Ariba and bex.com to create online trading communities

SAN DIEGO, 22 May 2000 (Asia Pulse) - In a memorandum of understanding, bex.com and Ariba agreed to pursue the option of establishing mutually beneficial sales and marketing initiatives, including development of a portal linking their trading communities.

When the initiative is formalized, it will create one of the most comprehensive global online trading communities for B2B e-commerce.

As outlined in the MOU, bex.com would host an Internet B2B e-commerce vertical portal, using Ariba technology, on its global transaction infrastructure, a global network allowing businesses to conduct secure, online business transactions from front-end order processing and management, to back-end trade document exchange, financial payment, logistics and settlement.

The exchange would give Ariba customers access to additional distribution channels via bex.com's network of manufacturers and suppliers throughout its regional e-marketplaces established in Greater China, Southeast Asia, Japan, the U.S., Australia and Thailand.

bex.com customers, in turn, would have access to Ariba's network of manufacturers and suppliers operating across the Ariba network.

In addition, bex.com would, wherever appropriate, recommend Ariba's relevant B2B software solutions to the vertical marketplaces/portals that may be built on its horizontal marketplace of interconnected electronic commerce business exchange hubs, known as BEXes.

Ariba would, wherever appropriate, recommend that its present or future software licensees register to use the electronic commerce services provided by the bex.com system and/or create portals on the system.

"Although well established in the Asia Pacific, bex.com is just now making its entry into the U.S. market, and partnership on this level will help to build the company's presence while adding critical mass to the network," said Voon-Fee Yong, chairman and CEO of bex.com.

Keith Krach, chairman and CEO of Ariba, said, "By increasing the value and size of the network, we are able to offer our customers access to overseas supply chains, creating new and increased buying and revenue opportunities."

About bex.com
Formed in 1996, bex.com is a global business-to-business Internet transaction infrastructure vendor and e-market maker that enables procurement of both direct and indirect goods and services.

About Ariba, Inc.
Ariba, Inc. is a provider of B2B e-commerce solutions. Through the Ariba B2B Commerce platform, an open, end-to-end infrastructure of interoperable software solutions and hosted Web-based commerce services, the company enables online trade, integration and collaboration between B2B marketplaces, buyers, suppliers and commerce service providers.

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