REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 20, 2001--
Online European Steel Marketplace Selects BroadVision to Meet
Flexibility and Time-to-Market Requirements
BroadVision, Inc., a leading provider of personalized e-business applications, announced today that U-steel -- the first next-generation, neutral, independent and entirely on-line marketplace dedicated to the steel trade and related services -- has chosen BroadVision MarketMaker(TM) to build and power its marketplace. Using BroadVision(R) applications, U-steel intends to offer leading European steel industry players improved customer purchasing power and access to expanded markets.
BroadVision MarketMaker is an application that enables the creation of online marketplaces and exchanges -- dynamic communities that link buyers and suppliers together. BroadVision MarketMaker integrates advanced B2B e-commerce transaction and management with features such as online community building, through content management, customer intercommunication and account management.
U-steel is using BroadVision MarketMaker to offer steel industry buyers and sellers an opportunity to meet directly online in a global market, and to negotiate and execute transactions in real time and without brokers. With this service, marketplace participants can reduce purchasing, selling, and logistics time and costs, and can access new markets by leveraging global insight into product availability and steel price trends.
U-steel chose BroadVision because it offered a complete, flexible marketplace application that could meet U-steel's aggressive time-to-market needs and business objectives. BroadVision was selected based on a thorough evaluation process focused on meeting U-steel's requirements for a dynamic and flexible solution that could be easily adjusted based on fast-changing market conditions. Project partners include system integrator Iperbusiness, part of Gruppo TC, who integrated BroadVision MarketMaker with hardware and other business systems from HP and Oracle.
"In operational terms, U-steel is a realtime, integrated e-marketplace that offers a variety of support services," said Alberto Molgorani, business development manager for U-steel. "However, from a strategic point of view, U-steel is not merely a virtual channel between buyers and sellers, but also an important tool that leads all supply chain players through the future dynamic steel market in a safe and simple way. We feel we have chosen the best partners and technology to meet the needs of our steel marketplace."
"Online marketplaces such as U-steel require a high level of personalization and often face an aggressive time-to-market. BroadVision MarketMaker meets these requirements perfectly and we're pleased that customers in Italy and around the world are discovering the value of our applications," said Pierpaolo Taliento, managing director of BroadVision Italia. "BroadVision's extensive experience in delivering personalized e-business solutions has made significant contribution to the success of such a complex and ambitious project as U-steel."
About U-steel
U-steel is the first next-generation, neutral, independent and totally on-line e-marketplace dedicated to steel trade and related services. U-steel was launched in September 2000 as a result of a partnership among COFACE, Gruppo Falck, Mastr@, TCSistema, Sopaf and Mittel Generale Investimenti and it is aimed at linking leading steel industry players with a simple click, to improve consumer purchasing power and expand manufacturers' markets.
