WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2010 — GOSO, a web and social media marketing suite, recently launched an application programming interface (API) so web developers can efficiently access dealer inventories and other vehicle data through a standardized process.
GOSO founder Adam Boalt, who won the first government technology innovation contest in Washington, DC, noticed when working with different government agencies that there was an inconsistency in data from agency to agency. While developing his application for the contest, the bulk of his work was consumed by normalizing data. So when he founded GOSO, the first thing he did was streamline the data.
Boalt recruited Herb Pinder, former Pfizer application developer of 9 years, to lead this massive undertaking. "The GOSO API makes dealer vehicle data readily available to developers by providing a superset of the functionality in a centralized location," explained Herb Pinder.
GOSO's platform, which seamlessly integrates with any dealer management system, retrieves real-time inventory in addition to a variety of external data sources including VIN decoding, car history, stock photos and video, awards and accolades and safety ratings.
Fresh Input, a dealer solutions provider in Seattle, was an early adopter of the GOSO API. "Just about anything I could possibly need for vehicles on the lot is available through GOSO's API," said Jason Tracy of Fresh Input, who uses GOSO for his client, the Marc Heitz Auto Group. "I can even access CARFAX information along with all of the other available data, under one roof – it's a one-stop shop."
For years, the automotive dealer industry has been very closed, making it very difficult for auto dealers to hire creative advertising agencies or web development firms outside of a small group of established automotive vendors. The new GOSO API lowers the entry barrier and will welcome innovation in 2010 with participating dealers.
The API is just the beginning for GOSO and in order to spawn innovation in an industry where it is much needed, GOSO will be hosting a $10,000 application development contest this spring with a variety of prizes. Some of the sample use cases being deployed using the API include vehicle widgets and a variety of geo-location aware mobile applications that allow you to retrieve dealer inventory automatically from within proximity of the dealers lot.
About GOSO (http://www.goso.com)
GOSO is a social media and marketing suite designed specifically for automotive dealers. GOSO is a solution that not only connects to every social network from one place, but also integrates seamlessly with inventory, pulling data from trusted sources to generate dynamic content that can be used to broadcast across the web, reaching out to millions of potential customers. It utilizes inventory data and provides comprehensive marketing and inventory support so dealers can engage directly with customers. GOSO is a subsidiary of BOALT, an interactive agency based in Washington, D.C.
Contact:
Liz Presson
tel: 202-684-7161 x310
email: Email
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