M.
Reed - May 11, 2000
Event
Summary
In April Moai Technologies, Inc., a provider of negotiated e-commerce
solutions, announced it has entered into a partnership with Extricity,
Inc. to provide a single, complete interface, automating a full range
of e-commerce systems. Extricity provides a family of business-to-business
(B2B) software solutions, which are designed to simplify e-commerce automation
and management. By integrating Moai's Dynamic Commerce Markup Language
(DCML), an XML standard for Dynamic Commerce markets, with Extricity's
B2B platform, net market makers and Global 2000 companies can better integrate
e-commerce business processes.
Moai's
DCML defines an open standard for auction and exchange transactions. Users
can map their business process and objects into the exchange using the
XML standard. Extricity provides integration, communications support,
data exchange, and business process execution for Global 2000 companies
and net market makers. It is designed to allow users to perform logistics
management, inventory control, and order management in a rapid-deployment
environment.
Extricity will support Moai's DCML, enabling Moai and Extricity customers
to integrate their business processes into a LiveExchange auction or exchange
site. DCML will provide a link to the dynamic commerce engine within LiveExchange,
while Extricity will handle the execution of business processes before,
after, or during a transaction. With this single, pre-integrated, seamless
solution that delivers the full range of flexible, standards-based XML
and other communications mechanisms, a successful integration of complex
environments is possible.
"Successful integration of complex environments is an important step to
seamless e-commerce practices among net market makers and Global 2000
companies," said Ray Letulle, chief technology officer at Moai. "By working
together, Moai and Extricity will provide these companies and their customers
with a unified solution for end-to-end integration, communications and
negotiated e-commerce."
Market
Impact
"Our goal is to provide our customers with the most complete and efficient
B2B e-commerce solution possible," said Greg Olsen, chief technology officer
at Extricity. "Moai's DCML provides improved and expanded access to negotiated
e-commerce marketplaces and it facilitates the interconnection of separate
marketplaces. By integrating with Moai's LiveExchange e-commerce solutions,
we are increasing the capabilities and value we can offer to our customers."
Extricity
is an Enterprise Application Integration vendor that specializes in a
product called the AllianceSeries. The product performs supply chain integration,
e-commerce supply-side integration, available to promise, and other business-to-business
collaborative applications. It is based on the Extensible Markup Language
(XML), an industry standard, which allows for collaborative workflow between
applications.
There
are no clear leaders in the EAI space, with the possible exception of
Tibco, Mercator, and Vitria. Extricity is currently a privately held company
and has not disclosed their revenues or market percentage; therefore it
is difficult to say how strong their market presence is. Extricity Software
is funded by SAP AG, Intel Corporation, Cambridge Technology Partners,
Bay Partners, RRE Investors, B.J. Cassin Group, Piper Jaffray Ventures
LLC, Telos Venture Partners, and Vector Capital L.P.
Their
customers include Furniture.com, Rightfreight.com, Mary Kay Cosmetics,
and AspenTech. Strategic partners include CommerceOne, Microsoft, Cisco,
IBM, Intel, and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
Extricity was awarded the best Business-to-E-Commerce Application award
by Intelligent Enterprise Magazine in August of 1999. Business-to-business
e-commerce and extended supply chain management are expected to grow exponentially
within the next three years and Extricity will undoubtedly have a strong
presence, especially given the power of the companies who are backing
them.
User
Recommendations
Business-to-business e-commerce is expected to have a very strong effect
on the success of businesses over the next three years. Any company evaluating
extended supply chain solutions to reduce the overhead of materials acquisition
and exchange should give the Extricity/Moai offering a look. Given that
DCML uses the XML language and is designed to provide an open interface,
it has an advantage over proprietary approaches. What DCML attempts to
define is the "dynamic transaction set" relating to e-commerce exchanges.
Areas of concern customers should be aware of:
- How mapping is accomplished when dealing with custom solutions or
marketplaces
- Scalability and costs associated with future changes to DCML
- The level of acceptance in the e-commerce community for DCML
- How many companies have embraced/endorsed DCML? Investigate. Does
DCML create barriers to entry? Will customers be locked in once they
begin to use it?