AutoQuotes

Infobox Software
name = AutoQuotes



caption = AutoQuotes 6 running on Windows XP.
developer = AutoQuotes
latest_release_version = 6.6
latest_release_date = Fall 2008
operating_system = Microsoft Windows
platform = .NET Framework
language = English
genre = Quoting software
license = Proprietary
website = [http://www.aqnet.com/ www.aqnet.com]

AutoQuotes is a Windows-based, Internet-enabled electronic catalog and estimating program for the foodservice equipment and supplies industry. Developed by AutoQuotes, Inc. in Jacksonville, Florida, the software is widely used as an industry standard for quoting and purchasing-related business process. [cite web |url=http://aqnet.com/whos_in.asp|title=Who's in AutoQuotes|accessdate=2008-10-09] AutoQuotes is distributed twice monthly to 23,000 licensed users worldwide. [cite web |url=http://www.feda.com/resources/links.cfm|title=Industry Resources|accessdate=2008-09-18] The users include food service equipment and supplies manufacturers, dealers, consultants, representatives and operators.

Currently, there are over 300,000 products from 320 major food service equipment and supplies manufactures [AutoQuotes Version 6 Help Manual, p.41 (02/15/2007)] in AutoQuotes database. Users can search products using a variety of criteria, including manufacturer, model, brand and category. Manufactures of food service equipment and suppliers update their products pricing, pictures, cut sheets and accessories in real time. Both FE&S manufacturers and dealers use AutoQuotes to create and generate printed quotations that can be customized with their styles and logos. AutoQuotes is an industry front runner in the use of XML file formats [cite web |url=http://www.fesmag.com/article/CA6506858.html|title=XML Marks the Spot|accessdate=2008-10-09] and hence bridge the gap between manufactures and dealers.

Dealers who are members of FEDA have access to the exclusive FEDA exports in AutoQuotes. The FEDA exports permit the dealers to export raw data in the form of CSV files and JPG images from the AutoQuotes catalog. This data can be used to update pricing, specs, and pictures in dealers’ inventory accounting program as well as their website.

While AutoQuotes have dramatically changed the foodservice equipment and supplies industry which has been slow to incorporate technology into its processes and modes of communication between trading partners, like any evolving technological application, over the years AutoQuotes has had its challenges, most dealers point out, specifically in the security aspect. "The challenge is establishing trust with the fact that a third party will have your data." [cite web |url=http://www.fesmag.com/article/CA6574952.html|title=It's Time for Technology|accessdate=2008-10-09]

The latest version of AutoQuotes is 6.6.

References

External links

* [http://www.aqnet.com/ AutoQuotes Official site]
* [http://www.feda.com/ Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association]
* [http://www.fesmag.com/ Foodservice Equipment & Supplies]