J.D. Power To Merge With Autodata Solutions
J.D. Power announced a merger with Autodata Solutions, a provider of data and software solutions for the automotive ecosystem.
The merger marks the completion of J.D. Power’s acquisition by Thoma Bravo, a leading private equity firm, and owner of Autodata Solutions. The newly combined company will operate under the name J.D. Power and will offer market-leading new and pre-owned automobile transactional data, valuation tools, vehicle feature information and consumer analytics to the automotive industry.
J.D. Power will also continue to provide industry benchmarks, analytics and customer insights across the Banking & Payments, Wealth & Lending, Telecommunications, Insurance, Health, Travel and Utilities sectors through its Global Business Intelligence division.
“The combination of J.D. Power’s deep data, analytics and customer experience insights with Autodata Solutions’ comprehensive vehicle feature data and dealer and manufacturer technology platforms will create a robust and insightful automotive industry resource for analyzing consumer demand and optimizing the vehicle sales process,” said Dave Habiger, who will continue as president and CEO of J.D. Power. “As the auto industry continues to be disrupted by changing patterns of consumer behaviour and new technologies such as connected vehicles, electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles and ridesharing, we are building a company that will help the entire industry rise to the challenge.”
Autodata Solutions provides Software as a Service (SaaS) and software solutions that range from back-end automation systems that enable dealer-to-original equipment manufacturer (OEM) vehicle ordering to data-driven, consumer-focused interactive marketing initiatives. Its Chrome-branded solutions increase the effectiveness of the automotive sales ecosystem and include rebates and incentives, Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) decode and describe, and vehicle configuration and comparisons.
Together, the two companies create a complementary set of capabilities that will strengthen the global automobile industry’s ability to forecast vehicle demand and shape strategic decision making.
“The joining of these two leading companies will enable the auto industry to make the process of configuring, ordering and selling cars more efficient, which can improve profitability and capital deployment,” said Scott Crabill, a managing partner at Thoma Bravo. “This capability is exactly the kind of proven, concrete insight the auto industry needs as it confronts changing consumer demands in a transforming technology environment.”
“The new J.D. Power delivers the authoritative ground truth and predictive intelligence the automotive industry so desperately needs right now to stay in sync with changing patterns of consumer behavior, rapid-fire technological change and a challenging macroeconomic environment,” said Craig Jennings, former president and CEO of Autodata Solutions, who will continue as President of the Autodata division in the newly combined J.D. Power. “By pairing our platform with J.D. Power’s deep data and analytics capabilities, we’re going to be able to take the guesswork out of the manufacturing and floor planning process, helping manufacturers and dealers drive maximum impact and profitability by getting the new vehicle formula just right. We are excited to be joining the J.D. Power team to make that vision a reality.”
In addition to the investment by Thoma Bravo, J.D. Power’s existing management team will reinvest their ownership interest in the newly combined company. All of the current Autodata Solutions and J.D. Power employees will have the opportunity to take an ownership stake in the company.
The headquarters for the combined company will be in Troy, Mich.
