Netscape Communications has appointed Singapore-based SilkRoute Ventures as its first electronic-commerce systems integrator (ECSI) for South-east Asia, to deliver Internet-based business solutions to companies throughout the region.
SilkRoute will help companies build online businesses and provide end-to-end e-commerce solutions, providing services to include consultancy, application design, implementation and training, SilkRoute officials said.
The Netscape/SilkRoute relationship will focus initially on business-to-business solutions for the manufacturing sector, using SilkRoute's EC-Net e-commerce solution.
The Singapore manufacturing arms of Japanese companies Sony and Matsushita Electric Industrial are among the present users of EC-Net. Several multinationals, including IBM with its Lotus Development subsidiary, are expected to join EC-Net this year, SilkRoute officials said.
Under the agreement, SilkRoute has been appointed a systems integrator for Netscape's ECXpert and PublishingXpert, which are core components of the CommerceXpert product suite. Netscape describes CommerceXpert as the first solution in the industry that lets companies link their business networks together for online commerce using open Internet standards.
SilkRoute will also represent Netscape Application Server 2.0, software that is designed to let companies deliver business-critical applications on intranets and extranets.
SilkRoute engineers have received training at Netscape and are now part of a deployment team for business-to-business e-commerce solutions.