Vortex Communications has launched the INEX Commerce Court application in SA, a product aimed at bringing e-commerce to small businesses. Recently listed Synergy Holdings, the Vortex parent company, hopes to have 400 small to medium-sized businesses doing e-commerce within a year.
Commerce Court is a Microsoft-based product developed by the Canadian INEX company. It claims to fully enable both business-to-business and consumer commerce. The box price of R20 000 includes installation and a two-day handholding period.
Synergy holds exclusive distribution rights for the Southern Africa region.
The software runs a graphical user interface that automates much of the process of setting up a functional storefront. A wizard guides the non-technical through setting a store based on templates, and publishing to the Vortex server is also automatic. Orders can be imported directly to existing systems and added to physical sales.
The differentiator is price. Vortex says the initial R20 000 should cover the cost of most installations and the hosting fee is fixed at R500 per month. "It is the most affordable e-commerce solution available on the market," says Vortex business manager Sandy-Ann Bewick.
All storefronts will be featured on the buyonline.co.za mall-environment site run by Synergy, and 20% of all hosting fees will be used to promote the site.
Although two lower-end versions of Commerce Court are available, only the professional version will be available locally for now.
The Vortex offering will be in direct competition with LiveBuilder, a local solution aimed at the same market.
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