RedTail Solutions Acquires Xpress Data Synchronization Technology From Computer Horizons Corp.; Suppliers Gain Ability to Meet Requirements of Major Retailers for Clean Data and Adoption of RFID

Business Wire,  July 26, 2005  

Tags: RFID, supplier

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

WESTBOROUGH, Mass. -- RedTail Solutions, Inc., the leading provider of outsourced electronic trading solutions for mid-size suppliers, today announced that it has acquired the Xpress(TM) technology platform, a suite of software and services designed to rapidly facilitate product data synchronization between trading partners, from Computer Horizons Corp. (CHC).

RedTail will incorporate the technology into its own electronic data interchange (EDI) offerings to give middle-market and enterprise level companies fully integrated solutions that comply with standards for global data synchronization (GDS) and radio frequency identification (RFID) This combined platform will serve as the basis for the handling of error-free transaction exchange and extending visibility throughout the supply chain.

RedTail said it has acquired the Xpress technology platform and all of its associated intellectual property, which was originally developed by Commerce One, a pioneer along with the Uniform Code Council (UCC) in the field of product data synchronization. As part of this transaction, CHC is assigning all of the Xpress customer contracts and service agreements to RedTail. Further, CHC, a leading provider of IT services and staffing to the enterprise, and RedTail have agreed to structure a channel relationship.

Key Xpress Employees Added

Significantly, several key employees associated with the Xpress practice have joined RedTail's senior management team, including David Unger as CTO, (formerly head of the Xpress practice and CTO of Business Solutions for CHC) and Ted Trask (of Commerce One and most recently director of delivery for Xpress at CHC) as vice president of Business Solutions.

Unger, an early leader in the development of e-business portals, was the strategic force behind the acquisition of the Commerce One Xpress data synchronization platform. In his new role as CTO, Unger is responsible for creating the technology roadmap and using his strategic vision to build and manage a class of unique supply chain solutions for the middle market that are based on the remarkable fit of Xpress data synchronization with the RedTail transaction exchange platform.

In his new role as VP Business Solutions, Trask, who has been involved in the Global Data Synchronization effort from its beginnings with UCCnet, brings deep domain knowledge along with experience in program implementation that will be critical to RedTail's ramp up of customer acquisitions through channel partners.

RedTail's service-based solution enables suppliers to meet the requirements for electronic trading imposed by large enterprises in the retail, automotive and distribution segments without having to make their own investment in infrastructure or specialized expertise. Its solutions are currently marketed with mid-market accounting software publishers including SAGE and Microsoft through partnerships with more than 150 of their value-added resellers. Middle-market companies account for more than 300,000 suppliers in the U.S. supply chain.

The Xpress suite of products and services is designed to help trading partners synchronize product data directly through source data pools like UCCnet and Transora and then synchronize this data with others that communicate with the GS1 Global Registry(TM). In addition to Xpress Messenger(TM), Xpress Conveyor(TM) and Xpress Enabler(TM)(for SAP) applications products, the Xpress Entree(TM), Xpress Start(TM) and Xpress Ready(TM) services include data integration tools, training workshops and support services that are geared specifically toward streamlining the process and ensuring that manufacturing companies quickly gain the full benefits of data synchronization and are RFID-ready.

Through the acquisition of Xpress, RedTail now has the capability to deliver a full suite of compliance solutions and services integrated to business systems of both enterprise and middle-market suppliers that will extend supply chain visibility and result in near-term ROI for adopters.

According to Patricia Meisner, CEO of RedTail Solutions, "Xpress is considered to be one of the leading data synchronization solutions and fits well with both our current architecture and business strategy. From the beginning, RedTail adopted a solution design that integrated EDI with a supplier's accounting/business system. Data synchronization becomes an extension of data validation that RedTail has already built for the middle-market supplier, and a pre-requisite for widespread supplier adoption of RFID. The seamless integration of these serve not only as underpinnings to the transaction base, but as a strong foundation for other new products in the areas of product information management (PIM) and RFID middleware. We have never been more excited about the possibilities to enable middle-market companies to fully participate in the global supply chain and to deliver business intelligence to them as well."

About RedTail Solutions, Inc.

RedTail Solutions, Inc., a privately held company, located in Westborough, MA, is a leading provider of electronic trading solutions and services that enables middle market companies to fully participate and compete in the global supply chain. Its proprietary service platform integrates seamlessly with existing business systems for middle-market and enterprise-level companies, providing advanced levels of visibility and control over the supply chain, eliminating transaction errors, streamlining business processes and reducing penalties for non-compliance. RedTail's solutions incorporate standards for global data synchronization (GDS), electronic data interchange (EDI) and radio frequency identification (RFID) to meet evolving market requirements. The company handles the exchange of thousands of purchase orders, invoices and shipping transactions every day on behalf of its customer base, consisting of small to mid-size suppliers to retail, grocery and industrial segments with more than 200 of the largest retailers and industrial companies. For more information, visit www.redtailsolutions.com.