San Mateo, CA August 28, 2001 Blue Martini Software Inc. and Andersen today announced the Blue Martini Adapter for Ariba. By linking customers from online trading systems back to a seller's site, via the Ariba Commerce Services Network (Ariba CSN), the adapter helps sellers to differentiate their products, as well as providing product information, advice and context.
The adapter works with Blue Martini Channels, a channel management application created to help companies manage relationships with partners and drive sales through partner portals, online marketplaces and electronic procurement systems. By integrating the applications, customers can publish their product catalogs using Blue Martini Universal Catalog and the Ariba CSN.
Alan Tripp, the partner at Andersen who leads development for the Blue Martini Adapter, believes that using one adapter instead of multiple constituencies will make transactions easier to execute and results easier to quantify.
Chip Overstreet, vice president of corporate marketing and business development at Blue Martini Software, agrees: "We are seeing growing demand from our customers to be able to effectively sell through multiple channels direct to the end user, through resellers and distributors, through e-procurement systems and online marketplaces. With Blue Martini Adapter for Ariba, companies can extend their existing catalogs and infrastructure to take full advantage of selling opportunities wherever they may be."
According to a recent study by Andersen and Blue Martini Software, experience, sophistication level and degree of integration are the three key variables driving return on investment (ROI) for companies selling into digital marketplaces and e-procurement solutions. Conducted by KS&R, the study involved interviews with executives at 152 companies currently selling through these new B2B channels. The survey found that more than one third (36 percent) of suppliers indicated they were already receiving a positive ROI (46 percent ROI on average) from their ability to sell into digital marketplaces and e-procurement solutions. The remaining two-thirds of suppliers expect to achieve a positive ROI within 20 months of their initial participation in these channels.
