MarketWatch

February 14, 2007

Solectron Forms Medical Alliance Program, Creating Service for Outsourcing Medical-Device Supply Chain
Solectron Corp. has formed the Solectron Medical Alliance Program (S-MAP). The offering creates a single point of contact for "best-in-class" providers of product design, engineering, manufacturing, assembly and aftermarket services, the company said. Charter members, in addition to Solectron, include ATEK Medical, Circle Medical, Proven Process Medical Devices, Inc., and SRI Product Development. Together the companies make up a comprehensive outsourcing "ecosystem" for medical devices. Solectron offers a global network of contract-manufacturing locations near strategic end-markets, along with a roster of suppliers in Asia. The three product-design firms within the alliance-Circle Medical, Proven Process and SRIpd--give the group a geographic reach within one time zone of every U.S.-based original equipment manufacturer (OEM). ATEK offers specialized disposable device capabilities for medical-device OEMs. Solectron draws on its expertise in Lean Six Sigma manufacturing, the company said.
http://ir.solectron.com

Agile Software Launches New Generation of Program Management
Agile Software Corp. has developed the second generation of its Agile Advantage Program Management, part of the vendor's product lifecycle management (PLM) offering for small and medium-sized businesses. According to Agile, the effort helps customers to maintain better visibility and control of program changes, draw on past investments to plan for new programs, and integrate supply chain partners more tightly into changes. Smaller companies often have multiple engineering locations and design partners, the vendor noted. There is a need for a structure that can keep those dispersed partners aligned with program changes, issues and decisions. Agile connects program phases and milestones to its product-record management, quality management and product-compliance management capabilities. The new generation of Advantage Program Management gives executives and program managers enhanced visibility, to ensure that programs are kept under control. It also allows users to track changes to cost, dates and program scope. Companies can realize a return on earlier program investments by locating similar programs in their histories, saving the information as a new program, and beginning a new one with a realistic schedule, Agile said.
http://www.agileadvantage.com

BAX Unveils New Logistics Facility Near Chicago's O'Hare
BAX Global Inc. has debuted a new, large-scale logistics facility near Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Covering 14 acres, the BAX Global-Chicago World Freight Campus includes facilities totaling 228,000 square feet. It is U.S. Customs-bonded, compliant with Technology Asset Protection Association (TAPA) standards and container freight station-bonded. The campus has 84 truck bays, with a 100-foot clear span for domestic cross-dock activities, and 70 trailer-storage spaces to accommodate future air and ocean growth. Other enhancements include an advanced conveyor sort system, dock lock equipment, pneumatic tube systems, time-management systems and radio-frequency infrastructure. BAX Global and Schenker Logistics are both part of DB Logistics, the transportation and logistics division of Deutsche Bahn AG. Schenker and BAX are currently integrating their operations around the world.
http://www.baxglobal.com

Ketera Releases New Version of Spend Analysis Application
Ketera, a vendor of spend-management software, has released Ketera Spend Analysis 5.0, the latest addition to its Mercury Spend Management Platform. The new product gives customers complete visibility into their spend, to help in finding additional cost savings, Ketera said. The application cleanses, normalizes and classifies spend data on both goods and services by using the vendor's spend-processing technology to ensure high accuracy and quick turnaround time in providing spend-analytics reports. Customers can use the software to collaborate at any stage of the spend-classification process. They can review and update data-cleansing business rules and classification results, enabling users closest to the data to make corrections as necessary. Ketera Spend Analysis 5.0 has been designed as a complete end-to-end automated system, providing customers with an intuitive Web 2.0 interface. Ketera offers the software in an on-demand mode, so that small companies can draw on its capabilities according to their needs.
http://www.ketera.com

Evergreen Debuts New Website Services for European Shippers
Evergreen Marine Corp. is providing enhanced electronic-commerce capabilities for shippers in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, through dedicated local websites. Each site will be in the country's native language. Each will include an introduction to Evergreen in that country, as well as a service hotline and contact list for the carrier. A section for local news will also be included. All three websites will offer a variety of information related to international shipping. Export customers will have a bill-of-lading issuance function, by which they can obtain cut-off dates and estimated ship arrival and departure times. For importers, there will be a shipment-availability function, allowing customers to search for such information as estimated time of arrival and call sign of the import vessel. The new websites will provide local export and import information, as well as sailing schedules, cargo tracking, e-booking, bill of lading instruction, internet bills of lading and e-report functions. Customers can generate plans in advance and manage their shipments via the various tools, Evergreen said. Hotline numbers and contact information will be available to those needing to speak with an Evergreen representative.
http://www.evergreen-marine.com

