Briefs.(Brief Article)

E-commerce boom forecast for Asia

Forrester Research Inc., Cambridge, Mass., expects Asia-Pacific e-commerce to reach $1.6 trillion in 2004, with $1.5 trillion of that figure being linked to b-to-b online sales. "The combination of pressure from global trading partners, falling trade barriers and government enthusiasm for e-commerce will aggressively push the region into the Internet economy," said Stuart D. Woodring, Forrester's VP-research for emerging Internet economies. Forrester predicts that e-commerce in Europe will reach $1.5 trillion in 2004, with $1.4 trillion coming from the b-to-b sector. "E-commerce in Europe benefits from a number of inherent strengths -- a coherent regional trading bloc, a strong technology infrastructure and deep connections to global supply chains," said Therese Torris, director of research at Forrester Research B.V.

Elastomer suppliers plan e-marketplace

A group of major suppliers in the elastomers industry, an estimated $40 billion global market, plan to create an e-marketplace. Bayer, CK Witco Corp., DSM Elastomers, DuPont Dow Elastomers L.L.C., Flexsys, M.A. Hanna Rubber Compounding and Zeon Chemicals L.P. will be equity partners in ElastomerSolutions.com. The site is expected to launch in the third quarter and will be open to all industry suppliers and customers. Elastomers are synthetic rubber, latex and other coatings.

Companies to create food-service exchange

Ventro Corp. and Entangible.com announced the creation of a stand-alone company to provide Internet trading for food-service companies. Dubbed Aphire Solutions Inc., the new firm comes to market with three distributor alliances -- Foresight Partners, Premier Foodservice Distributors of America and Golbon. Aphire Solutions faces stiff competition from such competitors as foodbuy.com, Instill Corp. and thesauce.com.

Flowers Online, Intelisys sign deal

Intelisys Electronic Commerce Inc. and Flowers Online have signed an extensive marketing pact. Flowers Online, which sells high-end floral products to corporate clients over the Web, will begin marketing over Intelisys' five global purchasing exchanges.

Medicalbuyer.com plans marketing push

Medicalbuyer.com, Johnson City, Tenn., a trading exchange for medical supplies, has hired William-Labadie and TFA/Leo Burnett Technology Group to boost its overall marketing effort. The move underscores the pressure existing trading exchanges are under to create brand awareness ahead of corporate-driven digital depots. Founded three years ago, Medicalbuyer.com discounts products in the $35 billion medical supplies industry. TFA/Leo Burnett Technology Group and William-Labadie have been assigned to deliver a comprehensive promotional plan and boost the company's brand awareness. Billings for the account were not disclosed.

Bowater, PaperExchange enter alliance

Bowater Inc., a producer of newsprint, announced an agreement with PaperExchange.com Inc. to sell products on the Boston-based pulp and paper e-marketplace. Bowater and PaperExchange.com said they have also agreed to integrate their IT systems, with the goal of giving customers an Internet interface to Bowater's production and distribution systems. In connection with the alliance, Bowater will make an unspecified equity investment in PaperExchange.com.