Steelscreen Launches Metal XML.

Steelscreen Launches Metal XML. Bringing standardisation to a dynamic global marketplace. Stockholm, April 7, 2000, Steelscreen can today present Metal XML, the world's first proposal for an industry standard for the on-line metal trade, in co-operation with their strategic partner Icon Medialab Sweden. Metal XML is a joint industry effort to accelerate e-commerce and Internet integration between metal buyers and sellers, e.g. regarding offers, warehouse information and order status. The standard is presented on the www.Metal-XML.org site, where information about updates and collaboration partners will also be published on an ongoing basis. The development of Metal XML will enable cost efficient integration of a broad range of data exchange services. The initial focus is to reduce the administrative costs in the inquiry/order fulfilment process and in product information exchange. By jointly developing an industry standard at an early stage, the cost and time of the electronic message integration of the metal industry can be substantially reduced. Significantly, the major cost and time that was required to launch EDI solutions, where there were competing and bi-lateral protocols, will be avoided. "Our objective for Metal XML is to establish an industry standard which will benefit the entire industry. Initially, Metal XML will also meet the Steelscreen integration need and make it much easier to connect buyers' and sellers' ERP systems to the Steelscreen marketplace. The combination of the Steelscreen market place and Metal XML will bring substantial benefits to the industry," said David Schelin, Chief Executive Officer of Steelscreen. Intel Corporation, which generates over $1 billion a month in revenue from its Internet e-Business activities, welcomed the initiative to set the standard for e-Business adoption in the metal industry. Dave Hazell, director Northern Europe, commented: "The Metal XML standard will help to enable the new digital economy and enable the metal industry to reap the rewards of e-Business." "With Metal-XML.org the EDI standardisation work done by European ship yards, the European steel industry and classification societies in the EDIMAR project, can be leveraged into the new economy e-business", says Reinhard Ahlers, BALance Technology Consulting GmbH. "At SAP we welcome the establishment of an industry standard, in this case in the metal industry, where we currently have two leading and successful customers - SSAB Tunnplåt and Tibnor AB. The development of industry standards for electronic marketplaces will benefit trade between companies in all industries. This is an area where SAP, with its new Internet venture mySAP.co, sees major opportunities for growth," says Thomas Therborn, director of E-commerce at SAP Svenska AB. On www.Metal-XML.org, Steelscreen is inviting all parties involved in the metal market, as well as other interested parties, to participate in the next phase of developmental work on Metal XML. In addition to a number of metal industry companies, some of the corporations who will be involved in the discussions and development of Metal-XML are SAP, Icon Medialab, BALance and Steelscreen. For further information, please contact: David Schelin, CEO, Steelscreen, cell phone: +46 70 216 43 56, david.schelin@steelscreen.com Anders Tholén, Steelscreen, cell phone: +46 70 623 88 83, anders.tholen@steelscreen.com Complementary information XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is the emerging internet standard for data sharing between applications and is developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Steelscreen is the European Internet market place for trade in steel and metals. Steelscreen provides the most efficient marketplace for buyers and seller of metal products. Users of Steelscreen thereby benefits from lower costs, simplified routines, improved access, better overview and transparency of the market, and a range of new services to facilitate selling and procurement activities. Steelscreen is a European company focusing on the specific requirements of the European metals market. The company was founded in October 1999 by people with great experience of the steel and telecoms businesses; Peter Anderberg and Anders Candell from Avesta Sheffield, Fredrik Öhrn from Boliden plus David Schelin from Ericsson. Steelscreens primary investors are Reuter Ventures, Prime Technology Ventures, and Speed Ventures. Among the active advisors are: Hans Jacob Waern, formally marketing director at Avesta Sheffield plus Orvar Nyquist, former CEO at Jernkontoret. Chairman of the Board is Peter Sederowsky, Setterwalls Advokatbyrå. BALance Technology Consulting GmbH have vast experience from XML and EDI projects in the steel industry and the marine industry supply chain. BALance are presently working with Salzgitter, exchanging steel plate quality and certificate information with customers and certification authorities, and with EDI/XML supply chain projects for several European ship yards, including Harland & Wolff and Stoczinia Gdnyia. The European EDIMAR-project has set up EDI standards for European ship yards supply chains, including partners such as the European long products producer INEXA, and major European ship yards such as Fincantieri, HDW, Chantier de LÁtlantique and Astilleros Espanoles. ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/04/07/20000407BIT00430/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/04/07/20000407BIT00430/bit0002.pdf