Microsoft steps in to aid B2B suppliers
C|Net | at | by Mike
Microsoft, seeking to give a boost to the flagging market for business-to-business software, on Tuesday announced a new software package to help get more suppliers online. Business-to-business exchanges, which bring together buyers and suppliers over the Web, burst onto the high-tech scene in late 1999 promising to save companies millions of dollars by linking them with thousands of suppliers over the Web. But to date, suppliers have been reluctant to sign up because they fear their goods will lose value alongside cheaper alternatives and decreased competition. Furthermore, getting products online is a long and expensive process, and with all the main e-commerce firms--Commerce One and Ariba--pushing different Internet standards, many suppliers don't know where to begin.