SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. -

Buy-here, pay-here dealers who use FEX DMS or AutoStar Solutions and have questions about their store software platforms now that they're both owned by DealerSocket have the opportunity to see how the company’s future single dealer management system is going to operate.

DealerSocket announced on Friday that it will merge the best elements of FEX DMS and AutoStar Solutions software into a single DMS the company says will be tailored for independent and BHPH dealers. DealerSocket acquired FEX DMS back in February and then brought AutoStar into its portfolio in May.

“It’s so interesting in that we’ve gotten those two companies together,” DealerSocket chief executive officer Jonathan Ord told BHPH Report during a conversation at the annual conference hosted by the National Alliance of Buy-Here, Pay-Here Dealers in Las Vegas only days after the second DMS acquisition.

“During a joint meeting we said we’re getting all the smartest guys in the room, and we’re building our next generation product that’s going to really help buy-here, pay-here dealers,” Ord continued. “Everyone just lit up. They’re all really excited about it. It was so great to see their enthusiasm and reignition into the space.

“A lot of them have been doing it for quite a long time, and a lot have come to us after the acquisition saying they’ve never been more excited about where going from a product perspective with a rejuvenation of life into both companies,” Ord went on to say.

DealerSocket will reveal the name and specific features of its new DMS, along with details on the future of FEX DMS and AutoStar software, in a special live presentation followed by open Q&A session at the upcoming Texas Independent Automobile Dealers Association (TIADA) conference. Both local and out-of-state dealers are invited to attend the free event that’s separate from the dealer association’s conference.

The session is scheduled for Aug. 10 beginning at 11:50 a.m. It will be held at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa, the site of TIADA’s event.

Presenters include:

— Matt Redden, chief sales and marketing officer at DealerSocket

— Greg Levi, director of product management at DealerSocket and former director of product management at Finance Express

— Antonio Rajan, vice president of independent sales at DealerSocket and former chief revenue officer at AutoStar Solutions

"Nearly 2,000 independent dealerships across the country — and at least one out of every three TIADA members — use either FEX DMS or AutoStar Solutions,” Rajan said. “We’re thrilled to meet with our customers in person and share the future roadmap of both brands.

“This is the first time we will address all the questions they've been wondering about. What do these acquisitions mean to me? Will I be able to keep my current DMS? And for how long? What will the new software look like?"

Admission to the presentation and Q&A is free, and attendance at the TIADA conference is not required. However, officials indicated dealers who attend both will receive a $300 discount for the full conference. They said a discount code will be emailed upon registration for the DealerSocket session, and the discount is valid for both local and out-of-state dealers.

"The landscape for independent dealers is changing — from compliance to competition for inventory and customers, as well as access to tools to compete in the marketplace,” Levi said.

“DealerSocket's integrated approach to managing inventory and customers, marketing, and loan servicing is uncharted territory in the independent dealer market. We look forward to previewing these exciting plans for our loyal users."

To register for the special session, visit id.dealersocket.com/TIADA.

DealerSocket will soon announce dates for presentations at additional state independent dealer association conferences.

The company will also discuss its independent DMS, along with the future of FEX DMS and AutoStar, at its two upcoming conferences.

User Summit 2015 will be Aug. 18-20 in San Diego. For more information, visit usersummit.dealersocket.com.

INNOVATE: The Independent Dealer Industry Conference will be Sept. 20-23 in Fort Worth, Texas. For more information, visit www.myinnovate2015.com.