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GM, DaimlerChrysler, VW, Renault, Peugeot-Citroen Gather

15 May 2000

GM, DaimlerChrysler, VW, Renault, Peugeot-Citroen and Many More Gather To Discuss the Implications of NewCo, E-procurement, CRM, the Supply Chain, Business-to-Employee and More in Paris, June 5-6 2000

    PARIS, May 15 Alan Turfe, the Executive Director of GM's
TradeXchange, opens this year's E-Business Automotive Europe 2000 the industry
meeting place for e-business executives.
    NewCo, the world's largest online exchange, is one of the many new
E-business initiatives showcased at the event.  Turfe is set to outline how
far the big three have come in finalising their joint venture and will point
out how suppliers can gain from it, an issue which has been causing a huge
international debate over exactly who will profit from the giant exchange.
    GM's group vice president of worldwide purchasing, Harold Kutner, recently
announced, "Not only is it unprecedented for GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler to
come together to form this type of joint venture, but it's also the largest
Internet business ever created.  Nobody will be better.  Nobody will be
faster.  Nobody will offer more to everyone involved."
    GM's Turfe will join senior executives from DaimlerChrysler, Renault,
Volkswagen, PSA, Siemens and Valeo to share real-life solutions on the key
issues with their industry peers and potential partners.
    Event topics include: E-procurement, Business-to-Employee training,
European auto retail and distribution and the 'Virtual Marketplace'.
    The event website http://www.eyeforauto.com provides full programme
information.
    Attendees will interact with the expert group of speakers in Q&A sessions
after the speeches, case studies and panel sessions.  Free SAP and FirePond
hands-on training workshops offer experience and innovative ideas for the
senior level attendees.
    Manufacturers from both sides of the Atlantic are pushing e-business
because they're eager to reap a procurement efficiency harvest estimated by
Goldman Sachs at $1,064 per vehicle built -- if today's red tape and time lags
can be cut out of purchasing systems.
    While the Business-to-Business online market has been reported to have the
potential of swelling to $4 trillion by 2003, there are still significant
entry barriers faced by European automotive suppliers.
    "Costs, alliances and standards are all uncertain.  The only certainty is
that senior automotive industry executives must have an up-to-the-minute
understanding of all the issues or face being left behind," says Vanessa
Munoz-Molina, the conference director.
    "E-Business Automotive Europe in Paris this June is the conference which
addresses all the key questions and provides a unique platform for structured
discussion and debate among suppliers, manufacturers and distributors."