Reprinted from
Bay Area Auto Repair News - July/August 2000

Fremont's MechanicNet Group Inc., and AutoZone's Elk Grove, CA base ALLDATA division have announced a "strategic alliance" that will "provide affiliated automotive repair shops with easy to deploy Internet capabilities and an all-electronic infrastructure which can be used to effortlessly obtain comprehensive automotive evaluation information, aggregated purchasing requests, automotive profiling data, and automotive repair and estimating information." The venture's "initial offering" were reportedly made available in June.

"Automotive repair professionals and their vehicle owner customers are asking for online solutions like this strategic relationship will provide," notes Brett Easley ALLDATA's President of Customer Satisfaction. "Using the Internet" he says, "can improve the scheduling and repair experlences between vehicle owners and repair shops by allowing information exchange and dialogue to take place over the Internet."

This "new form of interaction," according to a June 2, 2000 ALLDATA press release, "will better prepare the vehicle owner for the work that needs to be completed and provide more information to the shop about the vehicle problem. Internet-based communication, for example, allows for advance parts ordering and car bettter prepare the technicians to complete the repair."

"Our goal," observes MechanicNets president, Steven Liao, "is to bridge the communication gap that offer exists between automotive repair professionals and vehicle owners. This strategic partnership will foster the development of seamless, Internet-based communications, closing the information gaps that often exist between these two groups in the automotive aftermarket."

A privately held firm that provides both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) services, MechanicNet Group "connects mechanics and car owners" by providing a web presence for shop owners and car care information for motorists. Members of the company's shop network are "provided with branded web sites at www.mechanicnet.com, where car owners can evaluate car problems, schedule an appointment online, and provide feedback on the service received."