Sterling Commerce and Ameritech Team to Steer Automotive Industry Suppliers to Online Hub
16 January 2001
Sterling Commerce and Ameritech Team to Steer Automotive Industry Suppliers to Online Hub
DETROIT--Jan. 16, 2001--Ed Whitacre, chairman of SBC Communications Inc. , announced today that two SBC subsidiaries, Sterling Commerce and Ameritech, will work together to provide automotive industry suppliers with complete service packages to facilitate transactions and collaboration with the Big Three and other automakers though the Advanced Network eXchange (ANX) online trading network. The announcement was made today at the Economic Club of Detroit's January meeting.
ANX, in service since 1998, connects vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers in a secure and reliable global network - allowing them to collaborate on product design and development; solicit and process orders; and facilitate just-in-time manufacturing and post shipping schedules. DaimlerChrysler Corp., Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and more than 500 of their suppliers and trading partners participate in the ANX network.
Ameritech, one of five ANX Certified Service Providers (CSPs) since 1998, provides dedicated, high-speed access into ANX. In addition, all ANX transactions - regardless of the CSP employed - are transmitted using TCP/IP protocol through an Ameritech-operated central exchange point. Under the agreement announced today, Sterling Commerce will provide data format translation and connectivity services for those companies on non-ANX compatible systems, enabling them to connect to ANX without investing in costly new technology.
"We at SBC have been working over the past several years to assemble a complete portfolio of data and e-business services that allows us to meet the needs of any business," Mr. Whitacre said. "This combined service package from Ameritech and Sterling Commerce is a perfect example of how we are now able to combine our resources to create customized solutions for specific industries and customer groups.
"Many of our customers have already made significant investments in information technologies - from ERP to EDI VAN. With SBC's service offering, they will now be able to connect to the ANX without changing their existing systems," Mr. Whitacre explained. "In addition, by connecting our customers through Sterling Commerce, we can offer them unprecedented access to other buyers, suppliers and partners through our e-marketplace offerings, which include access to Commerce One's Global Trading Web. Simply put, with this agreement, we are bridging the technology gap for companies throughout the automotive industry that until now have had only limited access to these buying, selling and collaborating opportunities."
Joseph Carrizales, Sterling Commerce's director of automotive industry development, said the ANX service offering leverages Sterling Commerce's strengths in systems integration and its depth of knowledge in Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) protocols as well as Ameritech's expertise in providing always-on, high-speed data service to offer customers a customizable, end-to-end solution.
"The automotive industry represents approximately 25 percent of our total business," said Donna Huddle, manager of application development, LTV Steel. "We chose Sterling Commerce so we could meet the needs of the automotive industry without investing in new technologies. Sterling's ANX solution empowers us to leverage our existing e-business systems, which enable us to realize the efficiencies of e-business with all of our customers regardless of industry. They are also a leader in providing top-of-the-line customer support."
To speak to a Sterling Commerce sales representative about the ANX solution, companies may call 1-800-299-4031, select Option 2 and refer to SCI6112.
About Sterling Commerce / SBC
Sterling Commerce (www.sterlingcommerce.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of SBC Communications, Inc. , is a worldwide leader in powering global e-business communities. The company provides products and services to address E-Marketplaces, e-business integration and e-business consulting.
SBC Communications Inc. (www.sbc.com) is a global communications leader. Through its subsidiaries' trusted brands - Southwestern Bell, Ameritech, Pacific Bell, SBC Telecom, Nevada Bell, SNET and Sterling Commerce - and world-class network, SBC and its affiliated companies provide a full range of voice, data, networking and e-business services, including local and long-distance voice, high-speed Internet access and data transport, voice and data network integration, software and process integration, Web site and application hosting, e-marketplace development, paging and messaging, as well as cable and satellite television, security services, and directory advertising and publishing. In the United States, the company currently has 61.3 million access lines and is undertaking a national expansion program that will bring SBC service to the nation's top 50 markets. SBC has a 60 percent equity interest in Cingular Wireless, its joint venture with BellSouth, which serves 19 million wireless customers. Internationally, SBC has telecommunications investments in more than 20 countries and has annual revenues that rank it among the largest Fortune 500 companies.
SOURCE: SBC Communications, Inc.