Acquisition Expands J.D. Power Software and Data Offerings for Automotive Dealerships; Supports Continued Digital Transformation of Automotive Sales Process
TROY, Mich.—J.D. Power, a global leader in data analytics and consumer intelligence, today announced it has acquired Superior Integrated Solutions, Inc./Darwin Automotive, a leading provider of automotive finance & insurance (F&I) software used by automotive dealerships. The acquisition enhances the value J.D. Power can provide with its data, analytics, and software components to auto dealers, original equipment manufacturers (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,” said Dave Habiger, president and CEO of J.D. Power. “By partnering with 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 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 highly 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 United States, the Darwin Automotive Platform is used in one-third of all new-vehicle transactions today.
“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,” said Phillip Battista, CEO, Superior Integrated Solutions/Darwin Automotive, 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. We are thrilled to be working with J.D. Power and look forward to even bigger and better innovations to come.”
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.
Portico Capital Securities served as exclusive financial advisor to Superior Integrated Solutions/Darwin Automotive with respect to this transaction.
About J.D. Power
J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.
J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company’s business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.
About Superior Integrated Solutions/Darwin Automotive
Superior Integrated Solutions specializes in the programming and integration of dealer management systems with third-party systems at auto dealerships. Servicing over 14 DMS systems, the company is the leader in real-time data integration services. Offering in-house custom development services including F&I, accounting, service, and parts, Superior currently represents approximately 70% of the top 20 dealer groups in the nation. Superior also owns Darwin Automotive, an industry-leading F&I menu and Digital Retailing software application, supporting both showroom and digital sales with highly personalized, customer-focused tools to select vehicle financing and protection options.