Today’s businesses have come to understand that there is no longer a need to commit to heavy investment in new software solutions, and then be tied to such systems indefinitely. The clear alternative is the opportunity to share common platforms with other companies looking to achieve similar business objectives through ‘community-based’ solutions. Enter 1link, a portfolio of software platforms deployed centrally and designed to facilitate the procurement of services for the automotive industry through easily accessible technology.

By offering complete e-commerce platforms, we provide clients with the opportunity to remove the complicated process of putting together services involving numerous suppliers in a technically complex environment. By adhering to the same logic that credit card technology utilises, you encourage an infinite number of buyers and suppliers to transact through a single, common system. The 1link product portfolio uses this same principle to cover the critical stages in the typical lifecycle of a fleet vehicle.

1link is a true online solution, accessible to anyone with an internet connection and designed to provide access to the very latest technology through a low-cost, pay on use charging mechanism. Already well established, 1link is set to become the de facto standard for the leading fleets to procure products and services from their supplying networks through the creation of internet links. 1link delivers substantial reductions in administration and increases processing accuracy, thereby pushing down costs and raising service standards.

1link Service Network enjoys great success in the UK, with over 2 million fleet vehicles on the system, after 2 years of operation. 1link has now established operations in Germany, France and Spain, with a view to providing a pan-European service. 1link Service Network will be established in the second half, 2005.

The move into Europe has been prompted largely by existing UK large fleet users of 1link fleet e-commerce products, many of which operate on a pan-European basis, along with vehicle manufacturers.

epyx has always had plans to operate 1link in all major European and international fleet markets, the speed of this move has been customer-driven. Fleets recognise the savings through 1link in the UK and want to expand its availability right across Europe, and more recently into Australia.

With 1link established as the e-commerce standard for the motor industry in the UK, the obvious next step is to look at other major European markets. This will enable epyx to increase the efficiencies of both existing 1link customers who have pan-European and international operations and also to seek new customers on an international basis.

Ultimately, the aim is to make 1link the processing standard for the motor industry internationally. Established as a success in the UK, initial indications from our European and international partners are looking extremely encouraging.

Motorconsult

Motorconsult is a subsidiary of Motor Consulting and Management in the UK, who have established themselves as the leading provider for maintenance data and software to fleet management organisations and lessors, representing over 850,000 vehicles.

Through a range of sophisticated data applications, Motorconsult can assist fleet management organisations and self-managed fleets to reduce their maintenance costs and the overhead of maintenance data collection and management.