Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : General Magic -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Papillon who wrote (8075)	2/18/2000 2:22:00 PM
From: Mark Oliver	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 10081

GM attempts to woo Toyota for Web alliance By Reuters Special to CNET News.com news.cnet.com February 18, 2000, 9:15 a.m. PT TOKYO--General Motors stepped up its Internet courtship of Toyota Motor today, saying it wants to use Toyota's Web site to market its vehicles in Japan. GM is also willing to let Toyota sell vehicles through its U.S. Web site, Mark Hogan, president of GM's e-commerce business unit, told a news conference. Hogan said that using Toyota's Japanese Web site, called Gazoo, would give GM a far greater reach in the world's second-largest auto market than it could gain by trying to further develop its current Saturn-brand Web site. "We want to display GM products and services on Gazoo. We would very much like to participate rather than create our own (site)," Hogan said, adding that he would be making a formal proposal to Toyota soon. Gazoo, which also offers online shopping and will soon distribute music and games, has around 450,000 members, and the number of users is growing around 1,000 to 2,000 a day. Toyota is already the main focus of GM's advances in Japan as it races against rival Ford Motor to create an online marketplace for auto parts that links car manufacturers and suppliers. GM has already approached Honda Motor and Mitsubishi Motors to join its online parts site, called TradeXchange. Ford is wooing Toyota, as well as Renault, its partner Nissan Motor and other European automakers. Hogan acknowledged that both GM and Ford were trying to build similar sites when most suppliers only wanted one, and he said the exchange emerging strongest could one day absorb the weaker one. "There's a lot of duplication or replication between TradeXchange and Ford's AutoXchange, and perhaps in the future there will be a coming together," he said. However, prospects for both schemes are still cloudy. Both Toyota and Honda officials have expressed skepticism, citing worries that corporate secrets would be lost and questioning moves toward standard parts. Hogan also said GM was open to talks with Mitsubishi in the business-to-consumer e-commerce area. That could be a boost for debt-burdened Mitsubishi, which like most other Japanese automakers--except Toyota--has made only small steps toward developing an Internet site. As automakers seek to cut structural costs worldwide, GM has been the most aggressive foreign automaker to forge links with Japanese counterparts. It has equity stakes in minivehicle maker Suzuki Motor, Subaru-brand maker Fuji Heavy Industries, and truckmaker Isuzu Motors. Looser ties include an engine supply deal with Honda and a pact to jointly research fuel cells with Toyota. GM also wants to offer its OnStar emergency communications service in Japan, but it said that the telecommunications and regulatory environment made it a daunting challenge. OnStar uses global positioning technology to link vehicles to a 24-hour service center, and the system automatically notifies the center if the airbags are deployed in a crash. Center operators then can direct emergency personnel to the car.