IBM Offers Customers Wide Range of New E-Commerce Functions
Business Partners and Customers Unveil e-business Solutions Based on IBM Commerce Software at Internet World
CHICAGO (July 15, 1998) – IBM* today announced relationships with several business partners that now make it possible for e-businesses to improve their online advertising and merchandising, fulfillment, supply chain management and customer service as well as more robust solutions for online payments.
Included in IBM’s announcements made here at Internet World Summer are: 11 new business partners, the expansion of Internet payment options for consumers and merchants, an initiative to provide certificate processing and payment gateway facilities for European financial institutions, and the addition of five new customers using IBM e-business solutions.
“With today’s announcements, IBM and our business partners are enabling customers to automate the entire electronic commerce lifecycle by supporting business processes such as advertising, merchandising, fulfillment, and customer service,” said Karl Salnoske, general manager of Electronic Commerce, IBM Internet Division. “By working with our business partners, IBM is able to provide the most comprehensive end-to-end solutions in the market, thereby giving our customers a competitive advantage to succeed in e-business.”
Business Partner Announcements
The most recent business partners taking advantage of IBM’s commerce portfolio are:
Business Evolution, Inc.*** — BEI develops real-time, Web-based customer service solutions. Merchants who purchase IBM Net.Commerce* for secure electronic commerce transactions will be able to easily implement BEI’s customer service software to enhance their customers’ online shopping experiences. Merchants who use both software applications will have an end-to-end electronic commerce solution that ensures optimum customer relations on the Web: BEI technology filters all site queries and routes them to live messaging or e-mail queues, based on the questions’ context or purchase-criticality.
CommercialWare*** — CommercialWare develops enterprise software systems specializing in order management and fulfillment for the direct market industry. Its flagship electronic commerce software, Mozart***, will work with IBM Net.Commerce, as well as other IBM middleware products including MQ Series*, Lotus Notes* and Domino*. This interoperability will enable direct marketing companies to provide a more comprehensive level of customer service via online product reservations, credit card and payment processing, product fulfillment, back order management and other related activities.
Fisher Technology Group*** — Fisher Technology Group (FTG) provides electronic commerce solutions and procurement outsourcing that improve supply-chain management. FTG will enable four of its applications: ProcureNet***, ProcureNet Prime***, CornerStone*** and Integrated Supply Net*** to work with the IBM Net.Commerce merchant server. Interoperability with IBM Net.Commerce will enable supply-chain customers to conduct secure electronic commerce using FTG’s proven business-to-business solutions for Web-based buying and selling, featuring content-rich catalogs.
Garg Data International, Inc.*** (GDI) — GDI, a global enterprise-wide software development, Internet computing, and IT Services provider has announced its integrated product set for New Media publishing, code-named “Pipeline***,” will be compatible with IBM’s electronic commerce software. When used with IBM Net.Commerce, Pipeline will benefit from electronic commerce capabilities that are specific to small-to-medium size companies. The design goal is to create a one-stop solution for New Media editors by providing Internet database management, advertisement placement and tracking with integrated electronic commerce capabilities.
IMPAC Technology*** — IMPAC Technology has teamed with IBM Net.Commerce to create an application that includes Web-site and online catalog creation, EDI integration, hosting and call center services, and complete warehouse and fulfillment capabilities for small and medium-sized businesses in the distribution, order fulfillment, packing and shipping industries. IMPAC Technology’s application is a retail solution for the AS/400* market.
Industri-Matematik International Corp.*** — Industri-Matematik International Corp. (IMI) is a supplier of customer-driven supply chain management solutions for companies with fast-moving, high-volume products. Combining IMI Systems ESS*** supply chain management software with IBM Net.Commerce will enable companies to build comprehensive e-business solutions that combine Web merchant sites with software for efficiently managing high-volume order fulfillment environments. The solution will provide a fast and easy way to build customer response centers on the Web that can profitably fulfill orders from customers anywhere in the world.
Intelligent Interactions*** — Intelligent Interactions develops software solutions for personalized shopping experiences. Intelligent Interactions’ “dbCommerce” is a database targeting engine that uses data from both online and off-line sources to dynamically generate an individualized catalog for every single customer or prospect that visits an online store. IBM Net.Commerce works with dbCommerce providing order fulfillment and facilitating an end-to-end electronic commerce solution.
Narrative Communications Corp.*** — Narrative Communications Corp. provides interactive advertising solutions on the Web. IBM Net.Commerce will be compatible with Enliven*** and Impulse***, which features several applications to: improve online ad response, capture leads, shorten sales cycles and extend a merchant’s storefront directly into Web banner ads. Enliven will leverage IBM Net.Commerce for secure credit card transaction processing and order confirmation.
Net Perceptions, Inc.*** — Net Perceptions develops real-time customer interaction tools. IBM Net.Commerce works with Net Perceptions’ GroupLens*** Recommendation Engine enabling businesses to deliver personalized product or content recommendations in real-time. Web visitors benefit from a one-to-one experience that results in increased sales and unparalleled customer loyalty.
NetGravity*** — NetGravity provides mission-critical software and service solutions for online advertising and direct marketing. NetGravity’s AdServer Enterprise and AdServer Network solutions will interoperate with the IBM Net.Commerce merchant server. The combined solution will provide a complete online marketing system to support the full customer lifecycle, from acquisition to retention. Businesses will seamlessly advertise, market and sell products online while benefiting from improved targeting of marketing messages and comprehensive online marketing and sales analysis.
PersonaLogic, Inc.*** — PersonaLogic, Inc. creates, delivers and hosts customized, Web-based “decision guides.” These guides help businesses educate customers about their products and services, and provide customers with personalized recommendations. PersonaLogic will work with IBM Net.Commerce to provide its customers a secure electronic commerce solution for processing credit card transactions.
Internet Payment Announcements
IBM is working with CyberCash’s IC Verify*** unit to develop and market an Internet payment offering that increases the number of ways North American merchants can process credit card orders. The companies also announced complementary agreements whereby IC Verify will market the IBM Payment Server* and IBM will market CyberCash’s NetVerify*** through their respective sales channels.
As part of the agreements, IBM and CyberCash will create a NetVERIFY payment cassette for the newest release of IBM’s Payment Server (version 1.2, planned for August availability). By integrating the NetVERIFY cassette with the IBM Payment Server, IBM plans to provide businesses with an end-to-end merchant payment solution that can handle SET Secure Electronic Transaction** and secure sockets layer (SSL) credit card payments from consumers. Once the merchant has received either a SET or traditional credit card payment, the transaction can be authorized and deposited using IBM’s Payment Gateway v1.2, which provides acquirer support for both SET and SSL, or using traditional dial-up or leased line acquirer processor connections. In addition, CyberCash’s NetVERIFY product provides merchants with the ability to accept credit card data from consumers in mail order/telephone order or retail point-of-sale environments, as well as over the Internet using SSL.
Additionally, IBM and PBS (Danish Payment Systems) have announced a joint initiative, endorsed by Visa International, to provide certificate processing and payment gateway facilities for European financial institutions seeking to implement the SET** Secure Electronic Transaction** protocol for Internet credit card payments. The joint offerings will benefit Visa members who are either already involved in, or are actively considering, the implementation of SET facilities for their cardholders and merchants.
The service is operated in Denmark by PBS using software and services from IBM. Visa International has certified PBS as a trusted third party certificate processor. IBM is the marketing and support channel, working closely with PBS, for the provision of service and local support to customer banks.
Source: IBM