NCompass Labs announced the release of the beta version of the Resolution Content Connector for Microsoft Commerce Server 2000. This product enables enterprises to use the full functionality of NCompass Resolution to build highly dynamic, content-driven e-commerce Web sites using Microsoft Commerce Server 2000. Resolutions’ tight integration with a wide spectrum of Microsoft technologies, including Commerce Server 2000, provides rapid deployment, low cost of ownership, and ease of use. NCompass Resolution delivers simple Web-based authoring, template-based publishing, and support for all major languages and accessibility for a diverse set of wired and wireless browsing devices. With the Content Connector, Resolution delivers integration with the Commerce Server Business Desk management application. Businesses that purchase Resolution with the Content Connector will have a complete enterprise content-management solution, with full access to Resolution’s rich feature set including the COM API, template-based authoring, approval workflow, rich Web content authoring, template switching for wired and wireless browsing devices, and multi-language support. The Commerce Server 2000 beta is at www.microsoft.com/commerceserver, and the Resolution Content Connector for Commerce Server 2000 beta version is at www.ncompasslabs.com/Products/Microsoft+Integration
Day: September 24, 2000
SoftQuad Software, Ltd. announced a strategic technology partnership with ec-Content. The partnership will combine SoftQuad MarketAgility, a supply side e-catalog solution, with ec-Content’s ability to create enhanced catalog content, allowing suppliers to deliver customer-specific catalogs to e-markets quickly and efficiently. Suppliers who want to effectively participate in e-marketplaces must overcome the challenges involved in creating, updating and delivering content rich catalogs with buyer-specific pricing information to multiple e-marketplaces. This requires collecting product and pricing information from enterprise systems, adding up-to-date product descriptions and graphics from manufacturers, and delivering each e-catalog in the XML format required by each e-marketplace. The combination of MarketAgility and ec-Content will provide suppliers with an integrated solution to rapidly create buyer-specific catalogs, normalize the data for consistency, enrich it with manufacturer information, and distribute it to e-markets. For suppliers, this enables them to bring their customized e-catalogs online quickly. For e-marketplace users, this ensures a rich buying experience by enabling them to quickly and efficiently find the products they need with accurate product and pricing information. ec-Content maintains a base of product information on over five million individual items from thousands of manufacturers, and provides management and maintenance services to expand and update this information for marketplaces and suppliers. ec-Content enhances suppliers’ catalog content by overlaying it with manufacturers’ comprehensive and current product information. ec-Content’s high quality e-catalog libraries are then published in the required format to each e-marketplace. www.ec-content.com, www.softquad.com
Bertelsmann and iSyndicate have announced the agreement of a European joint venture that will provide content syndication services and technology to media properties throughout Europe. The joint venture will combine Bertelsmann’s global media network with iSyndicate’s syndication expertise and relationships with more than 1100 independent content providers to deliver syndicated media to Web sites of all sizes and wireless devices. Each partner will hold a 50 percent stake in the joint venture enterprise operating as ‘iSyndicate Europe’. The company’s headquarters will be located in Hamburg, Germany with iSyndicate’s existing London office serving as the first affiliate office. Bertelsmann has the right to appoint the CEO of iSyndicate Europe. Under the terms of the agreement, Bertelsmann will acquire a four percent stake in US-based parent company iSyndicate Inc. Bertelsmann’s Chief Creative Officer Rolf Schmidt-Holtz will also join iSyndicate’s board. iSyndicate’s other strategic partnerships include NBC, Microsoft, NewsCorp, InfoSpace and Vignette. iSyndicate Europe will enable web sites of all sizes, corporate intranets and digital devices to enrich their content offerings with services and media from the widely recognizable publishing brands. iSyndicate Europe will syndicate a wide range of independent content providers in addition to Bertelsmann media properties, enabling content providers to generate increased revenue and brand awareness. www.isyndicate.com, www.bertelsmann.de
