Japan's First Utilities e-Marketplace Goes Live on Joint SAPMarkets and Commerce One Platform - Japan e-Market - Brief Article

Information Superhighways Newsletter, August, 2001

Japan e-Market, a new e-marketplace formed by Japan's leading utility companies, went live with MarketSet, the core technology platform developed by SAPMarkets and Commerce One.

The new e-marketplace, implemented by Commerce One Global Services and Nihon Unisys, a systems integration specialist and an application service provider (ASP), enables utility companies to buy and sell machine parts and materials as well as office supplies on-line. Suppliers will enjoy seamless interfaces with buyers, exposure to new markets, and more standardized processes. Buyers will gain access to new suppliers and benefit from a streamlined supply chain process and lower operating costs. Japan e-Market estimates that companies connected to the e-marketplace will procure US$3 billion in goods and services by the fifth year of operation.

The equity investors of the utilities e-marketplace are Tokyo Electric Power Co., The Kansai Electric Power Co., Chubu Electric Power, Mitsubishi Corp., Mitsui & Co. Ltd., Toshiba Corp., Hitachi Ltd., Nihon Unisys Ltd., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Tohoku Electric Power Co., Hokuriku Electric Power Co., The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Shikoku Electric Power Co., Kyushu Electric Power Co., and The Okinawa Electric Power Co.

MarketSet provides an open e-marketplace platform, powerful applications and integrated business services for collaborative design, planning, procurement, and analysis between trading partners. e-Marketplaces based on this solution help streamline communication among trading partners for faster decision-making, lower transaction costs, reduced inventories, and higher revenues.