Harbinger Announces Initiative to Accelerate Automotive Industry Portals
9 November 1999
Harbinger Announces Initiative to Accelerate Automotive Industry Portals
ORLANDO, Fla.--Nov. 9, 1999--Harbinger Corporation , a worldwide supplier of Electronic Commerce software, services and solutions, announced today its plans to deliver capabilities that will complement and accelerate implementation of Ford's AutoXchange portal and GM's TradeXchange portal.These capabilities will package Harbinger's software and services, including XML and Automotive Network eXchange (ANX) support, to provide solutions that help suppliers integrate with the newly announced automotive portals. The solutions will be delivered via Harbinger's Internet E-Commerce portal, harbinger.net(SM), on behalf of the automotive industry.
"Following last week's announcements, there is general concern among auto-industry suppliers regarding the customized interfaces that the industry portal initiatives will require," said C. Tycho Howle, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Harbinger. "Further, additional announcements are expected which will be even more of a burden for suppliers that do business across multiple industries, each of which are expected to have multiple portals. Implementation for each portal can be complex, expensive and require that the suppliers deal with different standards and technologies.
"Harbinger is already in the process of migrating more than 15,000 desktop software users, many of whom are automotive suppliers, to E5-compliant IP solutions. These solutions are a great fit with the strategies of these two industry giants and their recently announced portal initiatives, as well the other initiatives that are expected to be forthcoming. In fact, since its inception one of harbinger.net's key value-added services has been the provision of a single interface for companies that are asked to exchange B2B transactions with other companies who require different technologies and formats, and have multiple, and sometimes competing, portal requirements."
Harbinger currently supports 50 percent of the E-Commerce enabled suppliers to the major automotive manufacturers. Additionally, Harbinger has been working closely with the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) on ANX support requirements and is preparing to deliver this capability in 4Q99. ANX capabilities will be delivered as a value-added service on harbinger.net with all of the software and trading partner support that differentiates Harbinger's supplier solutions. This will provide low-cost, full-service connectivity for small to medium size automotive suppliers. "These initiatives represent a natural extension of Harbinger's focus on the automotive industry," added Howle. "The portal announcements by GM and Ford complement Harbinger's business-to-business portal strategy."
The announcement was made at Harbinger's Annual Users Conference, E-Commerce Connections '99 in Orlando.
About Harbinger
Harbinger Corporation is a leading worldwide provider of business-to-business Electronic Commerce software, services and solutions. The company maximizes its customers' business potential with comprehensive, scalable E-Commerce solutions that help streamline operations, increase profitability and build electronic trading communities. Harbinger's objective is to serve more customers using Internet Protocols (IP) than any other provider and to establish harbinger.net(SM) as the preferred transaction portal for E-Commerce information and mission-critical, business-to-business E-Commerce transactions. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Harbinger provides worldwide support to its customer community from multiple International operations facilities. For more corporate information, go to www.harbinger.com. Access Harbinger's online EC Resource Center and other network services at www.harbinger.net.
This press release contains statements which may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of Harbinger Corporation and members of its management as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-statements include fluctuation of our operating results, the ability to compete successfully and the inability to predict the outcome of certain litigation matters. Additional factors are set forth in the Safe Harbor Compliance Statement for forward-looking Statements included as Exhibit 99.1 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results.
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