GXS, an integration services provider, has acquired RollStream, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider of enterprise community management. By combining the RollStream solution with GXS Trading Grid, an integration cloud, GXS expects to enhance the performance of global business and supply chain operations for its customers.
The acquisition deepens GXS’s long-term commitment to the social supply chain, a vision that brings together information flows and information workers to break down barriers hampering supply chain efficiency. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Both companies are based in Washington, D.C.
“Our customers realize they need a balance of people, process and technology to compete on a global scale, and they know that the human side of B2B integration matters,” says Bob Segert, CEO of GXS. “At GXS, we are firm believers that integration belongs in the cloud and the RollStream acquisition enables us to accelerate this vision.”
For many organizations, integrating business communities is getting more complex, as transactions are expected to double by 2014 across Global 2000 organizations and the lines are blurring between traditional B2B e-commerce transactions and cloud integration. Despite social software’s transformation among consumer interactions, supply networks are still often bogged down with out-of-date contact lists, hard-to-share supplier certifications, and a reliance on faxes, email and spreadsheets. Using RollStream, procurement teams can simplify the human side of B2B integration, minimizing supplier compliance risk and improving supplier time-to-market by up to 60% in some cases.
The acquisition builds upon the companies’ business partnership that began in 2009 and helps accelerate the rollout of RollStream’s products across the GXS portfolio. The GXS RollStream service is available today and will be internationalized and available with local language support by first quarter 2012.
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