SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -

Custom dealership mobile app platform provider Dealerbaby integrated with Auto/Mate’s dealership management system on Tuesday.

Officials highlighted that users of Auto/Mate’s Open/Mate third-party integration system can now experience the benefits of a native mobile app without the high costs associated with custom mobile app development.

Dealerbaby co-founder Padraic Doyle insisted dealerships can increase customer retention, profits and leads and become a leader of the mobile dealership community.

“Our partnership with Auto/Mate gives us the ability to create a powerful user experience by letting the customer interact with the dealership on the device they use the most — their smartphone,” Doyle said. “The key is the two-way communication with the DMS, which is made possible with Open/Mate.”

To help improve the mobile experience for dealerships and their customers, Dealerbaby integrated the following features in its platform with Auto/Mate’s DMS:

— Service appointment scheduling: Dealership apps on the Dealerbaby platform can display service schedules, available service appointments and offer users the ability to schedule various services all within the dealership’s mobile app.

— Inventory listings: The Dealerbaby mobile app platform can display inventory updates in real-time as the inventory is updated in Auto/Mate’s DMS.

Auto/Mate president and chief executive officer Mike Esposito emphasized the company’s DMS is a full-featured, user-friendly solution that is scalable for any size dealership or dealer group. Esposito pointed out the system comes with the best customer support in the industry and is available in both Web-based and in-house server solutions.

“More car shoppers are using smartphones and tablets to shop for cars, and mobile apps are easier to use than browsing a mobile website,” Esposito said. “DMS integration ensures that all inventory and service data is displayed to customers in real time, reflecting all updates in your dealer’s DMS.”