E-business applications company i2 Technologies Inc. , which
just last week agreed
to acquire RightWorks Corp. in a $114 million deal, today did a partner
pact with webMethods to further integrate their technologies.
As part of the deal, Fairfax, Va.-based webMethods issued a warrant to
Dallas-based i2 under which i2 has the right to purchase up to 750,000 shares
of webMethods common stock for $40 a share, according to published reports.
webMethods was trading at about $26 in the early going today. i2 was down 87
cents at $18.62.
i2 will pay about $10 million for the initial licensing of the software, with
a future revenue-sharing agreement that could generate $100 million in the
next four years, according to published reports.
Both companies said they will dedicate resources to create a specific unit
focused on product development. i2 is currently delivering solutions
leveraging webMethods’ integration capabilities and plans to have solutions
incorporating webMethods’ integration platform by the third quarter of 2001.
Joint sales and marketing plans are also being developed, the companies said.
The deal, reportedly for four years, broadens an earlier agreement to
co-market i2 TradeMatrix Network Services and i2 TradeMatrix Solutions
integrated with webMethods integration solutions. In the expanded
partnership, i2 will use webMethods’ integration platform as a core offering
within the i2 TradeMatrix Network
webMethods will be i2’s preferred vendor for integration of i2 TradeMatrix
Solutions with enterprise and legacy applications. In addition, webMethods
will promote and market i2 TradeMatrix Network Services through webMethods’
B2B.com.
i2 said it would use webMethods’ common integration platform to provide an
open,
standards-based infrastructure for its TradeMatrix Solutions. i2 will
continue to support TradeMatrix API and provide additional support for cXML,
OAG, RosettaNet, EDI, xCBL, and other established and emerging Internet
collaboration standards.
“The webMethods integration platform is already in place at more than 500
industry leading companies and this partnership takes webMethods one step
closer to becoming the ubiquitous platform for integration,” said Phillip
Merrick, chairman and CEO of webMethods.
