What Charter Software does

Charter Software Inc, operating as "ASPEN by Charter," is a US-based provider of cloud-based dealership management software (DMS) built specifically for equipment dealers. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Littleton, Colorado, the company serves hundreds of dealerships across four core verticals: Agriculture (the primary segment), Rural Lifestyle, Construction, and Golf & Turf. The flagship product, ASPEN DMS, is an all-in-one platform that unifies sales, parts, service, rental, and accounting with real-time reporting and multi-location visibility, and is complemented by add-on modules including ASPEN Mobile, ASPEN Service Queue, ASPENPay, and TargetCRM.

ASPEN is built on a modern Microsoft-based architecture and exposes APIs for direct integration with major equipment OEM portals, including John Deere DTF, Kubota, CNH Gateway, AGCO, Bobcat, and Polaris, and supports automated price file updates across more than 400 OEMs and suppliers. The software is delivered as a managed cloud service with backups, security patching, and updates included, and is sold on a recurring subscription basis with a direct enterprise field-sales motion, dedicated implementation project managers, on-site go-live training, and ongoing virtual training. Charter Software is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Constellation Software (TSX:CSU), a Canadian diversified software conglomerate that acquires and holds vertical-market software businesses for the long term.

Name

Charter Software

Legal name

Charter Software Inc

Website

https://chartersoftware.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Charter Software, operating as ASPEN by Charter, provides cloud-based dealership management software built specifically for equipment dealers in agriculture, construction, rural lifestyle, and golf/turf verticals, integrating with 400+ OEMs on a subscription basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dealership Management Software (DMS)

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Lease, Warranty & Maintenance Management Services (BPAEAOAL)

Keywords

• Dealership management software
• Equipment dealer software
• Cloud DMS platform
• OEM parts integration
• Dealer accounting system

Headquarters

HQ city

Littleton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. DMS Software Subscription: ASPEN is sold as a cloud-based dealership management system with ongoing subscription fees. The software is provided as a managed service with all data backups, security patches, and software updates included. Implementation and training services are offered alongside the core subscription.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Charter Software develops and sells ASPEN, a cloud-based dealership management system (DMS) purpose-built for equipment dealerships. The platform unifies sales, parts, service, rental, and accounting into one system with automated inventory management, OEM portal integrations (John Deere, Kubota, CNH, AGCO, Bobcat, Polaris), and real-time reporting across multiple locations. Complementary modules include ASPEN Mobile (field technician app), ASPEN Service Queue (work order management), ASPENPay (credit card processing), and TargetCRM (customer relationship management).

Product overview

ASPEN by Charter is a comprehensive all-in-one dealership management software platform built specifically for equipment dealers. The core product, ASPEN DMS, unifies sales, parts, service, rental, and accounting into a single platform. The platform operates as a modular system with add-on components including ASPEN Mobile (mobile workstation for field technicians), ASPEN Service Queue (service workflow management), ASPENPay (integrated payment processing), and TargetCRM (customer relationship management). These modules integrate with major OEM portals including John Deere, Kubota, CNH, AGCO, Bobcat, and Polaris for automated parts ordering, warranty claims, and price file updates. The platform supports equipment dealers across multiple industries including rural lifestyle, agriculture, construction, and golf/turf.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ASPEN DMS: Core dealership management system platform for equipment dealers
• ASPEN Mobile
• ASPEN Service Queue
• ASPENPay
• TargetCRM

Products and services

• ASPEN DMS All-in-one cloud-based dealership management system that unifies sales, parts, service, rental, and accounting into a single platform for equipment dealerships, with automated inventory management, work orders, multi-location reporting, and real-time analytics.
• ASPEN Mobile Mobile application that enables service technicians to clock onto jobs, add parts to work orders, upload photos, and capture service data in real time from tablets or smartphones.
• ASPEN Service Queue Service management module that empowers technicians and service managers with workflow tools to assign, track, and manage work orders and outstanding warranty invoices within the DMS.
• ASPENPay Integrated credit card payment processing solution that enables seamless payment handling directly within the dealership management system.
• TargetCRM Customer relationship management module that integrates with the ASPEN DMS to track leads, manage customer interactions, and support the sales pipeline from initial lead entry through final transaction.

Quantifiable outcome

• Automated price file updates for over 400 OEMs and suppliers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• John DeerecoreTechnology or IntegrationASPEN offers industry-leading integrations with John Deere for electronic parts ordering, warranty claim submissions, and financial settlements directly within the software. Includes direct integration with John Deere DTF (Dealer Financial Transactions) for streamlined dealer operations.
• KubotacoreTechnology or IntegrationDedicated integration portal for Kubota dealers enabling electronic parts ordering and warranty processing through ASPEN DMS.
• CNH (Case New Holland)coreTechnology or IntegrationASPEN integrates with CNH Gateway for electronic parts ordering and warranty claim submissions directly within the software, supporting Case, New Holland, and related brands.
• AGCOcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with AGCO manufacturer portals for electronic parts ordering and financial settlements for AGCO dealers using ASPEN.
• BobcatcoreTechnology or IntegrationDedicated Bobcat dealer integration page showing ASPEN's commitment to building specialized integrations for Bobcat equipment dealerships.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• e-Emphasys Technologies: Provides ERP/dealer management software purpose-built for heavy equipment, construction, and agriculture dealerships with integrated service, parts, rental, and accounting modules — directly comparable in customer profile and feature scope to ASPEN.
• PBS Systems: Dominant dealership management system for powersports, marine, RV, and agriculture equipment dealers in North America — overlapping vertical specialization and OEM integration strategy with ASPEN.
• Quorum Information Technologies: Dealer management SaaS for automotive and equipment dealers with OEM integration depth and cloud delivery — a sibling-style vertical SaaS comparable to ASPEN's positioning and Constellation-style ownership profile.
• Maximus (equipment dealer software): Specialized management software for outdoor power equipment, powersports, and equipment dealers — competing head-on with ASPEN's Rural Lifestyle and Construction dealer segments.

Broad incumbents

• CDK Global: One of the largest DMS providers globally across automotive and adjacent equipment verticals; a broad incumbent with the scale, R&D budget, and OEM relationships that Charter competes against at the larger end of the market.
• Reynolds and Reynolds: Long-established DMS and retail management systems provider for automotive and equipment dealers; a broad incumbent competing for the same dealer-IT wallet share as ASPEN.
• Dealertrack (Cox Automotive): Cox Automotive's DMS platform with deep integrations across F&I, inventory, and CRM; competes for multi-location dealer groups that ASPEN also targets with multi-location drill-down reporting.

Emerging players

• Tekion: Cloud-native, AI-driven dealer SaaS platform primarily in automotive retail — an emerging vertical SaaS player whose technology stack, mobile UX, and integrated payments parallel ASPEN's modern, cloud-first go-to-market approach.

Others

• Volaris Group (Constellation Software): Constellation Software's vertical market software acquisition arm and a corporate sibling; not a product competitor but the strategic context that funds Charter and could absorb or merge Charter with adjacent VMS assets.
• RouteOne: Dealer F&I and credit application platform with broad OEM participation; complementary to rather than directly competitive with ASPEN, but indicative of the dealer-OEM integration ecosystem Charter depends on.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/aspenbychartersoftware
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aspen-by-charter-software

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Charter Software