SAN DIEGO, Dec. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Audatex North America, Inc., the leading global provider of software and services to the automobile insurance claims processing and collision repair industry, announced today that its donation of Audatex Estimating software to vocational and technical schools has passed the $1 million mark. This donation was made via the Educational Institutions Program launched by Audatex in 2010 in partnership with the Collision Repair Education Foundation. Under this program, Audatex provides a comprehensive software and training package, free of charge, to vocational and technical schools in the U.S. To qualify, schools must complete an online "Collision Repair School Solutions" survey conducted by the Collision Repair Education Foundation.

"When we launched the Educational Institutions Program last year, our goal was simple – to support future industry leaders with best-in-class technology tools and drive excellence in the collision repair industry," said Wolfgang Ahrens, Managing Director, Audatex U.S. "We are very pleased to announce that Audatex has, to date, contributed more than $1 million in software and training support to vocational and technical schools. These schools will now get the opportunity to train their students on leading edge estimating and collision repair software from Audatex. We look forward to working with the foundation and schools to further expand this program." 

As many as 43 schools have received free estimating software and training in the last 18 months, says Rick Tuuri, Vice President of Industry Relations, Audatex, U.S.  "Schools in seven states – including Alabama, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia – will have an opportunity to use Audatex products for the first time and we estimate that over 2,000 students will benefit from this program," Tuuri said.  "The free online training, available as part of the Educational Institutions Programs, has been especially welcomed by the schools.  Since Audatex is a member of the I-CAR Industry Training Alliance, select Audatex training courses qualify for points that apply to the I-CAR Gold Class Professionals® and Platinum Individual™ programs. Now, not only do students receive quality training, but they also get the opportunity to qualify for I-CAR points, bringing more value to their prospective employer."

Rod McMahan, Collision Repair Instructor at South Doyle High School in Knoxville, Tenn., adds, "Estimating is an integrated part of our collision repair curriculum. I have tried various versions of estimating software and have found Audatex to always be up to date and extremely user friendly. I am very glad we have the opportunity to use Audatex."   

Kenny Brown, Automotive Collision Services Instructor for Chantilly High School Academy in Chantilly, Va., has also put Audatex Estimating software to work for his students through the program. "As vehicles get more complex, estimating collision damage has become more complicated," Brown said. "It has therefore become more important to have the right technology to support the estimating writing process. The estimating software from Audatex enables students to view vehicle parts in 3-D and from a variety of angles, and build familiarity with the myriad of parts that need to be ordered. We are delighted that our students have an opportunity to train on Audatex Estimating, as it advances their readiness for the industry's workforce."  

For more information on the Audatex Educational Institutions Program, please visit www.audatex.us.

About the Collision Repair Education Foundation
The Collision Repair Education Foundation's overall goal is to support the pre-employment segment of the collision industry. The Education Foundation's funding focus is on secondary and post-secondary career and technical school and college collision programs and their students. The scholarships and grants distributed enhance the education experience for students by better preparing them to understand new technology and gain the skills necessary to be a successful collision industry member. Collision repair businesses are then able to hire these well-trained students as productive, efficient and capable employees from day one on the job. For more information, please refer to the Foundation's website at www.collisioneducationfoundation.org.

About Audatex North America, Inc.
Audatex is the leading global claims solutions provider serving the automotive industry. Active today across six continents, Audatex provides world-class claims solutions that help customers automate their processes; managing millions of claims each year efficiently and effectively, and resolving billions of dollars in claims settlements. Beyond a leading presence in automotive claims, our growing footprint also extends into the automotive-related financial services and medical claims solutions markets. As part of the Solera group of companies, Audatex, AUTOonline, Explore, Market Scan, Sidexa, Informex, Inpart, ABZ, Hollander, HPI and IMS draw on unique global experience to develop and deliver the latest technologies, market intelligence and best practices on a local level. For more information, please refer to the Company's website at www.audatex.us.

SOURCE Audatex North America, Inc.