Stralfors wins Web-based IT supplies contract from ABB

Stralfors wins Web-based IT supplies contract from ABB Stralfors AB is pleased to announce that it has signed a new two-year contract to deliver IT supplies to ABB's Nordic units. All products will be ordered via Trade-it, Stralfors' Web-based marketplace. All ABB companies in the Nordic region, including 100 in Sweden, are covered by the contract. The contract will give ABB companies realtime access to product information and a constantly updated price list. The deal is yet another example of the rapid growth of business-to-business e-commerce. "We chose Stralfors because up-to-date product information and price lists are vital for a company like ABB - anything else just doesn't work," comments Staffan Söderbäck, senior contract manager at ABB IT Partner. "The future will also see us using electronic channels for invoices and other types of communication." Attractive turnkey solutions for e-commerce Stralfors' turnkey e-commerce solutions are proving extremely attractive to many customers. The Trade-it site allows for customised purchasing solutions covering many of Stralfors' products and services, primarily for the company's IT-Supplies business area, which is the largest player in its field in the Nordic countries. Meanwhile, Stralfors TradeCom Solutions AB creates efficient e-commerce solutions that combine Internet trading with EDI in areas such as ordering and invoicing. Using in-house software packages Astrad and Alliance, Stralfors can help companies to create e- commerce solutions quickly that not only work well in a Web environment, but also link existing business systems efficiently. E-commerce halves purchasing costs Efficiency, greater control and shorter lead times mean that trading over the Internet is estimated to slash purchasing costs by as much as 10-50%. Since the Trade-it site is fully integrated into Stralfors' business system, customers can place orders directly with the system via the Internet. The IT-Supplies business area - which is adding around 200 new products a month - is particularly dependent on rapid e-commerce, and over 1,800 customers currently use Trade-it to place orders and obtain information, with many more users joining each month. Stralfors operates in the field of information transfer, focusing on computer-related products and services. Group turnover for 1999 totalled SEK 2.6 billion. The group has operations in 11 countries and 1,580 employees worldwide, 840 of whom are based in Sweden. Stralfors has been listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange since 1984. For further information please contact: Per Nyström, marketing director, Tel: +46 40 661 3762 Mobile: +46 70 972 9500 Stralfors Peter Karlsson, business area Tel: +46 372 855 22 Mobile: +46 708 885 221 manager, Stralfors IT-Supplies Conny Rexed, acting MD, Tel: +46 31 893 828 Mobile: +46 70 594 1701 Stralfors TradeCom Solutions AB Staffan Söderbäck, senior Tel: +46 21 32 37 60 Mobile: +46 70 532 57 60 contract manager, ABB IT Partner ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/04/04/20000404BIT01430/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/04/04/20000404BIT01430/bit0002.pdf