Auction management tools and services company Andale Inc. is merging with Honesty.com, an auction community and
support site, in a move aimed at an e-commerce services network for auction
merchants and large corporate businesses.
The new e-commerce network includes a wide range of auction management tools,
community-based forums and the industry’s first sellers’ council through
Honesty’s Online Traders Web Alliance (OTWA).
Financial details of the merger
were not disclosed.
An Andale spokesman said the deal is being called a merger,
although the new company will be called Andale. The Andale brand will remain
to identify the company and small business/B2B line of products and services.
The Honesty brand will remain to identify the line of products and services
for first time, or casual sellers. The two separate Web sites also will
remain.
The merger strengthens OTWA, an auction community message forum, making it an
official online sellers’ council and, the companies said, “the largest
auction merchant organization in the industry. OTWA will feature regular,
hosted guest forums, educational business seminars, seller chapter meetings,
networking events,
sellers’ polls and buyer services, among other things.
“Together, Andale and Honesty offer a full range of tools, services and
community support that enhance online sales for the whole range of sellers in
the industry, from casual, part-time participants, to ‘power sellers’ that
use online auctions as their primary
source of income, to multi-million dollar corporations leveraging the auction
sales channel,” said Munjal Shah, chief executive officer of Andale.
“Andale brings Honesty users exactly what they have been demanding for the
last 12 months,” said Scott Samuel, CEO of Honesty and chief community
officer of Andale. “Together, we’re a solid unit that has been created to
empower auction
sellers in a proactive manner “