely positioned to address challenges facing the auto repair industry today? UK: AutoVitals SmartFlow is the only solution on the market that provides a single platform enabling integration between the various work applications. It allows the technician to use a tablet device to inspect a vehicle with tap tech- nology while taking pictures and record- ing notes by voice, and then use the same device to receive work orders and com- municate with the front office. While working on the vehicle, the technician has all the information needed about the vehicle to complete the job including his- tory, service bulletins and recall informa- tion. Using the tablet, he is able to record each step including time spent, notes pic- tures and recommendations. The AutoVitals platform allows the service advisor to manage the entire workflow of the shop, dispatch work to technicians and communicate with customers about their service from one user interface, eliminating paper racks, clipboards and a lot of walking or yelling back and forth. While communicating with his cus- tomers, the service advisor is able to eas- ily educate them about their service through email or text with actual pictures of their car and supporting videos. Through the use of the AutoVitals platform, shop owners develop a relationship with their customers as trusted partners, not just serv- ice providers. ADN: What successes and hur- dles do you expect to encounter in the coming year? UK: AutoVitals is growing at a steady pace and we are looking forward to fine tuning our flagship product SmartFlow with the input of a rapidly growing cus- tomer base. We also plan to begin deeper integration of SmartFlow with our web presence customer acquisition and cus- tomer retention products which will pro- vide significant improvements of visibility into the habits of motorists on a shop's website, especially if there are not cus- tomers yet. And while we are excited about the significant adoption of SmartFlow worldwide, this also means we will have to similarly increase enhance- ment of our support initiatives. To this end we expect to invest heavily in video based and onsite training and education for our customers as well as customer outreach programs. ADN: How can our readers find out more about your products? UK: Well if you are attending SEMA, just stop by our booth #38204 where there will be product experts on site throughout the show. You can also easily find a wide variety of product informa- tion, training videos and you can even purchase AutoVitals products online at www.autovitals.com. For more information, visit www.auto vitals.com, contact 866-949-2848 or stop by booth #38204. A SMART CABLE THAT BACKS UP YOUR SMARTPHONE DATA WHILE CHARGING Bleep is a smart charging cable, easy to use (plug n' play) with built-in storage in a range of sizes (16–64 GB). Bleep communicates with a dedi- cated application. Triggered by connecting your smart- phone to the cable, bleep automatically syncs your daily new data from contacts, WhatsApp media, history, pictures and videos. The full backup will be saved as soon as it's connected. All this, with no extra action needed – just like your nor- mal charging routine. Its developers, Musers Ltd., have launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to bring the product to market. Among the device features: If you lose or break your smartphone, all it takes to recover your data is to connect your personal bleep cable to a new smartphone. Type your password, and in one click, you're back in business. You get the option of choosing what data you'd like to restore, with an intu- itive, easy-to-use application interface. If you own more than a single device, for example a smartphone and a tablet, you can navigate through the app menu between devices and choose which one to restore. Bleep has a rugged, protected cable, keeping the secured data physically in its memory, and it is password-protected. In addition, the cable works as a memory stick, which can be used both with a computer and smartphone, for viewing, editing, and transferring files. Bleep will work from anywhere around the globe, without the need of a computer, Internet access, or even elec- tricity. The cable syncs with your smart- phone, using "On The Go" technology and supports Android and iOS plat- forms. This technology allows quick and easy-to-use transfer of data between external devices. THREE CONTINENTAL INNOVATIONS SELECTED AS 2015 AUTOMOTIVE NEWS PACE AWARD FINALISTS Continental, an international automotive supplier, has three product innovations advancing as finalists in the 2015 Automotive News PACE (Premier Automotive Suppliers Contribution to Excellence) Award program. This marks the seventh consecutive year that Continental has had entries advance as finalists. PACE Awards are recognized around the world as industry benchmarks for innovation. This year's awards will be presented on April 20, 2015, at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit. In 2014, Continental won a PACE Award for the Pressure sensor-based Pedestrian Protection System (PPS). "Continental is proud to have three of our latest technologies selected as finalists for such a prestigious industry award," said Samir Salman, CEO, Continental North America. "Our mission is to deliver innovative technologies that make driving safer, more comfortable and more efficient. It is, once again, an honor to be among this year's finalists for game- changing technologies and design." Continental's 2015 finalist innova- tions include its Turbocharger with Aluminum Turbine Housing. Continental has designed the world's first turbocharger with water-cooled aluminum turbine hous- ing for passenger car application. With its lightweight material, the turbine housing of the innovative turbocharger weighs nearly 30 percent less than that of tradi- tional turbochargers while providing sys- tem benefits at a reduced cost for OEMs.