JSE-listed Datacentrix and US-based Paranet have formed an e-business-to-business joint venture company which will focus initially on the retail sector.
Paranet is itself a joint venture between US company Sterling Commerce and Portuguese firm Pararede.
Datacentrix will own 70% of the new company, provisionally called Commerce:Center of Southern Africa, with Paranet holding the remainder.
The company, with an initial investment of R21 million, is one of 14 similar initiatives around the world, designed to form a regional and global e-business backbone for secure and seamless trading.
Datacentrix says the growth in the business-to-business e-commerce market is exponential.
Sterling and Datacentrix began their relationship in 1992, and since then Datacentrix company Supported Software has been providing electronic business solutions based on Sterling products.
Commerce:Center of Southern Africa is a value-added services provider, which Datacentrix says is one step up from normal value-added networks, virtual private networks and Internet service providers.
The initiative will host the product details of about 750 000 line items in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry in a national product data catalogue.
Several large national FMCG retail outlets and local manufacturers will participate in the Commerce:Center pilot, set to run from March to May. Commerce:Center will also host further FMCG data for 11 other Southern African Development Community countries.
Supported Software MD Leon Theron says retailers will be able to subscribe, browse and retrieve information which includes product description, weight and dimensions, standard packaging, prices and discounts, promotions and others.
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