Garage Hive, the community-driven garage management system, has unveiled a major new open-platform strategy by making its Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) fully accessible to customers using its ‘Garage Link Advanced’ module.
The move gives independent garage owners, software partners, and internal developers the freedom to build custom integrations, deploy AI agents, and extend the platform beyond its standard functionality.
As workshops increasingly adopt bespoke digital solutions to reduce administration and improve customer service, Garage Hive says an open platform gives businesses greater flexibility to develop the specialist tools they need, rather than relying solely on standard software features.
“Garage owners are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the way they use technology,” explained Ray Dilsons, Managing Director at Garage Hive. “Every workshop is different, and the pace of innovation, particularly around AI, means new ideas are emerging faster than any single software provider could hope to develop them all.
“Our role is to provide a secure, reliable platform that gives garages and development partners the freedom to build the tools that best support their businesses. We see that as the future of garage management systems.”
Garage Hive’s expanded API architecture provides two integration routes.
Its Online Booking APIs enable garages to create fully customised booking portals, AI-powered voice booking assistants and personalised customer journeys, while maintaining security and protecting sensitive business and customer data.
Business Central APIs and OData, which sit directly within Garage Hive’s underlying Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central platform, allow secure access to workshop information, including vehicles, job sheets and estimates, enabling developers to create solutions that integrate directly with day-to-day workshop operations.
Garage Hive has also optimised its API endpoints for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a standard connection framework that allows AI agents to interact securely with business systems. This opens up opportunities for workshops to deploy AI-powered assistants that can help service advisors convert vehicle health checks into customer estimates, alongside automated reporting and other workflow improvements.
To help workshops get started, Garage Hive has published a range of self-service technical documentation and development guides.
For solutions with wider industry potential, the company has also introduced the Garage Hive Marketplace concept, providing technical guidance, joint support and distribution across the wider Garage Hive community.
For more information about Garage Hive and how it helps independent garages perform at their best, visit www.garagehive.co.uk.
