PurchasePro.com Inc. (Nasdaq:PPRO), the leader in browser-based, business-to-business e-commerce solutions, today announced an industry-leading initiative that will allow businesses to quickly and easily conduct e-commerce transactions using virtually any wireless device.
Through mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and pocket PCs, PurchasePro.com will provide buy-side and sell-side wireless solutions for its members, such as auctions and bidding, creation of purchase orders, notification of requisitions and P.O.s, and instant messaging.
In addition, PurchasePro.com intends to establish strategic alliances with leading handheld device manufacturers to become their wireless B2B solution. PurchasePro.com's wireless strategy will begin rolling out in the third quarter of 2000.
"PurchasePro.com plans to lead the industry in deploying a complete wireless e-commerce solution to achieve unprecedented operational efficiencies for businesses large and small," said Charles E. Johnson Jr., chairman and CEO of PurchasePro.com.
"Our goal is to enable a world where businesses and their employees can conduct e-commerce transactions quickly and easily wherever they are, 24/7, and wireless technology allows PurchasePro.com to be anywhere they are," Johnson added.
Chief Technology Officer Michael Ford added, "The technological advances in wireless communications significantly increase the need for mobile connectivity to e-marketplace solutions. PurchasePro.com intends to emerge as the platform-independent enabler of choice for wireless e-commerce applications."
Mobile Phone Solution
Wireless industry experts predict that mobile phone use will grow from 300 million today to one billion by 2004. To equip mobile phone users with e-commerce capabilities, PurchasePro.com will roll out its first wireless solution in the third quarter of 2000.
PurchasePro.com's mobile phone strategy includes buy-side and sell-side solutions such as the notification and approval/denial of requisitions and purchase orders, viewing of bid responses, and limited purchase order creation functionality. These functions are currently in Alpha-testing.
By the first quarter of 2001, PurchasePro.com will add enhanced purchase order creation tools, an auction/bidding function, and customizable Web content offering stock quotes, news and other information.
PDA/Pocket PC Solution
Immediately following its launch into mobile phones, PurchasePro.com will roll out its e-commerce strategy for PDAs and pocket PCs in the fourth quarter of 2000 with the same rich functionality as its mobile phone solution.
As with mobile phones, enhanced features will be added in the first quarter of 2001, with one unique addition -- an AOL/PurchasePro.com instant messenger function, created as a result of the two companies' strategic e-commerce partnership -- will allow PurchasePro.com members to instantly communicate with potential buyers and sellers anywhere at anytime.
Today, PurchasePro.com powers 155 e-marketplaces, the most in the industry, connecting businesses across horizontal and vertical markets within a secure network environment. PurchasePro.com also hosts a public exchange encompassing 21,000 businesses, providing members with an instant audience -- thousands of buyers and suppliers are running PurchasePro.com on their desktops and ready to buy or sell at any given moment.
Companies joining PurchasePro.com's e-marketplaces and public exchange experience the only complete buy- and sell-side solution on the market today. Members can save an average of 15 to 20 percent on procurement costs while simultaneously creating new selling opportunities as the PurchasePro.com network of businesses grows.
PurchasePro.com's private labeled e-marketplace solutions and public exchange are hosted on secure servers meeting the highest standards of uptime. As a browser-based solution, PurchasePro.com is instantly available to any business with a desktop computer and Internet connection, and requires no infrastructure investment.
The private labeled e-marketplaces and public exchange are also easily integrated with existing ERP and legacy systems, and feature full business purchasing and sales functionality.
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