News Release

For Immediate Release
AAIA-10-01

For more information, contact Rich White, (301) 654-6664.

Shop Equipment of the Future Available Today: AAIA Announces Initial Suite of i·SHOP Products available at AAPEX

BETHESDA, MD - October 23, 2002 - The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) announced today that the first of a new generation of i·SHOP-enabled shop equipment and software is commercially available and will be on display in booth 2467 at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) in Las Vegas, November 5-8. For the first time, representative products from all of the major categories of shop equipment and software are available and engineered to a single standard.

i·SHOP is a set of computer interconnectivity standards developed by leading makers of diagnostic equipment and shop software providers under the direction of AAIA. The products that comply with the i·SHOP standard come from vendors such as SUN, John Bean, Snap-on, Hunter Engineering, ALLDATA, Delphi and BayMasteR.

"The stable of products that have been certified compliant with the i·SHOP standard allows a shop owner to choose the best products for his needs in the front and back shop, and enjoy all the advantages of full connectivity," said Scott Luckett, AAIA vice president of information technology. "AAIA applauds these companies for investing in technology that will benefit their customers with reduced data entry and greater shop efficiency."

i·SHOP addresses the problem of sharing and retrieving information about the vehicle, the customer and the work performed between discreet computer applications in the repair shop environment, according to AAIA.

"The reality today is that shops are brimming with very sophisticated diagnostic equipment, information servers and shop management software. And with few exceptions, these high-tech machines don't communicate with one another, requiring repetitive data entry on the part of technicians and management personnel. This inefficiency is compounded when the PC full of service and repair information is located on the far side of the shop requiring the technician to leave the vehicle in search of needed service technical information," Luckett said.

Repair shops equipped with certified i·SHOP diagnostic machines and information servers provide technicians the data needed to service the vehicle at their fingertips. The list of work orders from the shop management system is available from any console on the shop network. Technicians can view technical information and relevant articles right on the back shop screen, without leaving their workstations. "Shop productivity increases dramatically with integrated shop equipment," Luckett said.

Demonstrations and i·SHOP certified products will be available during AAPEX in the simulated shop environment in booth 2467. Customer inquiries are welcome and makers of computer-based shop equipment and software will also be able to learn how they can incorporate i·SHOP technology in their products.

Additional information about i·SHOP and a technical overview are available from the web site at www.ishopstandards.org.

The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) is a Bethesda, Md.-based association whose member companies manufacture, distribute and sell motor vehicle parts, accessories, tools, equipment, materials and supplies. The organization is comprised of manufacturers, distributors, jobbers, wholesalers, retailers, manufacturer's representatives and other companies doing business in the automotive aftermarket. AAIA formerly served the automotive aftermarket as ASIA and APAA.