e-Commerce Vendor Announces Support of cXML

Ironside Technologies Inc., a supplier of sell-side business-to-business electronic commerce solutions for the mid-tier manufacturing and distribution market, will support Commerce XML.

Commerce XML (cXML) is an open standard for e-commerce that reduces online business costs by providing a lightweight protocol for exchange of supplier content and transaction information via an XML-based open architecture.

This announcement builds on previous news of Ironside's December 1998 membership in Ariba's Supplier Link partner program, whereby Ariba and ASL member companies agreed to work together to define e-commerce standards. cXML is the result of that collaboration.

cXML is a suite of lightweight, end-to-end protocols that defines a method of exchanging content and transaction management information for e-commerce. Ariba incorporated cXML into its suite of products, thereby establishing a scalable, global e-commerce infrastructure that will enable buying organizations and suppliers to more easily exchange information over the Internet.

cXML provides an XML-based infrastructure that will streamline the process of digitally exchanging, updating, supplying, and controlling catalog content and transactions in a secure manner. cXML supports all supplier content management models, including buyer-managed, supplier-managed, content management services, electronic marketplaces and Web-based sourcing organizations. The scalable protocol will allow suppliers to provide customers with selective access to customer-specific and personalized catalog content while maintaining their unique branding and competitive differentiation. cXML will also support exchange of transaction information.

Ironside Technologies Inc., headquartered in Pleasanton, Calif., develops and sells business-to-business electronic commerce solutions for the mid-tier market that allows manufacturers to conduct business over the Internet in real-time. Its flagship product, Ironworks, allows manufacturers' customers to place orders and make inquiries online, with full access to current pricing and inventory information.