Snippet: A Ford Dealer is Moving to iPads ☇

Bradford Wernle reports for Automotive News a story about a Ford dealership that is replacing its fleet of PCs with iPads for inventory, customer information, and production information. As one of the first companies to really push for all sorts of newer technologies (some may be a bit frivilous), it only makes sense that Ford is offering an iPad program to dealers that may be interested:

All American Ford [of Old Bridge, N.J.] was one of 14 dealerships participating in a six-month Ford Motor Co. pilot program to test an iPad application called the Showcase App in dealership sales departments. The store’s 20 sales consultants shared six iPads during the pilot, which made a believer of [dealer Rich] Savino — and Ford.

Ford launched a nationwide iPad program on Aug. 1. About 140 of the automaker’s roughly 3,300 dealerships have signed up so far, says Michelle Moody, Ford technology communications manager. Ford says the optional application is linked to Ford’s ordering and sales reporting systems.

With Apple using iPads in its stores, Starbucks teaming up with Square, random iPads at Panera, and AT&T moving to an iPad-centric retail experience, it only makes sense that we’ll see more business use custom applications and iPads (or other tablets) for a convenient and rich data experience.