BRICKS & CLICKS

April 1, 2001
Masterental.com has teamed with Solutions by Computer, a Springfield, Mass.-based provider of rental management software, to provide services enhancing

Masterental.com has teamed with Solutions by Computer, a Springfield, Mass.-based provider of rental management software, to provide services enhancing SBC's eProNet rental software. Bart Black, CEO of Masterental.com, said the alliance allows rental store owners using eProNet to establish a Web site through Masterental.com that is fully integrated with SBC's CounterPro rental management software and database. eProNet offers online inventory and rate browsing, electronic rental requests, automatic quotations and e-mailed reservation confirmations.

“We are pleased that Solutions has placed their confidence in us by integrating the MasterMerchant product into the Solutions CounterPro system,” Black said at the American Rental Association convention in Orlando, Fla.

Masterental.com, Asheville, N.C., assists rental companies with Web site design and development, and provides a search engine for locating equipment and an online reservations system.

In January, the company developed the Rental Resource Center with RenTrain, Port Byron, Ill., as a center for training, e-learning, operations/safety/maintenance information and parts ordering. Merchants can have full access to these services when they join the Masterental.com network. It also can be accessed at www.masterental.com.

WayBid Technologies Aligns With Insite Business Media

WayBid Technologies and Insite Business Media, creator of LiftLink.com, have formed a strategic alliance to enhance the online sales channel for the access industry. WayBid Technologies is a software and services company based in New York.

The partnership will allow users of Independence, Mo.-based LiftLink.com to conduct single transactions over a custom network of equipment marketplaces without leaving LiftLink.com, which provides industry news and product information.

RentOnTheDot Adds Users

RentOnTheDot recently announced that Diamond Rental, an eight-location rental company serving the Salt Lake City region, and Alert-IMS, a software development company in Colorado Springs, Colo., have joined its real-time reservation system. Web-based software from RentOnTheDot, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, allows customers to rent equipment 24/7 and receive real-time confirmations.

“As a growing regional company, RentOnTheDot's public site will enable us to reach new customers, whether they are local or not,” said Troy Porras, president of Diamond Rental. “The real-time rental reservation system will also allow us to maintain our high level of customer service and satisfaction.”

KUDOS

The customer care department of Pleasanton, Calif.-based IronPlanet, a full-service online marketplace for buyers and sellers of used heavy machinery, recently was awarded ISO 9000 certification. The department was certified in only eight months; 12 to 18 months is average.

ISO 9000 certification is awarded to companies that meet the International Organization for Standardization's 20 core quality standards. The certification program is accredited by BSI, an international standard, testing, registration and certification organization in Reston, Va.

“Our achievement of this high honor provides tangible evidence of our belief in quality for our customers,” said Chris Tollafield, IronPlanet's director of customer care and back office operations. “It is not a one-time award, but our daily commitment to do what we say by meeting measurable quality standards and providing our customers with the most efficient and effective service possible.”

QUICK HITS

www.gradall.com — Recently updated with information about Gradall's training program and sign-up information, a “Frequently Asked Questions” section and a listing of downloadable files/training manuals that users can print out in PDF format or simply view on-screen.

www.redvector.com — Continuing-education site now offers online courses approved by the American Institute of Constructors as well as online registration for national seminars.