Automotive CRM Provider DealerSocket Wins 'Red Herring North American 100' Award and Chosen as Finalist in 2009 American Business Awards(SM) in Five Categories

CEO and Co-Founder Jonathan Ord also named as finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 Orange County/Desert Cities

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., May 20 -- Leading automotive CRM provider DealerSocket, today announced that it has been selected as a winner of the Red Herring 100 North America Award. The Red Herring editorial team deploys a detailed process to whittle down a pool of 1,000 eligible, promising companies to the 200 Finalists and in a last round decided for the top 100 winners of this important North American award. Evaluations are made on both quantitative and qualitative criteria, such as financial performance, innovation, management, global strategy, and ecosystem integration.

In addition, DealerSocket has been selected as a finalist in five categories of the 2009 American Business Awards: Best Overall Company, Sales Department of the Year, Support Department of the Year, Best Management Team, and Executive of the Year - Computer Software. DealerSocket is also proud to announce that Jonathan Ord, CEO and Co-Founder, will be honored as a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 Orange County/Desert Cities.

"To continue to have our company recognized for excellence and achievement within the greater business community is incredible," said Jonathan Ord, DealerSocket Co-Founder and CEO. "Winning an award from Red Herring is a great honor. To combine that amazing achievement with being named a finalist for not one, but five American Business Awards is unbelievable. It is great to be one of the positive stories in the auto industry and that people are continuing to acknowledge our hard work and the consistent execution of our automotive CRM solution. I extend our sincere gratitude to Red Herring, The American Business Awards and Ernst & Young for their recognition."

Winners of the 2009 American Business Awards will be announced on June 22, 2009 in New York City. Winners of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year will be announced June 11, 2009 in Irvine, California. Winners of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 Orange County/Desert Cities will move on to compete for the national award.