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Wednesday November 4 3:47 PM ET
E-commerce 'dream team' formed
By Mel Duvall, ZDNet
Industry heavyweights Cisco Systems Inc., Electronic Data Systems Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. have formed what they are calling an
"electronic-commerce dream team" to capture a bigger share of the booming market.
The three firms announced Tuesday they have formed an alliance that will be able to provide companies with one-stop shopping for their Web commerce
initiatives. EDS, a leading consulting and system integrator, will head the initiative and draw upon the strengths of Cisco, the world's largest networking
equipment manufacturer, and HP, a giant in the computer hardware and software business. "Collectively, we have the expertise and the tools to completely
change the way a business moves its goods and services from the industrial age to the digital age," said Paul Rudolph, president of the electronic business unit
at EDS.
While the three claim no other companies can bring the same set of skills and offerings to the table, the alliance is clearly aimed at grabbing attention away
from IBM Corp., which has been extremely successful in capturing mind share with its e-business advertising campaigns.
Steve Behm, vice president of strategic alliances at Cisco, said IBM's failing is that it claims to be able to do it all. "Things are so crazy right now, that if any
company tries to do it all on their own -- like IBM -- they're just trying to boil the ocean," he said.
Terms of the alliance were not disclosed, and the companies said other "dream team" members may be added at a later date. They confirmed negotiations are
under way with a major telecommunications provider.
Two global solution centers have been set up at EDS headquarters in Plano, Texas, and Stockley Park, England, where the companies will pool their hardware,
software and services into joint offerings. |
