According to software company Pinewood Solutions, advanced broadband internet technology that allows the net to carry high quality video picture is already being trialled.
Internet providers NTL and BT are piloting next generation systems, which could be in place as soon as 2006. Pinewood said the technology could allow customers access to dealerships in a “virtual manner”, with services ranging from booking a service through to accessing the showroom.
“This is very exciting technology and one which we are sure forward-thinking dealers will adopt quickly,” Pinewood sales manager Geoff Miller said.
“It will give dealers the opportunity to extend their customer base more widely than ever before. A customer at one end of the country will be able to examine a used car in detail and make a purchasing decision without ever visiting the dealership,” Miller added.