Tekion network requirements come down to three things your dealership owns: business-grade internet with automatic failover at every rooftop, cabling and Wi-Fi that reach every device Tekion installs, and security controls in place before customer data moves. Tekion’s implementation team installs and tests its own hardware. The electrical work, the data cabling, and the sign-off … Read more
Choosing a managed IT provider for a dealership isn’t the same decision as choosing one for a law firm or a retail chain. Dealership operations run on a DMS, get audited under FTC Safeguards, and can’t afford downtime during a sales event or a service rush. That means the providers who actually understand this industry … Read more
Karmak bought DSI Solutions, the company behind the Blaze DMS, in a deal effective September 30, 2025, and now holds more than half of the DMS market among PACCAR dealers. Blaze is still sold and supported. Moving to Fusion is a choice, and it’s an IT project before it’s a software project. I sold CRM … Read more
Windows 10 ESU Year 1 ends October 13, 2026 for business PCs. What dealerships should renew, replace, or retire, and how it ties to the Safeguards Rule.
Most dealers don’t shop for IT support until something breaks. The DMS goes down on the last Saturday of the month. A phishing email costs the store six figures. An insurance carrier asks for a written information security program and nobody has one. By then the decision is being made under pressure, and pressure produces … Read more
Why dealerships need continuous compliance management — and an honest evaluation of their IT security — now that AI is in the building Most dealerships I talk to can produce a compliance document. A written information security program, a risk assessment from a vendor, a checklist with satisfying green marks down the right-hand column, maybe … Read more
A Buyer’s Guide for Multi-Rooftop Auto and Truck Groups Helion Technologies Every managed IT provider you talk to will tell you they work with dealerships. Some of them mean they have one rooftop as a client. A few mean they understand what happens when the service drive goes down at 8:15 on a Saturday morning. … Read more
Most dealer management system conversations start in the wrong place. A controller can’t get the report she needs. Service advisors are double-keying into three systems. The parts counter is slow at 7:30 a.m. Somebody in the leadership meeting finally says it: maybe we need a new DMS. Sometimes that’s right. Often it isn’t — at … Read more
Technology has always been an important part of dealership operations, but today it has become a competitive advantage. The modern dealership isn’t defined by the software it owns—it’s defined by how effectively technology supports the business. Artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, cloud platforms, data governance, and compliance have become strategic assets that influence profitability, customer experience, … Read more