SOUTH JORDAN, Utah -- Following the news that the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association has acquired a stake in OptiCat, the company announced this week Illumaware has become an OptiCat TeamDIO member.

As a TeamDIO member, Illumaware, a technology company that provides various data management services and applications for automotive suppliers, will be providing ACES, Legacy and PIES data directly to the OptiCat DIO Data Repository, resulting in faster and more accurate data delivery to auto parts resellers, according to OptiCat.

Illumaware offers Evokat, an Internet-based aftermarket data management application that helps suppliers manage their product and application data for ACES, PIES and other standards. In addition, it provides data validation services.

“This relationship is another step in our continuing drive to ensure suppliers’ product and application data are the fastest to market, most complete and accurate in every way possible,” said Bruce Speicher, Illumaware’s managing partner. “OptiCat removes cost from the supply chain by eliminating the need for suppliers to manage and maintain programs to address multiple formats. This in turn will reduce expensive iterations and delays in communicating data to resellers and other channel partners.”

“We welcome Illumaware as a premier member of TeamDIO. Its proven track record and superior technology will help OptiCat deliver on its do-it-once data delivery model,” said Brad Duncan, president of OptiCat. “When looking for data management services, we encourage our supplier partners to enlist the help of our TeamDIO members.”

Aftermarket manufacturers and partners like Illumaware are working together through OptiCat’s TeamDIO program to deliver a consolidated data feed for reseller electronic parts catalog requirements. OptiCat’s data bank enables resellers to use a single source for timely and critical product and application information necessary for selling aftermarket parts.

“There are too many redundant processes in today’s data distribution model resulting in lost sales and unnecessary costs for every channel member,” Duncan said. “This new relationship with Illumaware will strengthen our ability to provide a more cost-effective and efficient model for data preparation and distribution.”