Dealers asking how to unify their DMS, CRM and service data now have more choices than ever. CDK Global launched a built-in customer data platform in 2026. Cox Automotive acquired Fullpath. Activator, Treasure Data and QoreAI each come at the problem from a different starting point.
We build one of these platforms, so we won't pretend to be neutral. What we can do is give you the questions that separate them. Ask them of us too.
Who's in the market
Here is how each vendor describes itself in its own public materials, as of October 2026. Follow the links to read their own words.
| Vendor | Who's behind it | What it says it's built around | Who it names as customers |
|---|---|---|---|
| CDK Global: Customer Data Platform | CDK Global, the DMS provider | A CDP built into CDK's Dealership Xperience Platform, unifying CRM, DMS, service, parts and third-party data into unified customer profiles. Also announced an Enterprise CDP combining "CDK-enriched data with dealer-owned and third-party data." (source) | CDK dealer customers |
| Fullpath | Cox Automotive (acquisition completed June 1, 2026) | An AI customer data platform for dealerships with 200+ integrations, marketing activation (email, SMS, advertising) and AI agents. Now connecting to Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book shopper data. (source, source) | "2,000+ top dealers across North America" |
| Activator | Dominion Enterprises | "A performance-driven Customer Data Platform (CDP) and multichannel campaign builder designed specifically for the automotive industry," successor to the DealActivator equity mining platform, powered by Salesforce. (source) | Dealerships (no count published) |
| Treasure Data | Treasure Data, an enterprise CDP used across many industries | An "agentic experience platform for auto brands." Reaches dealers through a 2025 partnership with Clarivoy for independent and mid-tier dealer groups. (source, source) | Automakers including Subaru, Honda, Hyundai and Stellantis |
| QoreAI: QoreCloud and QoreVault | QoreAI, an independent dealership data company | A dealer-owned data foundation unifying DMS, CRM, F&I, service, inventory, ads and payroll data, with plain-English Q&A across the whole store. Does not run marketing. (source) | Franchised new car dealerships and dealer groups |
You'll notice these start from different places. Two are owned by large dealer software companies (CDK and Cox). Three are built around marketing activation: finding the right customers and sending them campaigns. Treasure Data's automotive work is centered on automakers. QoreAI is built around the data layer itself and stays out of marketing. None of these is automatically right or wrong. They fit different dealers.
The 8 questions
1. Who owns the data, and what do I get back if I cancel?
Why it matters: The unified customer record will become the most valuable data asset your store has. If the vendor owns it, or you can't get a complete export when you leave, you've rented your own customers back.
A good answer: The dealer owns the data. You get a full export in a usable format at any time and at cancellation, and the vendor writes data back into a store you control.
QoreAI's answer: The dealer owns it. QoreVault is a dealer-owned data foundation.
2. Does it connect to every DMS and CRM I run, or mainly its parent company's?
Why it matters: Most dealer groups run tools from many vendors, and many run different DMS platforms across rooftops. A platform that works best with its own family of products unifies part of your store.
A good answer: A specific list of the DMS, CRM, service and F&I systems it connects to today, including competitors' products, and what it costs to connect each one.
QoreAI's answer: QoreAI is independent of every DMS and CRM provider and connects DMS, CRM, F&I, service, inventory, ads and payroll data.
3. Does it match one customer and one vehicle across sales, service and F&I?
Why it matters: The same customer usually exists three or four times across a store's systems. If the platform doesn't resolve them into one person and tie them to the right VINs, every report starts from the wrong number.
A good answer: It explains how it matches records (name, phone, email, address, VIN), how it handles households, and what match rate dealers typically see.
QoreAI's answer: QoreVault cleans and organizes data from every connected system into one record, with the VIN tying each vehicle's sales and service history together. Ask us to show you on your own store's data.
4. Is it built to run my marketing, or to run my store?
Why it matters: Many CDPs exist to segment customers and push campaigns. That's useful, but it's one department's job. A service director, F&I manager or controller needs the same unified data for different questions.
A good answer: It's clear about which departments it serves and whether you have to buy its marketing services to get value from the data.
QoreAI's answer: QoreAI does not run marketing. It's the data layer and the intelligence on top, used across sales, F&I and fixed ops. Your marketing vendors keep working, from cleaner data.
5. Will my data be sold, pooled or shared, and with whom?
Why it matters: Your customer list is a competitive asset. Some vendors use dealer data to build products they sell elsewhere, sometimes to your competitors.
A good answer: A plain written statement of every way your data is used outside your store, and your right to say no.
QoreAI's answer: We will never sell your data.
6. Does it answer questions, or hand me a list?
Why it matters: A list of 400 customers to call is homework. A manager needs answers: which customers, why now, and what to do first.
A good answer: A live demo on your own store's data where a manager asks a real question in plain English and gets a usable answer.
QoreAI's answer: QoreCloud gives managers plain-English Q&A across the whole store. Ask a question, get the answer in seconds.
7. How long until it's live, and who does the work?
Why it matters: Data projects stall when the dealership has to do the setup. Ask what your team is responsible for, not just the vendor.
A good answer: A standard timeline, a named onboarding owner on the vendor side, and a short list of what the store has to provide.
QoreAI's answer: Standard deployment is 60 days.
8. What are the contract terms, and what happens if the company changes hands?
Why it matters: Dealer software companies get bought and merged. Your contract should protect your data and pricing no matter who owns the vendor next year.
A good answer: Clear term length, price protection, and data ownership language that survives a change of control.
QoreAI's answer: Month-to-month after 90 days.
A simple way to use this guide
Print the eight questions. Ask every vendor on your list to answer them in writing. The written answers will tell you more than any demo.
A note on fairness
The vendor descriptions above come from each company's public materials as of October 2026, linked so you can read them yourself. We describe what each company says it does, not what it can or can't do inside your store. If you represent one of these vendors and something here is out of date, reach us through the contact page at qoreai.com and we'll review and update it.
About the author
Todd Smith is the founder and CEO of QoreAI and author of The Intelligent Dealership. He brings 36 years of retail and technology experience in automotive, including time as a dealer principal, and co-founded ActivEngage, which built the first managed live chat solution for dealerships.
QoreAI is the dealer-owned data platform that unifies DMS, CRM, service, F&I and inventory data into one source of truth for franchised new car dealerships.
Related: How to Unify Dealership DMS, CRM and Service Data Into One Source of Truth · Do Dealerships Need a Customer Data Platform?
Frequently asked questions
What is the best platform to unify dealership DMS, CRM and service data?
It depends on your stores. If you run most of your operation on one vendor's products, that vendor's built-in platform may fit. If you run tools from many vendors, operate different DMS platforms across rooftops, or want the dealer to own the data outright, an independent data layer like QoreAI fits better. Ask the eight questions above to decide.
What's the difference between CDK's customer data platform and an independent data platform?
CDK's CDP is built into CDK's own product suite by the DMS provider. An independent platform like QoreAI isn't owned by any DMS or CRM company and connects to whichever systems the store runs.
Is Fullpath owned by Cox Automotive?
Yes. Cox Automotive completed its acquisition of Fullpath on June 1, 2026. Fullpath continues to operate under its own brand.
Does QoreAI run marketing campaigns?
No. QoreAI will never run your marketing. It unifies and cleans the data and gives your team answers. Your marketing vendors can work from the cleaner data.
Should a dealer group use one data platform across all rooftops?
Yes, if it can connect to every DMS and CRM the group runs. One platform gives the group a single view of customers across stores and brands.