To give more customers access to its suite of digital products and services, Manheim introduced its mobile app for Google Android smart phones. The app is available for download from the Android marketplace. Now Android-device users - just like Apple iPhone users - can scan VINs, view the vehicle summary page, view Manheim Market Report (MMR) results, search for vehicles by inventory or location, place bids, buy now, make an offer, proxy bid and use all of Manheim's mobile tools. Nearly 1,000 unique visitors have used the app in the last week. Click here to download the app.
The Manheim mobile app simplifies the research, buying and selling process for customers. It allows them to do all of their auction preparation work and conduct all of the necessary business transactions anytime and anywhere - outside of the auction or even in the lane. Each feature of the app is designed with the customer's needs in mind.
"I use a Droid X and what impressed me most was how easy the Manheim app is to use and how well it works with the phone's camera to scan VINs and retrieve vehicle information," said Ken Robinson of Ken's Toyota Kars in Laramie, Wyo. "I barely had to hold the app over the bar code and zap! It scanned the VIN right away. This will help me be more efficient as I research and buy cars."
VIN scan is revolutionizing the way customers do business by making everything easier. For example, after scanning a VIN (or entering a VIN manually), customers view a vehicle summary page that provides them with instant access to MMR results and information from an array of reports such as AutoCheck, CarFax, seller disclosures and/or condition reports. The vehicle summary page allows customers quicker access to Manheim inventory because it gives them the ability to start the bidding or buying process right after scanning a VIN. All of these functionalities dramatically save Manheim customers time and effort.
The expansion into the Android marketplace is an example of how Manheim aligns its mobile strategy with mobile consumer trends. For example, 55 percent of people who purchased a mobile phone in the past three months reported buying a smartphone instead of a traditional cell phone - a 34 percent uptick from last year. In addition, 38 percent of smartphone users are on the Android platform while 27 percent use the iPhone. Manheim launched its app for iPhones last year, and by supplying the Manheim app to the Android marketplace this year, Manheim's mobile marketplace now canvases approximately 65 percent of U.S. smartphone users.
"We noticed that customer adoption of the Android platform in the smartphone market has and continues to grow significantly," said Amy Mills, senior director of product management at Manheim Digital. "Making the Manheim app - which until recently was only available to iPhone customers - available to the Android marketplace was the next logical step as we work to optimize the Manheim experience for the mobile devices our customers use most."
The addition of the Manheim app in the Android marketplace expands the scope and reach of Manheim's digital marketplace, and it allows Manheim to provide its customers with a comprehensive suite of mobile offerings no matter what mobile device they use.
media brand