Commerce One, Inc., the leader in global e-commerce solutions for business, today announced that Commerce One South Africa - Distributor Operations has entered into a preliminary non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Pi-Log, the leaders in technical catalogue development, to develop industrial and engineering catalogue content for the delivery of e-commerce services to large buyers or buying communities. Commerce One South Africa and Pi-Log have signed this Memorandum of Understanding to enable them to work together to establish the Commerce One MarketSite Portal Solution in South Africa as the dominant electronic trading platform in the region. The parties expect to conclude a definitive agreement soon. Pi-Log manages catalogue content for Sasol, South Africa`s largest producer of synthetic fuels and chemical products, who is implementing the Commerce One BuySite e-procurement application.
Pi-Log will bring its purchasing power and expertise in providing technical and content management services into the partnership, while Commerce One South Africa will contribute its business-to-business solutions and electronic trading infrastructure. The parties will explore the most effective way of rapidly adopting the catalogue content of a wide range of suppliers who would be interested in using Commerce One South Africa`s MarketSiteTM as a trading platform.
Revenues will accrue to Pi-Log for the services it performs for Commerce One South Africa as well as software components and products it may sell. The Commerce One MarketSiteTM Portal Solution is the world`s first open standards infrastructure which enables businesses to first create and deploy a business-to-business trading portal, then develop and sell value-added e-commerce services in an open framework.
This relationship will build on the existing ongoing relationship that Commerce One South Africa has with Affinity Logic who is providing content management services specifically in the retail sector. The services offered by the two companies are complimentary and the relationship with Affinity Logic is ongoing.
Saal de Jager, MD of Pi-Log, says: "We are excited about the link with Commerce One and will bring our extensive expertise in the cataloguing and management of industrial and engineering content to key e-commerce projects undertaken by Commerce One."
Adds de Jager: "Our capabilities in providing leading world class catalogue solutions and services in various industrial and mining sectors have been recognised both locally and internationally. The anticipated relationship with Commerce One as an e-commerce partner, providing clients with a competitive edge in the new Internet based economy, is therefore purely an extension of PiLog`s capabilities".
Simon Ratcliffe, CEO of Commerce One South Africa (Distributor Operations), says, "Pi-Log offers a range of services and technical support critical for the success of the Southern Africa MarketSiteTM. We believe that Pi-Log`s work with Sasol and other large corporations will bring huge benefits to Commerce One South Africa as we develop the MarketSiteTM portal in this region."
Adds Ratcliffe, "Pi-Log has chosen the Commerce One Solution because of the ability to link large numbers of buyers and sellers into a real time trading community. This should result in increased efficiencies and lower prices as well as better service for customers. Pi-Log understands inherently that the management of content from a wide variety of suppliers` catalogues is key to the success of the MarketSiteTM. In addition, the connection and interoperability with other MarketSiteTM portals around the world will enhance the benefits to Commerce One and Pi-Log customers, increasing as more and more participants gain access to Commerce One`s Global Trading WebTM."
The management of catalogue content consists of the following activities:
Catalogue cleaning
Catalogue regularising
Catalogue structuring
Catalogue maintenance
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Pi-Log
Pi-Log`s extensive expertise in Asset Management and in particular Engineering software solutions and services date back to 1978, with many of the original clients still relying on Pi-Log as a partner in a business relationship. Pi-Log provides a wide scope of Management Information Systems and supporting services both locally and internationally. This includes COSWIN (maintenance and stores management), as well as the PiGo Management Information System covering a wide range of modules from Engineering, Human Resource to Financial management. Extensive cataloguing experience has been accumulated on an international level, which resulted in Pi-Log offering niche catalogue solutions as an extension to both the PiGo product range, as well as to the world`s well known ERP systems utilised by large corporate clients. This aspect, including the fact that international catalogue standards are a pre-requisite for successful e-commerce, makes Pi-Log the ideal partner for a global e-commerce player such as Commerce One.
Commerce One South Africa (Distributor Operations)
Commerce One South Africa is Commerce One`s sole distributor and regional MarketSite portal operator in South Africa. Commerce One, the leader in global e-commerce solutions for business, and eMediate, a consortium of leading South African companies, formed Commerce One South Africa (Distributor Operations) as the first Commerce One MarketSiteTM portal operator in the region, linking buyers and sellers online. Commerce One South Africa is also a distributor of Commerce One BuySite e-procurement application.
Commerce One South Africa was launched in March this year. Commerce One South Africa can be reached in Cape Town at +27 21 680 5313 or in Johannesburg at +27 11 880 4801.
Commerce One
Commerce One is the leader in global e-commerce solutions for business. Through its products, portals, and services, Commerce One creates access to worldwide markets, allowing anyone to buy from anyone, anytime, anywhere. The Commerce One Global Trading Web is the world`s largest business-to-business trading community. Comprised of many open e-marketplaces, the Global Trading WebTM provides unprecedented economies of scale for buying organisations, suppliers, and service providers worldwide. Commerce One is located in Pleasanton, Calif., and can be reached via the Internet at http://www.commerceone.com/.