Ariba to Partner With Comergent
by Richard Brown, Line56
Friday, January 12, 2001
A “Utopian” end-to-end sell-side and buy-side solution is poised to overhaul B2B e-commerce, according to its promoters.
E-procurement platform provider Ariba and Comergent, Technologies, a company that offers e-business sell-side solutions, will on Monday announce a partnership to create the first end-to-end sell-side and buy-side e-commerce solution.
Jean Kovacs, Comergent president/CEO, claimed the joint offering represents an eB2B Nirvana. “If you’re either at a buyer site within a company or at a Net marketplace powered by Ariba and you want to go out a obtain a complex, configurable product, this partnership enables you to punch out of the Net marketplace, go to the manufacturer’s site, take the right information and seamlessly punch back into the Net Marketplace.”
Kovacs believes that, from a manufacturer’s perspective, a Net market is merely another channel of distribution. For example, a small hospital using a medical Net market to search for a Medical Resonance Imaging scanner at a manufacturer’s site may be unable to buy direct so it’s preferable to go to a supplier’s site to locate a local reseller that will install the equipment and train the hospital’s users.
Under the deal, Ariba will not resell Comergent’s sell-side Net marketplace adaptor technology, but both firms will engage in joint sales training to promote each partner’s products and services.
The partnership was apparently forged in response to customer demand, after Ariba called on Comergent to deliver sell-side capability for its customers.
The combined solution is expected to save time and money for customers by forming a more efficient procurement process to enable sellers and their channel partners to automate product information, order fulfillment, and after-sales support while Ariba customers are set to boost revenue by directly connecting net marketplaces and exchanges to sellers and buyers
Kovacs added: “If you look back over the last couple of years the whole evolution on Internet commerce between companies began on the buy side, then Net markets emerged followed by the appearance of sell-side solutions. Net markets were the pioneer in bringing buyers and sellers together. But in order to build liquidity on Net markets we have to broaden their appeal. That’s where this partnership comes in.”
Comergent Technologies targets manufacturers, distributors and resellers with software solutions intended to enable enterprises to engage in collaborative commerce by using all sales channels, including direct, indirect and Internet marketplaces to drive top-line growth, increase customer satisfaction, improve channel productivity, and reduce costs.
Founded in 1998, Comergent is a privately held company funded by Crosspoint Venture Partners and SOFTBANK Technology Ventures. The firm is based in Redwood City, California.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Find this article at: line56.com |
