17 November 2004 — GXS today announced that its e-commerce integration platform, Trading Grid, will strengthen the growth of the automotive industry in emerging markets, such as Asia Pacific and eastern Europe. A one-size-fits-all interface for partners involved in the automotive supply chain providing end-to-end visibility of the value chain, Trading Grid draws new, smaller and less technologically enabled players to the table while benefiting larger partners seeking to expand in nascent markets.

For small and medium-sized businesses taking their first tentative steps in the wider global trading environment, communicating with new partners across the automotive supply chain can be an overwhelming experience. Thorny problems such as local practices, cultures and language barriers, lack of interoperability and connectivity between enterprises due to technology ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ and a poor grasp of varying business processes are resolved through Trading Grid. Trading partners can direct the money, time and energy saved into building their business instead.

Scott Molitor, global director of automotive business at GXS, said: “The challenges inherent in developing an automotive supply chain in unsophisticated and burgeoning markets have increased commensurately with fierce levels of competition. Trading Grid delivers the edge necessary to stay ahead in tough trading environments. Bringing Davids and Goliaths together for mutual benefit in previously unexplored markets with a system that simplifies and enhances business processes all along the chain is a great improvement on the status quo and highly desirable for everyone. Automation of global trading communities and elimination of manual and duplicative efforts enables new levels of process integration and business intelligence, without the distraction of complying with continually developing standards, technology and other complexities.”

Even if local entrepreneurs are only equipped with very simple technology – such as a phone or a web browser – Trading Grid enables them to interface seamlessly with trading partners who may be equipped with more sophisticated systems without the need for costly investment in technology, people and training. Trading Grid offers universality, which brings greater predictability and comfort all round, addressing the discrepancies in standards and technology inherent in dealing with new, perhaps much larger, partners and providing a path to market for all players.

In bringing greater numbers of local partners into contact with global automotive players, not only do SMB’s benefit from increased trading opportunities, they’re also driven to raise their game, fostering widespread leaps forward across the market, industry or sector. Similarly, new entrants to local markets need the native expertise offered by such enterprises, particularly in the fields of high-tech manufacturing and the transferable technology resulting from this industry, offering significant benefits for all involved.

About GXS Trading Grid
GXS Trading Grid® is a globally-accessible, real-time platform for business process networking. Trading Grid helps customers automate global trading communities by shielding complexity from rapidly-changing standards, eliminating manual and duplicative efforts, and enabling a new level of process integration and business intelligence. Through direct integration with GXS’ Trading Grid, both large and small customers can extend existing ERP investments and cost-effectively achieve new levels of collaboration and business success. For more information on Trading Grid, visit www.gxs.com/TradingGrid.

About GXS
GXS is a leading global provider of B2B e-commerce solutions that simplify and enhance business process integration and collaboration. Organisations worldwide, including more than 75 percent of the Fortune 500, leverage GXS Trading Grid® to achieve balance between supply and demand. Active in the global standards arena, GXS solutions enable customers both large and small, to connect with global partners, synchronise product information, optimise inventory levels and demand forecasts, and accelerate the execution of supply chains.

Headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., GXS provides sales and support to businesses and their partners worldwide. For more information about GXS visit www.gxs.co.uk.