Internet Commerce Collaboration Brings Buyers and Sellers Together
CHICAGO and SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 10 -- Grainger (NYSE: GWW), the leading provider of maintenance, repair, and operating (MRO) supplies in North America, and Ariba, Inc., a leading provider of intranet-and Internet-based business-to-business e-commerce solutions for operating resources, have formed an alliance to deliver expanded Internet commerce access to buyers and suppliers worldwide. As part of the alliance, Grainger has joined the Ariba Supplier Link(TM) (ASL) program and will make its product information available to Ariba customers via Ariba.com Network(TM).
Grainger and Ariba also announced that the two companies will collaborate on the continued development of Commerce XML (cXML), an emerging standard for exchanging supplier content and transaction information between buyers and suppliers over the Internet. Grainger will also use cXML to integrate its supplier content and make it available via Ariba.com Network, Ariba's standards-based Internet service that provides supplier content and routes transactions between buyers and suppliers. This integration will provide the opportunity for joint Grainger and Ariba clients to gain cost savings, efficiency, and convenience in acquiring and managing operating resources.
Through the collaboration of the two companies, Ariba's mid-sized and Global 2000 clients will have access to Grainger's leading product information and fulfillment capabilities as well as to Grainger Consulting Services, which provides world-class indirect materials management services. In addition, through integration with Ariba.com Network, Grainger will gain access to Ariba's major national accounts. Customers already shared by both Grainger and Ariba will benefit from the ability to further streamline their procurement processes.
"The alliance of Ariba and Grainger is key to the success of a solid, technologically advanced MRO procurement strategy," said Larry G. Bergner, vice president of technology and purchasing of The Earthgrains Company, a client of both Grainger Consulting Services and Ariba. "We're excited about tapping into this joint bank of expertise."
"Access is everything in the rapidly growing Internet commerce environment. Grainger is delighted to combine our leadership in MRO products and product information with Ariba's leading business-to-business Internet commerce solution to expand access to the Grainger.com electronic catalog," said Don Bielinski, group president for Grainger.
"Our alliance with Ariba is evidence of Grainger's continuing commitment to Internet commerce and related technology," added Richard Keyser, chairman and CEO of Grainger.
This commitment to the Internet includes OrderZone.com, Grainger's new multi-supplier site, announced in February and currently in pilot. On schedule to launch May 15, OrderZone.com streamlines customers' purchasing processes across multiple suppliers.
"Grainger is unmatched in its field," said Keith Krach, president and CEO at Ariba. "By making the company's highly robust product information and fulfillment available through Ariba.com Network, we will jointly provide the
opportunity for our clients to reap significant business benefits. In addition, Grainger's demonstrated leadership in service and solid commitment to Internet commerce will help us tailor our solutions to meet growing demands from electronic procurement suppliers and buyers."
ABOUT ARIBA, INC.
Ariba® is a leading provider of intranet- and Internet-based business-to-business electronic commerce solutions for operating resources.
The company's products efficiently connect requestors to approvers and buyers to suppliers to deliver an automated solution for improving the acquisition and management of operating resources, the goods and services required to operate a company. Ariba Operating Resource Management System(TM) (Ariba ORMS(TM)) enables organizations to automate the procurement cycle within their intranets, lowering the costs of acquiring and managing operating resources. Ariba.com Network(TM), a global business-to-business electronic commerce network for operating resources, enables buyers and suppliers to automate transactions on the Internet. Together, Ariba ORMS and Ariba.com Network provide a business-to-business electronic commerce solution for operating resources that benefits both buyers and suppliers. Ariba can be contacted at 408-543-3800 or at http://www.ariba.com.
ABOUT GRAINGER
W.W. Grainger, Inc., with 1998 sales of $4.3 billion, is the leading North
American provider of maintenance, repair, and operating (MRO) supplies, services, and related information to businesses and institutions. GWW shares
are traded on the New York and Chicago stock exchanges. For more information,
visit Grainger at http://www.grainger.com.
Ariba is a registered trademark of Ariba, Inc. Ariba Operating Resource Management System, Ariba ORMS, Ariba.com Network, and Walk-Up User Interface are trademarks of Ariba, Inc. All other products or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only, and may be trademarks of their respective owners.