Electronic procurement software vendor Commerce One Inc has inked a deal with British Telecommunications Plc to establish its first business-to-business extranet marketplace using its software in the UK. Commerce One will sell its BuySite intranet application that automates procurement processes and its MarketSite extranet application, which links suppliers and buyers in the UK, while it is up to BT to provide the telecommunications infrastructure for intranet in a similar way that MCI WorldCom Inc does in the US. BT will also find the suppliers of the so-called indirect goods – goods that enable business to run, including travel, computers, and maintenance services – and announcements about what vertical markets will be served are expected in coming weeks, along with the first customers, says Commerce One. Commerce One is the three year-old web-based procurement software company headed by ex- Sybase CEO Mark Hoffman. The software is based on Microsoft Corp’s Site Server and Active Server Pages technology. It says it has already inked some deals to use its software in Europe, but it declined to divulge names until the infrastructure is set up. It also plans to move into the Asia-Pacific market later this year, so we can expect a similar deal with a telco in that region.
COMMERCE ONE INKS DEAL WITH BT FOR UK EXTRANET
