Autobytel's Chief Technology Officer John Petrone Honored as 2006 Premier 100 IT Leader by IDG'S Computerworld; ''The Voice of IT Management'' Recognizes Autobytel's John Petrone for Creativity, Business Savvy in 6th Annual Awards Program.

IRVINE, Calif. -- Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq:ABTL), a leading automotive marketing services company, today announced that Chief Technology Officer John Petrone has been recognized by IDG's Computerworld, the "Voice of IT Management," as one of the business world's Premier 100 IT Leaders. The award honors executives who show exemplary technology leadership in resolving pressing business problems. Honorees, including John Petrone, will be recognized at a special, black-tie ceremony at Computerworld's Premier 100 IT Leaders Conference, taking place March 5-7, 2006 at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort in Palm Desert, California.

John Petrone was selected from nearly 500 nominees, who were measured against Computerworld's IT Leadership Index, a set of characteristics that describes executives who guide the effective use of IT in their organizations, and evaluated by the editors and by an external panel of outside judges.

"This year's Premier 100 IT Leaders represent a myriad organizations from universities to Fortune 100 companies," said Don Tennant, editor in chief, Computerworld. "However, each honoree from this year's class has demonstrated how technology can be used effectively, and often times creatively, to positively impact the organization for the long term."

In addition to providing cutting-edge CRM solutions for the nation's dealerships, Autobytel is one of the largest online automotive marketplaces. It is estimated that Autobytel receives a vehicle request from a car shopper every 7.4 seconds. Autobytel's online automotive network includes the consumer automotive sites Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, Carsmart.com, Car.com, AutoSite.com, Autoahorros.com, and CarTV.com. During his tenure at Autobytel, Petrone's team developed "Black Condor," a highly advanced, proprietary search engine optimization (SEO) tool that plays an essential role in sending traffic to Autobytel's sites. The project's success has led Autobytel to develop an entire business unit focused on SEO. Petrone also led the IT integration of three recently acquired companies with distinct product lines, implementing tools that automated and streamlined processes and increased enterprise visibility.

"John Petrone is a visionary who drives enhancements in Autobytel's broad product line so we can address the needs of our entire customer base - consumers, dealerships and auto makers - as they navigate the constantly evolving territory of the Automotive Internet," said Autobytel President and CEO Rick Post. He added, "We value John's innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and industry leadership, and we congratulate him on this well-deserved 'Premier 100' honor."

The complete class of Computerworld's Premier 100 IT Leaders for 2006 can be found in the December 12, 2005 issue of Computerworld and online at www.computerworld.com. This special issue includes several feature articles summarizing the challenges IT Leaders expect to face in the coming year, including motivating staff, avoiding project pitfalls, shoring up network security and preparing for the rebound.

About Autobytel Inc.

Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq:ABTL), a leading Internet automotive marketing services company, helps retailers sell cars and manufacturers build brands through marketing, advertising, data and CRM products and programs. It's estimated that every 7.4 seconds(a) an American car shopper requests a vehicle through Autobytel, which owns and operates the automotive websites - Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, Carsmart.com, Car.com, AutoSite.com, Autoahorros.com, and CarTV.com. This automotive research and buying network reaches millions of car shoppers each month as they make their vehicle buying decisions, generating billions of dollars in sales for dealers. A leader in dealership customer management and CRM solutions, Autobytel also owns and operates AVV, Inc., a top provider of dealership CRM and sales management products, and Retention Performance Marketing, Inc., (RPM(R)), which powers dealerships with cutting-edge customer loyalty and retention marketing programs. Autobytel's Automotive Information Center has been a trusted industry source of automotive marketing data and technology for over 20 years. Autobytel Inc. is the only company to achieve top rankings for both its lead management and lead generation services among the nation's top-100 Internet dealers.

(a) Based on 2004 Autobytel purchase request data.

About Computerworld

Computerworld, the "Voice of IT Management," is the most trusted source for the critical information needs of enterprise IT management. Computerworld's integrated offerings form the U.S.-based hub of the world's largest (51-edition) global IT media network through its weekly publication, Computerworld.com Web site, focused conference series and custom research. In the past five years alone, Computerworld has won more than 100 print and online awards for editorial and design excellence, surpassing its direct competition by an order of magnitude. Recognition includes the 2004 Magazine of the Year Award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors and a Jesse H. Neal Award for "Best News Coverage." In print since 1967, Computerworld is the source for information technology management, with a guaranteed rate base of 180,050, a total print audience of 1,293,000 (IntelliQuest CIMS 2005 Business Influencer Study) and an online audience of over 1.1 million unique monthly visitors (DoubleClick).

Computerworld is a business unit of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading technology media, research and events company. A privately held company, IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers, including Bio-IT World, CIO, CSO, Computerworld, GamePro, InfoWorld, Network World and PC World. The company features the largest network of technology-specific Web sites, with more than 400 around the world. IDG is also a leading producer of more than 170 computer-related events worldwide, including LinuxWorld Conference & Expo(R), Macworld Conference & Expo(R), DEMO(R) and IDC Directions. IDC provides global market research and advice through offices in 50 countries. Company information is available at http://www.idg.com.