Network Commerce Announces Strategy to Wireless-Enable Thousands of Businesses And Merchants Worldwide
Company to Provide Infrastructure to Conduct Commerce on Wireless Networks With Wireless Devices
SEATTLE, May 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Network Commerce Inc. (Nasdaq: NWKC), a leading provider of technology, services and networks for businesses, merchants and Internet sites, today announced plans to provide businesses and merchants with the technology and infrastructure to extend e-commerce to wireless networks and mobile wireless devices. These devices will initially include Internet-ready phones using the Wireless Applications Protocol (WAP), and will extend to hand-held wireless devices such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), Internet-enabled two-way pagers and digital phones not equipped with browsers using a commerce-enabled voice user interface.
Network Commerce is establishing relationships with leading wireless carriers to deliver multi-business and multi-merchant commerce content and commerce services to wireless networks. Network Commerce currently operates two commerce networks, which combined, include over 700,000 businesses and merchants in over 260 international markets, with over 20,000 affiliate sites. The networks are built on the company's Network Commerce Distributed CommerceSuite, its core commerce infrastructure technology, commerce applications and services.
"Our wireless strategy and commerce infrastructure is a significant extension of the commerce technologies and services we currently offer to thousands of businesses, merchants and Internet sites," said Dwayne Walker, chairman and chief executive officer of Network Commerce. "The wireless market has huge potential, but developing a wireless capability would be cost prohibitive for many merchants and businesses. Our goal is to provide our business and merchant customers with the infrastructure to successfully conduct commerce via any network -- Internet or wireless-enabled Internet environments."
The company's wireless strategy will include launching the Network Commerce Wireless CommerceSuite, the Network Commerce Wireless Business Portal and the Network Commerce Wireless Consumer Portal. The Network Commerce Wireless CommerceSuite will include the Wireless Commerce System, a comparison shopping and wireless buying service; and the Wireless Wallet System, where mobile users can establish a secure wireless Internet account with shipping information, preferred credit card numbers and other personal information accessed with a wireless identification number and password. The company will also launch the Wireless Payment System, which includes wireless transaction processing and fraud detection services.
The Network Commerce Wireless Business Portal will be an Internet site allowing businesses and merchants to acquire, set up and use the Network Commerce Wireless CommerceSuite. The Network Commerce Wireless Consumer Portal will allow users of wireless devices to establish their Wireless Wallet System and personalize the content and commerce features they would like to access.
These initiatives and others will be launched across multiple wireless networks and multiple wireless devices in the second and third quarters of 2000. The company also plans to offer the services internationally -- in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
About Network Commerce Inc.
Network Commerce Inc. ( networkcommerce.com ) is a leading provider of technology, services and commerce networks for Internet sites, businesses and merchants. Network Commerce's core commerce infrastructure technology, services and commerce applications are known as the Network Commerce Distributed CommerceSuite. Built on the Distributed CommerceSuite are the Network Commerce Distributed Business Network and the Network Commerce Distributed Consumer Network. The Network Commerce Distributed Consumer Network is comprised of ShopNow.com ( shopnow.com ), a leading shopping network and directory featuring over 60,000 merchants and over 7,000 affiliate sites; BottomDollar.com ( bottomdollar.com ), a comparison shopping network with over 1,700 affiliate sites; and SpeedyClick.com ( speedyclick.com ), a leading commerce-enabled entertainment community with over 7,000 affiliate sites. The Network Commerce Distributed Business Network is comprised of b2bNow.com ( b2bnow.com ), a business-to-business marketplace and directory featuring over 610,000 businesses in 260 international markets; FreeMerchant.com ( freemerchant.com ), a business and merchant store builder with over 65,000 hosted businesses; and, pending completion of the merger in June 2000, Ubarter.com ( ubarter.com ), a business-to-business barter exchange with over 9,000 businesses. Network Commerce Inc.'s eBusiness Services division provides consulting, custom commerce solutions and integrated marketing services. Network Commerce Inc. has over 600 employees and is headquartered in Seattle with offices in Arizona, California and Georgia. |
