Release - Automotive Network Exchange
MPACT IMMEDIA - AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY CERTIFIES FIRST
SERVICE PROVIDER FOR AUTOMOTIVE NETWORK EXCHANGE (R)
9/1/98 12:09:13 PM
Certification by industry is a breakthrough in extranet
technology
MPACT Immedia, the electronic commerce unit of Bell Canada, has
become the first service provider in the world to be certified
for the Automotive Network Exchange (ANX).
Developed by the Electronic Business Solutions (EBS) group of
Bell Emergis, which was recently merged with MPACT Immedia, the
ANX service uses extranet technology to allow auto manufacturers
to link seamlessly with their suppliers in total security. ANX
is considered to be the most advanced extranet in the world and
MPACT Immedia's solution for this network is called AutoLinx(R).
Tests within the automotive industry indicate that auto
manufacturers which subscribe to the ANX service can save up to
$71 per vehicle - for a total savings of $1 billion per year -
which will improve productivity within the automotive industry.
MPACT Immedia's solution connects motor vehicle manufacturers
like Ford, Chrysler, General Motors and Caterpillar with
suppliers like Dana, Magna, Taylor Steel and Dofasco who provide
everything from steel and rubber to car seats and mirrors. This
single, common, standards-based, secure network replaces the
complex, redundant and costly connections that automotive
suppliers used to operate. MPACT Immedia will introduce a number
of e-commerce solutions that will improve supply chain management
for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their suppliers.
"ANX will revolutionize the manufacturing processes of the
automotive industry," said Brian Edwards, President and CEO of
MPACT Immedia. "Up until now, the Internet has lacked the
security and quality that would allow large corporations to
exchange business information and transactions with each other.
What we have accomplished with ANX is a hardening of the
Internet, making it industrial strength."
Christian Trudeau, Chief Operating Officer of MPACT Immedia,
added that the auto industry is the logical place for such
advancements in e-commerce technology.
"The auto industry has always been an innovator in the field of
electronic commerce," said Trudeau. "What ANX does is allow the
major car and truck manufacturers to communicate easily with
their trading partners so they can offer more services, make more
decisions more quickly and perform all this a much lower cost."
An 18-month pilot project conducted by the Automotive Industry
Action Group in 1996 showed that North American automakers and
suppliers reduced their overall communications costs by 70% when
they used ANX. In the study's tests, the delivery time for EDI
(electronic data interchange) messages was reduced from hours to
about a minute, and error rates decreased by up to 75%. Results
show that the ANX service would pay for itself within its first
year of operation.
"Using AutoLinx as an electronic commerce solution, the auto
industry gains a number of distinct advantages," stated Trudeau.
"The extranet offers connectivity, commerce enabling
applications, value-added applications and content. As a result,
we are the only network to offer the full spectrum of e-commerce
that the industry requires."
MPACT Immedia Corporation delivers network-centric business
solutions that enable and become an integral part of customer
processes. Its e-commerce solutions enable organizations to
better compete in the global marketplace. Following its recently
concluded merger with the Electronic Business Solutions (EBS)
unit of Bell Emergis, the combined entity is one of the top tier
electronic commerce providers in the world.
For more information on this press release, please contact:
For Investor Relations For Product Information
Barry V. Engel Gregg Loos
Executive Vice President, ANX Product Manager
Corporate Affairs
(514) 397-9747 (ext. 202) (416) 350-1859
Email: engel.barry@mpact.net Email: gloos@post.bell.ca
For General Information
John Davidson
Director of Communications
(514) 397-9747 (ext. 210)
Email: davidson@mpact.net
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