Just2clicks.com PLC
10 July 2000
Just2clicks.com plc
('J2C' or 'the Company')
STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WITH ORBITAL SOFTWARE TO BUILD THE
NEXT GENERATION OF B2B TRADING COMMUNITIES
J2C (www.just2clicks.com) is totally focused on deriving
B2B e-commerce revenues worldwide from Intelligent
Marketplaces and is the UK's largest quoted operator of
business-to-business ('B2B') vertical trading
communities. These vertical communities are designed to
benefit from the Internet's ability to allow businesses
in the same industries to communicate and trade with each
other on-line. J2C today announces a strategic alliance
with Orbital Software Group Limited ('Orbital'), a
leading provider of scalable, person to person, Q&A
infrastructure for Internet and corporate portals.
The global alliance with Orbital is aimed at building and
delivering Intelligent Marketplaces - the next generation
of B2B e-marketplaces across the world. The alliance
intends to exploit the opportunities afforded by the
anticipated explosion in B2B e-commerce by creating
extremely powerful information, data and trading sites
that facilitate significant reductions in the cost of
procurement and create added value for all users of the
relevant marketplaces.
'Successful next generation vertical e-marketplaces
combine three critical components which this alliance
will deliver - specific content (products and services),
the ability to conduct e-commerce transactions and an
interactive 'knowledge sharing' community', commented
Karl Watkin, Chief Executive of J2C.
Notwithstanding the technology, the key features of
vertical e-marketplaces are their speed and ease of
connecting people together to facilitate more informed
decision making related to buying and selling of products
and services.
Orbital's Organik technology facilitates this whole
process by enabling buyers and sellers to interact with
each other in a dedicated space where they can ask
specific questions and get tailored answers from experts
who can help them make the right decision as quickly as
possible. Orbital's question and answer (Q & A)
technology will thus offer significant benefits when
combined with J2C's vertical trading communities by
affording B2B knowledge trading which will improve
decision making, increase procurement efficiencies,
enhance industry co-operation and 'glue' users to J2C's
sites.
'By offering our leading edge capabilities in delivering
content and commerce with Orbital's knowledge sharing
technology, we are delivering the next generation of e-
marketplaces in order to lead in a phenomenal growth
market,' added Watkin.
J2C and Orbital estimate that almost 50% of e-commerce in
the B2B arena will be conducted through sector specific
business exchanges and will account for several trillion
dollars of trade over the next 3-5 years.
Both McKinsey and Forrester support this view, with the
former estimating that professionals buying online will
rise from 25% today to 90% by 2002 - an increase fuelled
by cost and time savings that they estimate are in excess
of 70%. Forrester predicts that e-commerce in the supply
chain will account for some 45 % of all web based trading
and could total approximately US$2.7 trillion by 2004.
Kevin Dorren, Chief Executive of Orbital, commented:
'This is a multi-trillion dollar market that we aim to
penetrate by leading, not following. In teaming up with
J2C, we can combine our Q & A technology with their
unparalleled capabilities in delivering e-marketplaces
for specific sectors. Together we can effectively
establish leading edge Intelligent Marketplaces in a
fraction of the time that it would take anyone else to
build. Simply put, we offer scalability, speed, value add
and cost reduction in one package.'
The two organisations are effectively moving the generic
'B2B marketplace' on to the next stage in its development
by creating a significant element of added value through
the provision of business focussed intelligence as a core
element to the marketplace.
Karl Watkin, Chief Executive of J2C, added:
'The market opportunity is immense - by harnessing our
capabilities with Orbital's groundbreaking Q & A
technology, we can offer companies substantial
competitive advantage, delivering tangible bottom line
benefits for those utilising our Intelligent
Marketplaces.'
By allowing industries to logically share intelligence
and thus drive down costs as well as improving
efficiencies it is anticipated the strategic alliance
will generate significant financial returns for everyone
involved.
ENQUIRIES:
Just2clicks.com plc Tel: + 44 7808 690069
Karl Watkin, Chief Executive E-mail:[email protected]
Orbital Software Tel: +44 07803 904769
Ewan Hunter, Corporate Affairs E-mail:[email protected]
College Hill Tel: + 44 207 457 2020
Nicola Weiner E-mail:[email protected]
Archie Berens E-mail:[email protected]
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Orbital Software (http://www.orbitalsw.com)
Orbital Software is a leading provider of scalable,
person-to-person, Q&A infrastructure for Internet and
Corporate portals. Orbital's Organik software brings
people and information together, creating an environment
in which users can ask questions, find experts and share
knowledge. Orbital creates online expert communities that
help boost website traffic, improve customer satisfaction
and foster user productivity.
Founded in 1995, Orbital has European headquarters in
Edinburgh, UK with US headquarters in Boston, MA.
Additional information about Orbital Software and its
complete product line can be accessed on the World Wide
Web at http://www.orbitalsw.com.
Orbital is a registered trademark of Orbital Software
Group Limited or its subsidiaries. Orbital Software is a
trade name of Orbital Software Group Limited. All other
company or product names mentioned may be trademarks of
the respective companies with which they are associated.
Just2Clicks.com plc (http://www.just2clicks.com)
Just2Clicks is totally focused on deriving transactional
revenues from B2B eCommerce worldwide and is the UK's
largest quoted operator of B2B vertical trading
communities. These vertical communities are designed to
benefit from the Internet's ability to allow businesses
in the same industries to communicate and trade with each
other on-line. J2C currently operates four vertical
trading communities, three of which are wholly-owned
subsidiaries operating in the Electric Power industry
(www.pmsl.net), the Pulp & Paper industry
(www.pulpandpaper.net) and the Road Transport Industry
(www.translinx.com). J2C's fourth vertical trading
community is e-cement.com, an online trading community
for the Cement Industry, in which J2C has a 40% interest.
The other 60 per cent is owned by Blue Circle Industries.
In February 2000, J2C obtained a listing on the
Alternative Investment Market and raised approximately
GBP50m ($80m).