J.D. Power is merging with Autodata Solutions, a provider of data and software solutions for the automotive industry.
The merger marks the completion of J.D. Power’s acquisition by Thoma Bravo, a private equity firm, and owner of Autodata Solutions. The newly-combined company will operate under the name J.D. Power and will offer new and pre-owned automobile transactional data, valuation tools, vehicle feature information and consumer analytics to the automotive industry, the company says. J.D. Power will also continue to provide benchmarks, analytics and customer insights across the banking and payments, wealth and 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 behavior 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 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.
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.
