Consolidated Commerce Introduces CC eMarketplace Suite 2.1; Optimizes Revenue and Supply Chain Efficiency for Digital Markets.

Business/Technology Editors

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 23, 2000

Consolidated Commerce, Inc., the leading provider of B2B supply chain optimization software solutions, today unveiled its CC eMarketplace Suite 2.1, the first end-to-end supply chain optimization solution for digital markets. CC eMarketplace Suite 2.1 is built on a completely Web-based many-to-many eHUB architecture, which enables a digital market to drive supply chain efficiencies across an entire trading community or extended supply chain. The architecture, built using Java, XML and XSL/t, provides the most open, flexible, reliable and scalable engine for deploying digital marketplaces and exchanges.

CC eMarketplace Suite 2.1 allows manufacturing-led, distributor-led, retail-led and neutral trading exchanges to shift from simply facilitating online purchases to truly optimizing revenue by managing the entire transaction process from order placement to delivery, across an entire trading community. CC eMarketplace Suite 2.1's cross-platform and XML-based, open architecture allows it to integrate seamlessly with any application running on the Web and is the only platform available that delivers "Integration through URL"-- the platform posts XML data to any URL. For example, when a buyer places an order, the CC eMarketplace Suite 2.1 interfaces in real-time with another software service provider's web sites to provide total transportation cost information at the time of placing an order. The data is collected and brought back to Consolidated Commerce's Application without the user even noticing that they have left the original homepage. The CC eMarketplace Suite also integrates with other services such as credit, finance, import/export, quality assurance, insurance, inventory and available-to-promise engines.

The CC eMarketplace Suite can consolidate all order, invoice and payment activity for the fragmented customer base of a supplier, into electronic transactions that flow seamlessly into its backoffice systems. It also enables the consolidation of shipments to customers for lower transportation costs, lower inventory carrying costs and more efficient dock usage for the customer. Suppliers can expand their product breadth "virtually" by inviting complementary suppliers to join the exchange. This creates a compelling single stop shop for customers, and a commission-based revenue stream for the supplier.

"With hundreds of B2B exchanges on the Web, consolidation is quickly becoming a necessary ingredient for success," said International Data Corporation analyst Gisela Wilson. "As global organizations look to efficiently manage, collaborate and streamline their supply chain operations, Consolidated Commerce is positioned to enable complex transactional management and consolidation across an entire industry or network trading community."

"In business today, strategic advantage comes from improving fulfillment between all members of the supply chain," said Michael Soenen, president and CEO of Consolidated Commerce. "The problem is that the traditional, `brand-name' software vendors, like ERP providers, sell technology that optimizes ONE company's interaction with its trading partners. In contrast, Consolidated Commerce built its software to extend across the many companies that form the entire supply chain. It was built for the way businesses want to work today, and will have to work in the future."

Benefits

CC eMarketplace Suite 2.1's unique, server-to-server architecture is built solely on Web technologies, making it the most efficient system for supply chain optimization. By streamlining supply chain functions, digital markets can offer efficient procurement, fulfillment, logistics and payment processes to buyers and sellers in their digital markets. Some of CC eMarketplace Suite 2.1's benefits include:

--Openness--CC eMarketplace Suite 2.1 is the most open solution on the market because it is built on Web technologies including Java, XML and XSL/t and is WC3 compliant. CC eMarketplace Suite 2.1 is also cross-platform, running on any operating system including UNIX, NT and Linux. In fact, CC eMarketplace Suite 2.1 comes with a set of highly configurable Dynamic Business Objects, which can be altered in real-time to meet ever-changing business rules.

--Flexible Communication--CC eMarketplace Suite 2.1 enables open and flexible communication across a digital marketplace supply chain using any device or system. For example, a buyer can place an order using a cell phone while the supplier can receive it through a Palm Pilot--the user determines how and when to communicate. In addition, using XML and XSL/t allows seamless and quick integration with other applications on the Web--integration that typically takes weeks and months in a client/server system takes merely hours or days with Consolidated Commerce.

--Scalability--CC eMarketplace Suite 2.1 is a Web-resident system, built on a truly innovative server-to-server infrastructure enabling customers to simply add more servers as their user base grows. Consolidated Commerce's technology is platform independent and provides the horizontal scalability required in today's Web-based systems.

--Reliability--With its server-to-server architecture, CC eMarketplace Suite 2.1 creates 24x7 reliability and availability by eliminating dependence on a single database server--a common point of failure. Instead, CC eMarketplace Suite 2.1 houses data from an exchange in multiple, synchronized application servers.

--Automation--CC eMarketplace Suite 2.1 also eliminates the need for human intervention for reorders. Consolidated Commerce has developed an architecture that automatically detects low supplies and places a reorder without manual intervention.

Pricing and Availability

CC eMarketplace Suite 2.1 is currently available through Consolidated Commerce's worldwide sales force. Pricing starts at $500,000 and is based on a perpetual software license per user.

About Consolidated Commerce

Consolidated Commerce, Inc. (www.consolidatedcommerce.com) provides B2B e-commerce solutions for the digital economy. CC's eMarketplace Suite is the B2B platform for consolidated operations in the new collaborative supply chain. It creates value and brings scale and efficiency to the procurement, fulfillment, logistics and payment processes of its customers through a set of preconfigured business objects. CC's highly advanced, Web-based architecture is platform independent, provides unlimited scalability, and allows for the dynamic and rapid deployment of new functionality to meet its customers' needs. More information on the Company may be found at www.consolidatedcommerce.com.