CrossRoute Software Inc. Announces Revolutionary Cross-Enterprise Electronic Commerce Solution.REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 6, 1997-- CrossRoute Software Inc. today announced CrossRoute Alliance(TM), its new cross-enterprise electronic commerce product. Alliance allows companies to forge tight connections with their customers, distributors and suppliers, creating an extended enterprise. It securely connects an organization's enterprise systems to those of its business partners over the Internet or extranet. Alliance provides all the capabilities needed to automate To turn a set of manual steps into an operation that goes by itself. See automation. sophisticated cross-enterprise processes, such as supply chain integration, inventory replenishment replenishment the addition of an appropriate quantity of properly prepared solution containing the correct concentration of chemicals to the developer solutions used in radiography. , distributor ordering and logistics coordination. This seamless enterprise-to-enterprise communication brings benefits to the bottom line through reduced lead times, reduced inventories, and increased productivity. A New Electronic Commerce Category Cross-enterprise software is a new product category emerging from the electronic commerce market. As companies outsource key functions and integrate the supply chain, the extended enterprise has become a competitive advantage. To ensure that it runs smoothly, companies need to exchange business transactions and other information with partners, while leveraging their investments in ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) An integrated information system that serves all departments within an enterprise. Evolving out of the manufacturing industry, ERP implies the use of packaged software rather than proprietary software written by or for one customer. and enterprise systems. Cross-enterprise software automates business processes between enterprises in real time, enabling the extended enterprise to operate efficiently. "We believe that cross-enterprise software will allow organizations to conduct business with their mission-critical business partners in new and innovative ways," explained Kenneth Ross, co-founder and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of CrossRoute Software Inc. "Our solution fosters tighter business partnerships and enables organizations to gain a competitive edge." Companies Embrace CrossRoute Several leading-edge companies are currently implementing CrossRoute Alliance. Adaptec Inc., a $1 billion high-tech manufacturer, has chosen Alliance to automate design and ordering processes with its supply chain partners in Asia. "By using Alliance to connect to our suppliers, we can get our products in customers hands more quickly," says Dolores Dolores (or Delores) was a common given name (until the 1960s in the USA); it is cognate with the English word "dolorous" (meaning sorrowful) and equivalent in meaning. Marciel, vice president of procurement The fancy word for "purchasing." The procurement department within an organization manages all the major purchases. at Adaptec. "This solution gives us a competitive advantage." Target Applications Alliance supports a wide variety of cross-enterprise applications. Some examples include: -0- -- Supply Chain Integration - With Alliance, manufacturers can automate a variety of processes with suppliers and contract manufacturers, including design, ordering, forecasting, and shipping. Suppliers can now become effective extensions of the enterprise. -- Distributor Ordering - Alliance allows a manufacturer to process distributor orders more quickly, reducing lead times to its customers. With Alliance, distributors can continue to use their existing systems and processes. -- Logistics Coordination - Alliance gives manufacturing companies up-to-the-minute information about goods being managed by a third-party logistics A third-party logistics provider (abbreviated 3PL) is a firm that provides outsourced or "third party" logistics services to companies for part, or sometimes all of their supply chain management function. provider. A manufacturer can create a real-time link with its logistics provider and determine the location and status of its inventory. -0- The Alliance Solution CrossRoute's Alliance incorporates four core functions that provide a complete solution for automating business processes and transactions across an extended enterprise: -0- -- Flexible Design: Business users can model cross-enterprise processes to match a company's business rules. They can easily define the process steps and business documents to be exchanged. -- Seamless Integration An addition of a new application, routine or device that works smoothly with the existing system. It implies that the new feature or program can be installed and used without problems. Contrast with "transparent," which implies that there is no discernible change after installation. : Alliance provides seamless connections to existing enterprise systems. Alliance can access ERP and legacy applications via its Adapter A device that allows one system to connect to and work with another. An adapter is often a simple circuit that converts one set of signals to another; however, the term often refers to devices which are more accurately called "controllers. technology. -- Reliable Execution: Alliance's distributed process engine works behind the scenes to automate cross-enterprise