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Online collaboration provider Need2Buy announced today it merged with hosted supply chain software maker Efinity Inc. of Aliso Viejo, Calif.
The newly formed company will operate under the name RiverOne Inc.
RiverOne will look to combine Need2Buys online collaboration functionality with Efinitys hosted supply chain solutions to provide what officials term “interactivity” along the supply chain.
By allowing spontaneous communication throughout the electronics product lifecycle–or interactivity–RiverOne also moves into the hotly contested product lifecycle management space. Competitors in that area include Parametric Technology Corp. and Unigraphics Solutions Inc.
RiverOnes suite of software, named INTERactive, improves on Need2Buys and Efinitys offerings by including functionalities like design review, sourcing, planning, forecasting, order lifecycle management and inventory management.
RiverOne will provide real-time collaboration among trading partners to companies in the distributed electronics industry, whereby supply chain partners can view business information across enterprises, make changes and take action while leveraging whatever processes and technology they have in place, according to officials.
RiverOnes INTERactive suite is designed to work directly with a companys enterprise resource planning system and supply chain management software in a hosted environment.
The suite incorporates RiverOnes XML-based CrossStream technology that acts as a universal translator and supports EDI, RosettaNet and Biztalk standards.
Likewise, the INTERactive suite recognizes a companys IPNs (internal part numbers) and maps them to the corresponding part numbers that partners and suppliers use.
The mapping functionality is part of Need2Buys offering. Originally slated as an online electronics marketplace, Need2Buy, of West Lake Village, Calif., made news in August when it brought out its Private Trading Network offering that provides manufacturers with a system to collaborate with partners and suppliers.
Need2Buys hosted PTN service was created specifically for companies that have not implemented a traditional business-to-business infrastructure like Electronic Data Exchange- or XML-based standards.
Chris Smith, Efinitys founder, is RiverOnes executive vice president. Nima Bakhtiary, Need2Buys president, has been named RiverOnes president and chief operating officer. The company will be headquartered in West Lake Village, Calif.