TIBCO SOFTWARE AND CHIPDATA TO SIMPLIFY B2B SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTIONS.

TIBCO Software Inc. (Nasdaq: TIBX) and ChipData, Inc., have announced an alliance that will accelerate trading partner adoption of B2B integration solutions that are based on standard RosettaNet electronic component technical information XML formats. The world's leading high-tech manufacturing companies have all implemented, or are adopting, RosettaNet standards for B2B integration processes. This joint solution provides a critical layer that translates multiple forms of design and inventory data into XML, so that it can quickly and easily be shared between the systems of suppliers, contract electronics manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, and distributors.

The solution, combining the recently announced TIBCO ActiveExchange 2.0 B2B integration software product line and ChipData's ForceField Server, contributes to a supply chain where customers have real-time access to design and inventory information all of the time.

"RosettaNet based B2B integration solutions are providing high-tech manufacturing companies with supply chain benefits on the Internet that traditional technologies, such as EDI, can't offer," said Fred Meyer, chief marketing officer, TIBCO Software. "This alliance, allows us to offer our customers fast, simple and cost effective solutions that create needed B2B processes.

As an alliance member, ChipData worked with TIBCO to create a solution that connects its ForceField server, and patent-pending Design Chain Management browser-based software and services, to TIBCO's B2B integration solutions that enable real-time supply chains. ChipData's Design Chain Management solution is flexible, scalable, and simple to operate and maintain. As the first company to address the needs of today's highly competitive electronics systems design market as a continuum, ChipData is enabling automation and Internet access across every step in a manufacturer's design flow. Based on patent-pending technology, ChipData's software and service solutions derive design information directly, virtually and automatically from suppliers' files, leading to benefits in faster conversion and extremely high accuracy for reduced design rework, lower delivery costs, and improved time to market.

"ChipData offers a unique solution to deliver faster access for collaborative design applications. Working with TIBCO allows our design chain customers access to supply chain information, and vice versa," said Kevin McDonough, ChipData president and CEO. "Together, we can lead the market for collaboration as online commerce graduates to more sophisticated application models with manufacturers and sales channels working closer together."