Companies form strategic global business alliance; sign joint development and marketing agreement
24th April 2000 — Hitachi Data Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE:HIT), and Where2Net, an application service provider (ASP) of e-commerce and mobile-commerce solutions, today announced a strategic alliance to deliver Web-based e-commerce and customer relationship management (CRM) solutions to retailers, e-tailers, and brand marketers in retail stores.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hitachi Data Systems will supply Hitachi VisionDesk™ PCs for Where2Net's Touch and Mortar™ ASP offering, a single-source solution designed to integrate Web, store, and catalog sales channels to deliver target messages, process transactions, automate customer service, and obtain buyer feedback to enhance in-store shopping and profitability.
Hitachi Data Systems and Where2Net will collaborate to market ASP services and develop features and functions that will further optimize Hitachi VisionDesk PCs for Where2Net's ASP offerings. Utilizing the latest Intel Pentium® III processor technology, Hitachi VisionDesk PCs have a streamlined ergonomic design, built-in touchscreen, and all-in-one 22-pound form factor, perfect for space-constrained store environments and vertical applications.
"Where2Net is pioneering a new space, offering a Web-based solution to create and manage an 'online store in a store,'" said Alan Yeung, CEO of Where2Net. "By combining our applications with Hitachi's all-in-one personal computers, we can offer a complete e-commerce solution to retailers who want to communicate with their customers and increase same-store sales."
"The partnership between Where2Net and Hitachi creates a compelling business solution for retailers interested in leveraging Web-based applications in their stores," said Dave Roberson, COO of Hitachi Data Systems. "By partnering with Hitachi, Where2Net is now able to deliver a solution that turns every point of customer interaction into an opportunity for stronger, more profitable customer relationships."
Currently in select PETCO pet stores, Where2Net's Touch and Mortar solution is designed to drive traffic to Petopia.com, a leading online pet store and strategic partner of PETCO. Touch and Mortar offers PETCO customers the opportunity to purchase merchandise that may not be available in PETCO stores. With its interactive applications, Touch and Mortar adds a new dimension to shopping at PETCO by providing in-store customers with easy access to valuable pet-related information and products, along with the convenience of at-home delivery.
Committed to helping customers exploit the value of information technology for success in the Internet economy, Hitachi Data Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE:HIT), is a leading provider of business solutions for the world's most information-intensive corporations. For further information on Hitachi Data Systems, access www.hds.com.
Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, is one of the world's leading global electronics companies, with fiscal 1998 (ended March 31, 1999) consolidated sales of 7,977 billion yen ($65.9 billion). The company manufactures and markets a wide range of products, including computers, semiconductors, consumer products and power and industrial equipment. For more information on Hitachi, Ltd., please visit Hitachi's Web site at http://www.hitachi.co.jp.
¹ At an exchange rate of 124 yen to the dollar.
Where2Net (www.where2net.com ) is an application service provider (ASP) for multi-channel retailing. Its mission is to bring the power of the Internet back to the real world, using Web technologies to help retailers and brand marketers better communicate with their customers and increase sales and profits. Contacts: PR
VisionDesk is a trademark of Hitachi Data Systems. Where2Net and Touch and Mortar are trademarks of Where2Net, Inc.
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