Eqos forms alliance with Microsoft to deliver collaborative technology marketplaces and exchanges worldwide
17 April 2001
Eqos has received further recognition of its groundbreaking work in the B2B collaboration arena through a global alliance with Microsoft Corp., whereby its technology will be a recommended collaborative commerce solution. The alliance aims to develop business among the leading B2B marketplaces and exchanges as well as among private exchanges in Europe and the US.
"Collaborative e-commerce is rapidly becoming the leading segment for e-business," said Mike Quinn, Eqos president and co-founder. "Our alliance with Microsoft adds to our credibility and further endorses the potential of our innovative technology. This relationship is just one of a handful that Microsoft has in the B2B space world-wide and considerably enhances our ambitious expansion plans, particularly in the US."
Since Eqos was founded in 1997 it has grown tremendously by providing leading edge B2B collaborative technology to major corporations such as Sainsbury's, Boots the Chemist and the Kingfisher Group, as well as leading suppliers such as Nestlé and Kelloggs. According to David MacInnis, Woolworth's supply chain director, "We wanted a solution that would get us to market quickly and give us an immediate return on investment. The platform also had to be scalable enough to handle data from thousands of suppliers. The Microsoft-based collaborative technology platform from Eqos was able to satisfy all of these requirements."
Andrew Gammuto, global industry manager for Supply Chain at Microsoft, confirms that Eqos solutions offer a compelling value proposition to customers: "We are delighted to be developing our relationship with Eqos, which will enable us to jointly market collaborative solutions that exploit the capabilities of our .NET Enterprise Servers. Together, Microsoft and Eqos will demonstrate how we can quickly add value with an agile solution that can deliver exceptional collaborative functionality to public marketplaces and private exchanges."
This alliance will also exploit Microsoft's forward thinking .NET initiative to create the Next Generation Internet. The Microsoft .NET Platform will fundamentally change the way that computers and users interact. By bringing employees, customers, data, and business applications into a coherent and intelligently interactive whole, .NET will allow businesses to benefit from radically increased efficiency and productivity in their supply chain operations.
Notes to Editors:
Eqos Ltd
Eqos delivers the world's most advanced and flexible solutions for collaborative planning and event management over the Internet. By providing the technology platform and the business leadership, Eqos helps its customers achieve rapid, continuous and best-of-breed innovation for sustainable competitive advantage. Headquartered in the UK, with offices in the US, Eqos has alliances with many of the world's leading edge companies, including Microsoft, Accenture, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte Consulting.
Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software - any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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