BREA, CA -- The International Automotive Technicians’ Network (iATN) will celebrate its 10-year anniversary this July. Created to promote the continued growth, success and image of the professional automotive technician through the exchange of knowledge and education, iATN has grown from a 50-member e-mail group back started in 1995, into an expansive network utilized by more than 45,000 automotive service technicians.

Today, iATN has members from 135 countries and industry support from many leading automotive companies and manufacturers. It is the world’s largest online community of automotive technicians who collectively share nearly 1 million years of experience.

“This organization has become the most powerful networking tool in the world for automotive professionals,” said Tom Roberts, a technician-member from Autonerdz, East Olympia, Wash., who was among the first to participate in the network’s Technical Discussion when it first opened approximately 10 years ago.

The collective experience of iATN's membership has helped build and strengthen the network’s many features including TechMail, more than 20 web forums and monthly live conferencing events. Today, the network also features the comprehensive iATN Knowledge Base, which consists of real-world searchable databases with more than 1.2 million records. The Knowledge Base includes the FIX Database, Forum Archives, a Waveform Library with 12,000 vehicle specific images and TechNight Transcripts.

“Members sharing their depth of experience has been the basis of iATN from the beginning," said Brent Black, founder of iATN and a former automotive technician and repair shop owner. "The content is truly member-driven and the success iATN enjoys today is a direct reflection of its members’ participation and willingness to share their knowledge,”

From the beginning, iATN invested in custom programming and state-of-the-art servers to develop the network and to accommodate growth. iATN delivers more than 100 million emails annually, and serves millions of pages up each month to both members and the general public.

“The quality and quantity of information exchanged on iATN have had a tremendous impact on promoting education, professionalism and integrity within the automotive service industry, which benefits those in the field as well as the customers they serve,” said Black.

“It was just a few years ago that I discovered iATN, and I now wonder how an independent tech could get along without it,” added Donald Blanchard, owner/technician, The Mechanic, Hayden, Idaho.

For additional information about iATN, www.iatn.net.

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