KANSAS CITY, Mo. -

Automotive software company AutoAlert says the addition of SMS texting functionality to its AlertMiner customer experience and trade cycle management tool helps dealers reach customers with vehicle upgrade proposals directly via text message.

The company says that with the new functionality, dealers can use AutoAlert CXM to communicate with customers via text and track those conversations entirely through software, and they can do that without requiring use of a mobile phone.

Although SMS Texting is a no-cost upgrade to AlertMiner, AutoAlert says it requires an authorized representative of the dealer to complete necessary legal forms to activate.

AutoAlert chief executive officer Mike Dullea said in a news release that text messaging has remained very popular, even with increased use of social media and instant messaging. With the SMS Texting feature, dealers can “reach the right customers at the right time, with the right message in the right way,” Dullea said.

“Many consumers prefer to communicate via text,” Dullea said. “Now dealers can connect with them the way they prefer, directly from AutoAlert's CXM Platform.”