Rather than rowing the technology boat alone, leading automotive service providers are continuing to collaborate as evident by this week’s development involving CDK Global, AutoFi and Equifax.

CDK Global announced that AutoFi has agreed to consume digital retailing application programming interfaces (APIs) from the Fortellis Automotive Commerce Exchange platform.

The company also confirmed that Equifax, one of the inaugural publishers on Fortellis, will publish additional APIs for the open, secure and accessible global network for the automotive industry.

AutoFi joins Equifax, SiriusXM and Lyft as the first generation of developers on Fortellis. The company made the announcement from the API: World conference and expo in San Jose, Calif., where CDK Global executive vice president and chief technology officer Rajiv Amar spoke about opening the doors of automotive commerce.

“Finance and insurance processes have always been a roadblock for dealers looking to provide a seamless digital and in-store shopping experience for their customers,” said Ron Frey, executive vice president and chief strategy officer at CDK Global.

“This is another great example of how an open, secure and accessible platform can bring together developers of highly-specialized offerings that enhance the auto retail experience across the industry,” Frey continued.

San Francisco-based startup AutoFi brings to Fortellis a fully automated F&I platform, providing dealers the ability to offer a digital shopping experience powered by real-time finance company connectivity and offers.

By consuming APIs on the Fortellis platform, AutoFi can deliver its digital financing technology to dealers with connection to multiple CDK products through the DMS, connected store, websites and desking solutions.

AutoFi explained the omni-channel integration can enable dealers to offer their customers lending options through their websites and in-store via mobile tablets on the showroom floor, while also allowing dealers to support customers with their digital purchase over the phone when they are shopping at home.

“Our fintech expertise delivers transparency and convenience to the customer by moving finance further up in the shopping experience,” said Kevin Singerman, chief executive officer and co-founder of AutoFi. “We see a tremendous opportunity to bring this experience to the auto industry through CDK and Fortellis.”

Earlier this year at the annual convention hosted by the National Automotive Dealers Association in Las Vegas, Equifax announced it was one of the inaugural publishers to contribute APIs for the Fortellis Automotive Commerce Exchange platform, having published two unique APIs for the platform in less than five business days.

Equifax has now added an additional API to enable developers to personalize their solutions to the consumer based on their credit profile, and to help drive personalized experiences in areas such as payment calculators, incentive display and personalized deal quotes online.

Equifax previously published an API for InstaTouch, which can provide dealers with a frictionless digital retail experience to identify and authenticate consumers while improving the customer experience by prefilling information with limited inputs, from the convenience of their mobile device.

“Innovation will come from partnerships in ecosystem, and Equifax will continue to enable developers with our unique assets and capabilities via Fortellis to help fuel this innovation,” said Jennifer Reid, vice president and automotive marketing and strategy lead, U.S. Information Solutions (USIS), Equifax.

“Fortellis has made it easier than ever to bring developers and companies together to innovate for the benefit of dealers, OEM’s and other industry third parties, which will ultimately elevate the consumer experience,” said Reid, who also is among the first honorees among Women in Auto Finance highlighted in the current print and digital edition of Auto Fin Journal.