ATLANTA--July 26, 2007-- Following a competitive assessment process, IDEAlliance selected Liaison Technologies, a real-time multi-enterprise integration infrastructure provider, to lead a cross industry assessment of business-to-business (B2B) integration readiness. IDEAlliance's membership includes many of the world's largest printers, publishers, paper brokers and paper manufacturers.
Liaison Technologies will lead an analysis of industry capabilities as it relates to both B2B technology and business process readiness. The resulting assessment will be a catalyst for establishing a cross-industry B2B infrastructure to encourage transaction and business process efficiencies, while lowering over all supply chain costs - industry-wide.
"Since its inception, Liaison Technologies has been committed to the vision of an integration platform for the printing and publishing industry," said Bob Renner, CEO of Liaison Technologies. "This is an exciting first step in realizing that vision and business value to the industry as a whole. Liaison Technologies' deep experience in integration combined with its experience in delivering a real-time, multi-enterprise transaction platform makes Liaison the right choice for leading the industry into the realm of supply chain optimization."
Under this initiative, Liaison Technologies will leverage its electronic messaging and subject matter expertise across the paper industry to develop a comprehensive analysis. Liaison will provide IDEAlliance members a plan to lay out specific opportunities that can be executed in support of improving overall supply chain integration efficiencies.
This effort will focus on all aspects of B2B integration with a targeted emphasis on the current paper industry electronic messaging XML standard, papiNet. The analysis will include a consulting assessment of approximately 20 companies in the printing and publishing supply chain. The assessment is open to all IDEAlliance members.
"IDEAlliance and Liaison Technologies have cooperated for several years in supporting the papiNet standard for electronic messaging," said David Steinhardt, President and CEO of IDEAlliance. "This most recent joint initiative is aimed at first understanding our industry's opportunities for increasing the adoption of the papiNet standard and second, developing a comprehensive roadmap for moving forward. Liaison and IDEAlliance are working together to deliver tangible results that truly lead to supply chain optimization."
"As a supplier to the printing and publishing industry, UPM recognizes the tremendous value in driving efficiencies through an integrated supply chain," said Douglas MacArthur, Senior Vice President of Marketing at UPM-Kymmene and Chair, IDEAlliance papiNet North American Management Council. "Liaison and IDEAlliance represent the perfect partnership combination to help lead our industry through this key milestone."
In addition to its professional services expertise, Liaison offers a complete integration managed service which includes document mapping and translation, connectivity management, visibility and monitoring as well as technical operations management.