Ariel Technologies, one of the largest IT companies in South Africa, has agreed a deal to use Infobank’s InTrade technology for a series of electronic hubs it is creating to help specific communities of buyers and sellers in Africa form online trading communities. Initial targets are the government and health sectors. Ariel, the Sandton-based IT arm of Denel (Pty) Ltd, the state-owned industrial and services organization, will also sell the InTrade business to business e-procurement system, to its customer base.
Infobank International Holdings Plc, the Langley, Berkshire, UK-based e-commerce group, sees the partnership with Ariel as a further step in its international expansion. While Ariel’s main client base is in the government sector, it has customers in a wide range of businesses, from financial institutions to telecoms, gaming and leisure across sub-Saharan Africa.
Malcolm Dunkeld, head of Ariel’s e-commerce business unit, said the attraction of InTrade was its multi-currency, multi-language and multi-location support which was important as Africa compromised many countries with different languages, currency and tax authorities.
