Nortel Networks, Ironside Technologies to Deliver Unique eBusiness Solution
Will Integrate Access to Multiple, On-Line Trading Exchanges With Enhanced CRM
[Note: Ironside is a private company and is due to IPO some time in the near future.
Beamscope Canada (T.BSP) owns a significant piece of Ironside]
LA JOLLA, Calif., Oct. 18 /CNW/ - Nortel Networks (NYSE/TSE: NT) and
Ironside Technologies plan to address one of the costliest elements of
conducting business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce -- managing separate Internet
technologies and critical customer information from various on-line
marketplaces -- with a unique customer relationship management (CRM) solution
enabling suppliers to participate in multiple, on-line trading exchanges
through a single point of entry.
This new solution was announced today at "Accelerating Business-to-
Business 2000," the first annual Ironside user group conference. Scheduled to
be available by the end of the year, this solution will be the first to
completely integrate CRM and multiple e-marketplaces. It is expected to help
business suppliers reduce transaction costs, grow incremental revenues,
streamline operations and improve customer service through e-marketplaces. It
is also expected to ease entry to and exit from multiple e-marketplaces, which
Forrester Research expects to reach 53 percent of all on-line business trade
by early 2005.
"Ironside's sophisticated real-time integration capability enables
suppliers to quickly and easily reach new on-line markets, while streamlining
B2B transactions and ensuring information is always up-to-date," said Derek
Smyth, chief operating officer, Ironside Technologies, a leading provider of
sell-side B2B e-commerce solutions.
"Nortel Networks CRM solutions expand this capability by providing
applications that enable business suppliers to lock in and extend existing B2B
relationships," Smyth said.
"Net Markets are beginning the transition that we have seen occur in
corporate Web sites -- the requirement to add value-added services and
customer service," said Mary Wardley, research director, IDC. "It was a
painful transition, and remains so for corporate sites augmenting an eCommerce
presence with CRM for customer care and integrating with existing back-end
systems. Companies participating in Net markets with these critical
capabilities will earn an early advantage."
Today, suppliers participating in e-marketplaces have to integrate
separately with each one, a costly and time-consuming task that requires
investing in multiple exchange protocols. The integrated solution from Nortel
Networks and Ironside Technologies will provide suppliers with efficient, real-
time access to all e-marketplaces, regardless of the transaction protocol
employed.
By leveraging Ironside's comprehensive portfolio of e-marketplace
infrastructure formats and sophisticated enterprise integration platforms
(Ironworks, IronsideX), suppliers will be able to reach business buyers,
whether they elect to conduct business through a traditional Web browser, a
wireless device, an e-procurement system or an e-marketplace. Additionally,
Nortel Networks leading eBusiness applications (Nortel Networks Clarify
eFrontOffice and Clarify eOrder) provide a suite of CRM capabilities that will
enable suppliers to serve new and existing customers with world-class service
through these same points of entry.
As a result, potential buyers will be able to access accurate, real-time
inventory, pricing, order placement, order status and account information.
This will help to ensure that customer information is always current, and that
customers interfacing with both sales personnel and the Web receive consistent
information and a better customer experience. In addition, it will help reduce
the volume of customer returns.
"Our integrated solution will give companies the best of both worlds --
easy, profitable access to a variety of on-line marketplaces, and use of CRM
applications to help increase customer loyalty and Return on Relationship*,"
said Tony Zingale, president, Clarify eBusiness Applications, Nortel Networks.
"Through initiatives like this, Nortel Networks is redefining the economics of
the high-performance Internet to enable communications-intensive, profitable
eBusiness."
Pleasanton, Calif.-based Ironside Technologies Inc. is a leading provider
of sell-side business-to-business electronic commerce solutions for
manufacturers and distributors. Ironside Powered solutions include the
Ironworks product suite and the Ironside Network service offering. Ironworks
provides downstream trading partners sophisticated transaction and order-
management capability, integrating into existing enterprise business logic to
deliver information that is always up-to-date. The Ironside Network is the
industry's first independent eBusiness access service, providing suppliers
access to any e-marketplaces and the flexibility to enter and exit quickly and
efficiently. All Ironside Powered solutions integrate into virtually all
enterprise business systems and are available as rapidly deployable integrated
solutions for enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms, such as SAP, SSA
eBPCS, JD Edwards, JBA, PRISM and Protean. Contact Ironside at
www.ironside.com, or call 1-800-495-IRON.
Nortel Networks is a global Internet and communications leader with
capabilities spanning Optical, Wireless, Local Internet and eBusiness. The
Company had 1999 U.S. GAAP revenues of US$21.3 billion and serves carrier,
service provider and enterprise customers globally. Today, Nortel Networks is
creating a high-performance Internet that is more reliable and faster than
ever before. It is redefining the economics and quality of networking and the
Internet, promising a new era of collaboration, communications and commerce.
Visit us at www.nortelnetworks.com.
Certain information included in this press release is forward-looking and
is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The results or events
predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual results
or events. Factors which could cause results or events to differ from
current expectations include, among other things: the impact of price and
product competition; the dependence on new product development; the
impact of rapid technological and market change; the ability of Nortel
Networks to make acquisitions and/or integrate the operations and
technologies of acquired businesses in an effective manner; general
industry and market conditions and growth rates; international growth and
global economic conditions, particularly in emerging markets and
including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the
impact of consolidations in the telecommunications industry, the
uncertainties of the Internet; stock market volatility; the ability of
Nortel Networks to recruit and retain qualified employees; and the impact
of increased provision of customer financing by Nortel Networks. For
additional information with respect to certain of these and other
factors, see the reports filed by Nortel Networks with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission. Nortel Networks disclaims any
intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
For further information: Jamie Moody, Nortel Networks, (972) 684-7167,
moodyjam@nortelnetworks.com; Jake Sorofman, Ironside Technologies,
(925) 600-8822, x2815, jsorofman@ironside.com;
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