[Toronto, CANADA] Bell Canada, CIBC, Scotiabank, Mouvement des caisses Desjardins,
and BCE Emergis today announced
they are joining forces to create one of Canada’s largest
business-to-business electronic marketplaces.
The companies plan to launch a unique new e-procurement company, Procuron Inc., which will use
combined purchasing volumes, along with its world-class strategic
sourcing and e-commerce expertise, to benefit the Canadian business
community.
Procuron will also provide e-procurement services directly to other
large Canadian companies and to emerging vertical exchanges.
Procuron marks a new era in e-procurement, providing Canadian
businesses with a national B2B exchange to buy business products and
services including office equipment and supplies, furniture, computer
hardware and accessories, travel, and courier services.
In the first year, the partners anticipate a total combined spending
of approximately $1 billion through Procuron, which will have its own
sales force.
Together, they will serve more than half of Canadian businesses, and
believe this new procurement alternative will provide an important
value-added service to their customers and other Canadian companies.
“Procuron will revolutionize Canada’s e-commerce landscape,” said
Steve McKeown, president and chief executive officer of Procuron.
“By combining the spending of the partners and making the best use of
their existing channels, we can offer savings and comprehensive
e-procurement and e-commerce services for business customers.”
“Our critical mass and experience will enable us to provide
businesses with the kind of procurement efficiency that has not been
possible until now.”
In the near future, Procuron will be seeking alliances with vertical
exchanges.
The value of North American business-to-business online transactions
is expected to grow from its current level of US $422 billion to
US $2.9 trillion by 2004, comprising an estimated 17 percent of all
business trade, according to Forrester Research.
By that year, it is estimated that more than half of all electronic
business-to-business trade will be conducted through online
marketplaces.
In Canada, the electronic B2B market will generate an estimated $218
billion in transactions.