processes in real time. Alliance incorporates complete system management and audit capabilities. -- Secure Communications: Alliance communicates via the Internet, extranet or dial-up connections. Security is ensured through public key cryptography An encryption method that uses a two-part key: a public key and a private key. To send an encrypted message to someone, you use the recipient's public key, which can be sent to you via regular e-mail or made available on any public Web site or venue. . -0- Unique Process Capabilities Alliance is built on a distributed, two-tier process model specifically designed for automating processes between companies. It allows organizations to define a public process that dictates the workflow between partners, and private business rules that automate the internal actions each company takes. Capabilities include: -0- -- Graphical interface See GUI. that allows non-technical users to easily define and change processes -- Support for a variety of documents including EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) The electronic communication of business transactions, such as orders, confirmations and invoices, between organizations. Third parties provide EDI services that enable organizations with different equipment to connect. or custom formats -- Direct links to enterprise systems to retrieve or update data -- Automatic triggering of specific actions based on document contents -- Notification and approvals based on an event or condition. -0- Underlying Technology CrossRoute Alliance, which is written in Java, resides on a Microsoft(TM) Windows NT (Windows New Technology) A 32-bit operating system from Microsoft for Intel x86 CPUs. NT is the core technology in Windows 2000 and Windows XP (see Windows). Available in separate client and server versions, it includes built-in networking and preemptive multitasking. (TM) Server. The browser-based client (for designing, managing and auditing processes) is available on any platform. Alliance connects to a company's enterprise systems via the corporate network and to the company's partners via the Internet or extranet. Alliance's Adapter technology allows data to be accessed from a variety of enterprise systems, such as SAP(TM), Oracle(R), PeopleSoft(R) and Baan. Pricing and Availability CrossRoute's Alliance is scheduled for general availability during the middle of Q4 1997. The product will be sold via a direct sales force. Implementation, service and support will be offered through CrossRoute and third party system integrators. CrossRoute offers solution-based pricing. Typical costs will range from $250,000 to $1 million, dependent on the specific business processes and partners. Product components include Alliance Servers, Alliance Adapters (links to enterprise systems) and an Alliance EDI Gateway. About CrossRoute Software Inc. Founded in 1996, CrossRoute Software Inc. provides cross-enterprise electronic commerce applications. Its flagship product A primary product of a company, which is typically why the company was founded and/or what made it well known. For example, MS-DOS, Windows and the Microsoft Office suite have been flagship products of Microsoft. CorelDRAW is a flagship product of Corel Corporation. , CrossRoute Alliance, is targeted at large domestic and global organizations looking to connect their enterprise systems with those of their mission-critical business partners. Kenneth Ross, president and CEO, was formerly the founder and CEO of Ross Systems and the CEO of Documentum and Pillar pillar, freestanding columnar supporting member. It is a general term, little used as an exact architectural definition except as applied to an upright support in the medieval styles, consisting of an assemblage of juxtaposed shafts and moldings; unlike the column, Corporations. CrossRoute relies on an Advisory Council comprised of large-scale manufacturing and distribution organizations for product validation and market insight. The company is funded by several leading venture capital firms Name Location Founding date Managing Partners/Directors Specialty Capital managed 5AM Ventures Menlo Park, CA; Waltham, MA 2002 John Diekman, PhD (managing partner), Scott Rocklage, PhD (managing partner), Andrew Schwab (managing partner) life sciences $200M [1] including The B.J. Cassin Group, Bay Partners, Piper Jaffray Piper Jaffray & Co. (NYSE: PJC), often shortened to just Piper Jaffray or PiperJaffray, is a U.S. middle-market investment banking firm based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and is a focused on delivering financial advice, investment products and transaction execution Ventures, Telos Venture Partners and Ziff Brothers. CrossRoute is located in Redwood Shores, California Redwood Shores is an upscale and desirable [1] waterfront neighborhood on the San Francisco Peninsula in California. It is located on the eastern edge of Belmont, but is actually part of incorporated Redwood City. . For additional information about the company and its revolutionary offering, visit their website at http://www.crossroute.com or contact them directly at 650/596-1300. -0- Note to Editors: CrossRoute Software and CrossRoute Alliance are trademarks of CrossRoute Software Inc. All other names are trademarks of their respective companies. CONTACT: CrossRoute Software Kim Weins, 650/596-4511 kweins@crossroute.com or Marilyn Callaghan, 650/342-6087 mcallagh@pacbell.net |
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