STAR NEWSLETTER - December 2020
As we come to the end of calendar year 2020, I can report that STAR continued to make good progress in its efforts towards enhanced communications, new membership, sub-committee development projects and steps towards modernization of STAR standards. In spite of covid-19, STAR achieved membership momentum which we expect to carry into 2021.
New STAR Members: we are pleased to announce that AON’s Cyber Security group has joined STAR! Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions. AON is the sixth new member to join STAR during the August – December timeframe. We look forward to working with AON and our other new STAR team members as we shape new standards for automotive computing.
The six new STAR members for 2020 are:
STAR Dealer Advisory Group: to establish closer coordination with automotive retail dealers and based on the rapidly changing automotive computing environment, STAR has initiated formation of a Dealer Advisory Group sub-committee to the STAR Steering Committee. We expect this sub-committee will assist STAR in prioritizing development efforts as STAR embarks on updated standards employing REST APIs.
STAR Showcase: we initiated a “STAR Showcase” online webinar series in mid-2020. These webinars are open to STAR members and member candidates. Our second showcase was held on October 29th to provide an overview of REST API development in three key areas including Online Service Appointment, Online Vehicle Sales, and kick-off of a Parts Pricing and Availability API. We are planning a third showcase meeting in late January, we expect details to be announced next week.
2021 STAR GENERAL SESSIONS MEETING: we are finalizing plans to host the 2021 STAR General Sessions Meeting in a virtual format on Monday, February 8th. This meeting date was shifted to dovetail with the 2021 NADA Show, which will also be conducted using a virtual format during Tuesday, February 9th to Thursday, February 11th. Details for the STAR General Session will be provided in early January. Details for the 2021 NADA Show are available at https://show.nada.org
We expect more announcements over the coming weeks so please check back on this site or on LinkedIn.
Thank you,
Rafael Maldonado
VP and CIO, National Auto Dealers Association
STAR Steering Committee Chairman