Commerce One Middle East, e-commerce solutions for business provider, has forged a strategic go-to-market alliance with Microsoft Egypt, Compaq Computers Egypt and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) for the first Business-to-Business e-marketplace in Egypt. Under the alliance a B2B platform is planned using Compaq hardware and services, a Microsoft platform, Commerce One solutions and PWC systems integration, program management and strategic development.
“This consortium provides an end-to-end E-commerce solution,” said PWC’s business leader, Nader Haffar. “E-commerce is a lot more about business than it is about electronics and therefore assistance in developing the correct strategies and processes must be included in any successful vision-implementation solution.”
The Egyptian e-marketplace, which will give buyers and suppliers access to the Global Trading Web (GTW), which currently comprises 23 of the world’s major corporations and e-marketplaces, is to be operated by a new company which is currently being formed with Commerce One Middle East as an equity holder.
“The shareholding of the new company, which will be capitalized at around $15 million, is nearing finalization and includes some of the biggest names in the Egyptian industrial sector,” explained Edwards. “It is part of our overall strategy to ensure active investors will also be key marketplace users.”
According to PWC, the Egyptian e-marketplace will substantially boost e-commerce trading within the Arab world, which is currently estimated to have only a 0.09 percent share of global e-commerce. “Last year the Arab world’s global e-commerce share amounted to only $95 million of worldwide B2B revenues of $171 billion,” said Haffar. “Research has shown that by 2003, this figure could reach $41.3 trillion.”
Haffar added that the alliance would deliver comprehensive procurement solutions with superior customer service and support to organizations throughout Egypt and is a major step forward in extending the Global Trading Web to the world.
“Egypt is in a great position to export throughout the world using the GTW, which, if pursued pro-actively will provide local producers with a degree of protection in this era of globalization. Major buyers and government organizations across the Middle East are actively investigating the benefits and feasibility of e-commerce and we foresee regional take-up happening quite quickly.” — (Albawaba-MEBG)
