Comcast Business has hooked up Atlanta-based Jim Ellis Automotive Group, which is the third largest online dealer in the nation based on sales volume, with its Ethernet services.
With 14 dealerships spread across metro Atlanta, the dealership’s previous T1 lines from various providers were costly, slow and hard to manage.
To address Jim Ellis Automotive Group’s need, Comcast installed its Ethernet network services to provide wide area connectivity between the company’s 14 locations, including 50 Mbps connections to its main campuses in Marietta and Chamblee, and 10 Mbps connections to its 12 other locations. The group also added two Ethernet Dedicated Internet lines at its Marietta and Chamblee campuses that provide each with a 50 Mbps connection.
The faster speeds not only support online sales, but also a new dealership management system that helps manage finance, sales, parts, inventory and administration functions across the 14 dealerships.
Comcast Business also installed Wi-Fi for customers and developed an app for iOS and Android devices that gives them local traffic, weather, access to owner’s manuals and the ability to schedule service appointments.
“Whether it is allowing customers to view our available inventory, purchase a car online, schedule service appointments or take advantage of our Wi-Fi service, the Internet drives virtually all aspects of our business,” said Eddie Gonzalez, IT Systems Director, Jim Ellis Automotive Group. “Comcast Business was uniquely able to provide a comprehensive network solution that touches every part of our organization across all of our locations, and gives us the performance and bandwidth required to support our digital initiatives.”
Starting as a single dealership more than 40 years ago, Jim Ellis Automotive Group employs over 900 local residents at locations across metro Atlanta including Marietta, Kennesaw and Buford. The company sells new and used vehicles including brands such as Audi, Buick, Chevy, GMC, Hyundai, Maserati, Mazda, Porsche, Volvo and Volkswagen. In addition, the company services all the brands it sells and has a collision center that is manufacturer-certified to perform repairs on any of its brands.
“Jim Ellis Automotive Group is a great example of a forward-thinking company that is leveraging technology across its operations to make an impact on the most important part of its business – customer satisfaction,” said Bob Deckard, regional vice president, Comcast Business. “With our advanced and redundant fiber network across metro Atlanta, it was easy for Jim Ellis Automotive Group to connect all of its sites using our high-performance Ethernet services, giving them a consistent platform to help drive their diverse technology initiatives.”
