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December 11, 2000

NexPrise Updates ipTeam Auction App

Version 4 supports bid requests, integrates with exchanges based on Ariba and Commerce One

More on E-procurement:

E-Procurement: Problems Behind The Promise (11/20/00)

Next-Generation Tools Expand The Range Of E-Business (10/23/00)

Internet Week: E-Procurement For Small Manufacturers In Reach? (10/16/00)

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exPrise Inc., the dark horse winner of a major design collaboration and strategic materials procurement software contract with automotive trading exchange Covisint, is offering an upgrade to its core ipTeam software. IpTeam 4.0 adds enhanced capabilities for complex E-procurement, collaborative product development, and easier integration to trading exchanges.

The new software version supports multiple rounds of bid requests and responses that can last for months and involve suppliers and buyers. It integrates with trading exchanges based on Ariba Inc. and Commerce One software for companies that want to use exchanges for procuring commodities, materials, and parts.

The scalability of the product has been improved and lets an unlimited number of suppliers use the software with their vendors and customers. The software provides automated tools to evaluate bids for parts, compares the bids against a specified set of criteria, and presents bids that meet the minimum requirements.

On the collaborative design side, ipTeam has added real-time multi-party conferencing. The software also includes automated alerts that notify all design partners when a change to a design component affects another part. "The workflow involved in direct procurement is much more complex than in procurement of auctioned parts or materials used

to run a facility," says NexPrise president and founder Ram Sriram. "We enable the user to define their own workflows and require their trading partners to adhere to them."

Invensys Secure Power in Raleigh, N.C., a division of Invensys plc, is deploying the new release. The company currently expects to put it to use with suppliers in Asia who provide parts for its uninterruptible power supplies for PCs. "It's going to be much more efficient for us to use this software with our partners in Asia rather than trying to do business by phone, fax, and mail," says Doug Harris, a business-process analyst.

The initial setup of ipTeam runs $500,000 to $2 million. It's available now.