Chrome Releases Canadian Version of VIN 2.0

2005-03-11 - Portland, OR, USA: Vehicle configuration technology company Chrome Systems Corporation has released a Canadian version of its popular VIN Search 2.0 product. VIN Search is a used by auction houses, leasing companies, and finance groups, and other sectors which require the ability to transform a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to a basic but accurate description of the vehicle. The new version has been modified to support more than 20 vehicle makes available in Canada.

VIN Search is a data source that relates Canadian vehicle identification numbers to specific equipment or option details on any individual vehicle or a small group of vehicles made between 2000 and the current model year. With VIN Search, business customers can transform a VIN to a short, explicit description of the vehicle that includes engine, engine size, transmission type or availability, and a number of additional options.

For customers who need more information, VIN Search also matches the VIN to a Chrome Style ID, a unique and proprietary data value that serves as the link to nearly 80 unique data points on the vehicle. With a dynamic combination of data and logic, the Chrome Style ID can be matched to a data set that normalizes the information across manufacturers. Additionally, matching a VIN to a Chrome Style ID makes these data points searchable and accessible online, facilitating research in both Web sites and enterprise software systems.

"We're especially proud of this release because it marks our first VIN product designed specifically for Canada. And it comes so soon after our introduction of a Canadian version of Chrome Carbook," said Dave Mingle, president of Chrome Systems. "This is an important step in expanding our VIN coverage."

Chrome's experience in Canada spans several years. The company currently sells a Canadian version of its desktop-based vehicle pricing and ordering tool, PC Carbook(R), has provided the data in the Reynolds & Reynolds sales solution for Canadian dealers, and continues to power the GM BuyPower Canada web site. More recently, it announced business deals with Suzuki Canada and Canadian Black Book, as well the availability of a Canadian version of Chrome Carbook(R), the company's consumer-facing vehicle configurator for Web sites.

The Canadian version of VIN Search is available immediately. A USA version of VIN Search 2.0 is currently in use by auction houses, financers, publishers and other auto industry concerns, supporting model year data as far back as 1987.