| NEW YORK - Dec. 22, 1999--Intelisys Electronic Commerce, Inc., a leader
in global business-to-business e-commerce, announced today that it will
team up with Starwood Resorts Hotels Worldwide, Inc., one of the world�s
largest hotel and leisure companies, to help them connect directly with
suppliers online and reduce the costs of purchasing.
Starwood, which through its subsidiaries operates the Sheraton, Westin,
St. Regis, Luxury Collection, Four Points, W and Caesars brands, will move
all of its purchasing of supplies and services to the Web using IEC-Enterpise�,
Intelisys� Internet-based purchasing tool for Fortune 1000 companies and
other large public entities. IEC-Enterprise is open to all of Starwood�s
suppliers, linking end-users via the Web directly to supplier catalogs.
Because it enables suppliers to update their online catalogs with real-time
pricing and inventory information, IEC-Enterprise cuts down on costly errors,
shrinks companies� purchasing cycles from weeks to days, reduces administrative
overhead and frees managers from paper pushing.
 Lloyd
O�Connor, Chief Executive Officer of Intelisys, said: �We�re delighted
to provide Starwood with an easier, faster way to connect with its suppliers
over the Internet. From our experience working with Fortune 500 companies,
such as Ford and Texas Instruments, we believe that Starwood will be able
to slash its costs of purchasing by up to 40% annually. We look forward
to helping Starwood use the Web as a venue for their purchasing that will
help improve operations.�
Beginning in the first half of next year, Starwood employees will be
able to access an internal company Web site where they can browse catalogs
from authorized suppliers and buy products and services directly from their
desktops using a standard browser. IEC-Enterprise will automate all purchasing-related
workflow, including purchase orders, fulfillment, delivery and payment,
giving Starwood a consolidated look at both its enterprise-wide procurement
picture and spending with individual suppliers.
IEC-Enterprise uses the open standards of the Internet to rapidly enable
Starwood�s suppliers and maximize their existing e-commerce investment.
Suppliers with existing e-commerce catalogs can connect electronically
with Starwood and other Intelisys IEC-Enterprise customers using Intelisys�
low-cost supplier-enablement tools - IEC-CatalogLink and IEC-OrderLink
- to sell their products and services to any company using IEC Enterprise
or other open standards procurement application. Starwood suppliers new
to the Internet will be able to take advantage of Intelisys� catalog set-up
tools and IEC-SupplyNet, a hosted catalog service sponsored by Intelisys,
to connect with IEC-Enterprise customers electronically. Intelisys� e-commerce
on-ramp also includes PurchaseNet, a Web-based service consisting of a
secure �mailbox� for receiving and processing orders.
Intelisys� patented Supplier Managed Content� process suppliers develop,
maintain and control their online catalogs. This relieves companies of
the expense and management burdens associated with hosting redundant supplier
catalogs and allows suppliers to maximize their current e-commerce investment
and dramatically reduce administrative costs.
About Intelisys Electronic Commerce
Headquartered in New York, Intelisys Electronic Commerce
() is a leading provider of Internet-based business-to-business purchasing
solutions for companies of all sizes.
Intelisys� IEC-Enterprise suite of products enables both
private and public large-scale entities to dramatically reduce the high
cost of procuring non-production goods and services, while increasing management
control.
The U.S. Patent office recently awarded Intelisys a patent
for the innovative process upon which IEC-Enterprise is based - Supplier
Managed Content�. IEC-Enterprise received �Best of Show� honors at the
1999 Gartner Group Internet and Electronic Commerce Conference and Exposition.
With IEC-Portal, Intelisys is applying its Internet procurement
expertise to meet the e-commerce needs of small and mid-sized companies,
both as suppliers and buyers.
Formed in 1996, Intelisys clients include The Ford Motor
Company, Texas Instruments Telstra, Western Geophysical (a division of
Baker Hughes), The Chase Manhattan Bank, and the States of New York, Massachusetts
Texas, Utah and Idaho. |
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