Request4bid.com launched as a reverse
auction site designed to create a marketplace for corporate IT hardware
procurement.
Buyers of mid-range and high-end server hardware may post their needs on the
auction site so vendors may bid. Vendors include VARs, resellers, brokers,
leasing companies and distributors.
“Transaction costs for corporate purchasing, including the time and effort
buyers and suppliers spend finding each other, determining a price, settling
on terms, can be extremely high and often very frustrating,” said Douglas J.
Beighle, president and chief executive officer of Request4bid.com. “Request4bid.com provides a
solution that streamlines the procurement process of enterprise IT hardware
in a way that reduces these transaction costs.”
For vendors, the company said, the new marketplace reduces customer
acquisition costs and allows the convenience of dealing directly with
pre-qualified buyers of IT hardware who know what they want and are ready to
buy. Vendors are charged a transaction fee of two to six percent of sales.
Tools and resources at the site enable buyers to configure products online,
compare manufacturer list prices, view their standard discount and compare
the average price paid for the item(s) in the last 20 transactions. Credit
information is provided so buyers and vendors can authenticate and verify
site members’ credit worthiness prior to bidding.