Beyond the Showroom: NETSOL's Tech Redefines the Car Buying Experience

ENCINO, CA – July 16, 2026 – The American car dealership, a long-standing bastion of in-person negotiation and paperwork, is undergoing a profound digital overhaul. Underscoring this industry-wide pivot, NETSOL Technologies (Nasdaq: NTWK) today announced that its AI-enabled Transcend Retail platform has gone live with three distinct US dealer partners: Steve Hahn Auto Group, Atlanta Autos, and Royal Coach RV. The move highlights not just the platform's versatility but the accelerating pressure on retailers of all vehicle types to adapt to a new breed of consumer that begins their buying journey long before stepping onto a lot.

This expansion is a clear signal that the digital-first retail experience, once a novel differentiator, is rapidly becoming a baseline expectation. Industry analysis reveals that a staggering 83% of buyers now prefer to handle more of the purchase process from home. They arrive at the dealership armed with research, expecting a transaction that is as efficient and transparent as their online investigation. Dealerships that fail to provide this seamless, or “omnichannel,” experience risk being left behind.

The New Baseline for Retail

The fundamental dynamic between buyer and seller has shifted. The modern customer is not just looking for a vehicle; they are looking for a frictionless, respectful, and efficient purchasing process. NETSOL’s recent deployments illustrate how technology is being leveraged to meet this demand head-on. At Steve Hahn Auto Group, a multi-brand dealer in Washington, the challenge was to create a unified experience across its Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Trucks Plus locations.

“Our customers come to us having already done their research,” said Tony White, Digital Director at Steve Hahn Auto Group. “They know what they want and they expect a buying experience that matches that level of preparation: transparent, efficient and on their terms.” White’s observation is a microcosm of a national trend. With Transcend Retail, the group can now manage the customer journey from the first click through to the final credit application within a single, coherent system. “It is a meaningful step forward for our group and for the customers we serve,” he added.

This addresses one of the most significant pain points in automotive retail: the disconnect between online activity and the in-store experience. While studies show 85% of consumers believe they can seamlessly continue an online process in-store, a frustrating 97% of dealers report that customers often have to repeat steps due to data silos and incompatible systems. Platforms like Transcend aim to bridge this gap, saving customers an average of 42 minutes at the dealership and significantly improving satisfaction.

A Platform for Every Segment

The strategic value of NETSOL's announcement lies in the diversity of its new partners. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for a single market niche, but a flexible platform being deployed across vastly different retail environments. This versatility is a crucial asset in a fragmented industry.

Atlanta Autos, part of Gravity Autos, specializes in luxury and exotic vehicles and operates on a digital-first, often remote, model. For them, the showroom is frequently a customer's phone or laptop screen. “At Atlanta Autos, we have built a nationally recognized brand by understanding how today’s buyer wants to shop,” stated Patrick O’Brien, the dealership's Digital Operations Director. He noted that clients, whether they are executives, athletes, or simply out-of-state buyers, share a common expectation for “clarity, speed, flexibility and confidence.” The platform enables the dealership to manage complex negotiations and information exchange without requiring a physical meeting, supporting a business model built on national reach and digital trust.

Perhaps the most forward-looking deployment is with Royal Coach RV in Bakersfield, California. The recreational vehicle market is experiencing its own demographic shift. “We started to notice a change in who was walking through our doors,” said Justin Unruh, Owner of Royal Coach RV. He described a “younger, more digitally native buyer” who arrives with extensive online research completed. Recognizing this, Royal Coach RV made a strategic decision to invest in a fully digital retail experience. “Transcend Retail gives us the ability to deliver a shopping experience that is transparent, modern and aligned with how our customers actually want to buy,” Unruh explained. This move positions the dealership as a pioneer in a segment that is rapidly catching up to the digital transformation seen in traditional auto sales.

Navigating the Competitive Digital Frontier

NETSOL is entering an increasingly competitive space, where established giants like CDK Global, Reynolds and Reynolds, and Cox Automotive’s DealerTrack have long offered a suite of dealership management and digital retailing tools. However, the success of these new go-lives suggests that NETSOL's focus on a versatile, AI-enabled, and end-to-end connected journey is resonating. The company’s deep roots in asset finance and leasing technology provide a strong foundation for integrating the complex financing and deal-structuring components that are critical to a truly seamless process.

Najeeb Ghauri, Founder and CEO of NETSOL, sees the current market climate as a moment of validation. “Dealers of every size, in every segment and across every vehicle category are recognizing that a connected, transparent and digital-first retail experience is no longer a differentiator, it is a baseline expectation,” Ghauri commented. He pointed to the breadth of the new partners as proof of the platform's adaptability and the scale of the market opportunity.

For a publicly traded company like NETSOL, each successful deployment is not just a new revenue stream but a proof point for investors that its strategy is aligned with the industry's trajectory. By empowering dealers to overcome major hurdles like legacy system integration and inconsistent cross-channel data, the company is positioning itself as a critical enabler of modernization. This focus on creating a single source of truth for the deal, from initial engagement to final signature, directly attacks the operational friction that costs dealerships both time and customer goodwill, ultimately impacting the bottom line.