Tarrytown, NY May 13, 2002 e-Business software provider Vinimaya today took the wraps off the latest version its ViniSyndicate Supplier Integration System, formerly called the ViniSyndicate e-Catalog Management System.
Vinimaya asserted that the supplier integration approach frequently promoted by e-procurement suppliers and system integrators, XML Punchout (also known as Roundtrip or Tap-Out), is very costly and complex to deploy, especially for suppliers, with implementations often taking six months or more.
Version 3.3 of the Supplier Integration System eliminates the need for suppliers to build XML Punchout capability into their sites and speeds up integration, often down to one day, the provider claims.
New features in 3.3 include support for online product configurators, like those found at Dell.com or Cisco Connection, allowing ViniSyndicate users to take advantage of the functionality of these sites directly from their e-procurement system.
The name change for the solution reflects the reach of its capabilities beyond just catalog publishing, according to Vinimaya. "The new name better describes what ViniSyndicate actually does, which is integrate and aggregate suppliers' online catalogs with a buyer's e-procurement system, quickly and non-invasively," said Gary Hare, Vinimaya's CEO. "Because of the old name, many assumed we were just one of the many suppliers who have been in the market for years selling software that helps buyers publish supplier catalogs. We're not. We're selling a Web services approach to buyer and supplier integration, starting with the electronic catalog."
A recent AMR Research study showed that over 80 percent of industrial suppliers already present product information via their Web sites. Many buyers using e-procurement systems are initiating supplier integration projects to take advantage of this.
"Until recently, most suppliers didn't have online catalogs on their Web sites," continued Hare. "Buyers had no choice but to build catalogs themselves, setting up expensive internal 'catalog factories' with the help of suppliers like TPN Register and others. The ViniSyndicate Supplier Integration System lets buyers take advantage of the work suppliers are already doing in building and maintaining robust product catalogs on their existing Web sites."