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Microsoft Introduces Automotive Retail Solutions Initiative
Microsoft Corp. has developed the Automotive Retail Solutions Initiative, comprising multiple partners in a dealer-management network. Five companies--DealerTrack Inc., JM Solutions, Manheim, RouteOne LLC and The Cobalt Group Inc.--will directly integrate their product offerings into the upcoming Dealer Management System for Microsoft Dynamics AX. Five additional partners--AutoBase Inc., bridgeSpeak, Chrome Systems Inc., Crowe Chizek and Co. LLC and Oxlo Systems Inc.--will provide complementary services under the initiative. By creating an open-partner "ecosystem," Microsoft hopes to encourage innovation and give dealers more flexibility in managing their businesses. The Dealer Management System for Microsoft Dynamics AX will allow for open integration between Microsoft's technology and systems that serve the specific needs of the automotive dealer industry. The offering is being developed by Microsoft in partnership with Infonizer ApS, a Danish automotive information-technology provider. Pilot implementations are slated to begin in late 2007, Microsoft said.
http://www.microsoft.com

Procuri Issues Application for Corporate Spend Management
Procuri, a vendor of supply-management software, has made available Procuri TotalSpend, a new spend-management application. The product automates and streamlines the spend-management lifecycle, offering spend data extraction and classification, spend visibility and analysis, category management and purchasing knowledge management. It expands on the features of TrueSource, a spend-management software developer which Procuri acquired in September of 2006. Among the features of the new software are enhanced templates to automate the extraction of data from any enterprise resource planning or legacy business system. An intelligent, rules-based engine classifies all types of spend data, including services, at a line-item level. Enhanced reporting and role-based dashboards give users better access to spend intelligence. More than 70 pre-defined reports provide common business views into spend, compliance and supplier data. Category-specific dashboards offer diagnostics for spend, project plans and supplier performance.
http://www.procuri.com

ClearOrbit Discloses Details of Implementation Partner Program
ClearOrbit, a provider of software for supply-chain execution and reverse logistics, has provided details of its Certified Implementation Partner Program, consisting of system integrators within the Oracle PartnerNetwork. The members are trained to provide consulting, implementation and integration services to ClearOrbit's base of manufacturing and distribution customers, as well as sales prospects. Oracle integrators under the program include Navesink Logistics, OSI Consulting and Reilly & Associates. By working with ClearOrbit, the partners expect to provide clients with a wider range of services that complement their existing infrastructures. ClearOrbit's next training and certification program for the program is scheduled for the week of Feb. 25 in Austin, TX.
http://www.clearorbit.com

New Container From Mikoh Offers Improved Security Features
Mikoh Corp., a provider of physical security for radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, has developed the SecureContainer. The reusable box uses a single pressure-sensitive seal to protect its contents from break-ins and commercial loss. It includes disposable plastic inserts which slide into the container doors and are secured to each other using a tamper-resistant seal. If the container is opened, the pressure-sensitive seal becomes damaged, alerting responsible individuals to potential product tampering. Because the seal only contacts the plastic inserts, no cleanup is required, the company said. SecureContainer will work with any pressure-sensitive security seal. Users without RFID systems may use other security-seal technologies such as holographic seals or, for increased security, Mikoh's own Counterfoil or SubScribe seals. For users with RFID systems, SecureContainer works with Mikoh's Smart&Secure technology. The design of the box ensures that Smart&Secure RFID tags are placed in a consistent position and orientation relative to the tag readers, improving reader accuracy.
www.mikoh.com

"K" Line, Partner Set Up Shipping Agency Office in Vietnam
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. ("K" Line), is establishing its own shipping agency in Vietnam. The new office is being operated in partnership with a local Vietnamese company. "K" Line said it has received approval from the Vietnam government to set up the joint venture, in which it holds a 51-percent share. The action is in response to economic development and foreign-trade growth in Vietnam, the company said. The new agency will be known as "K" Line (Vietnam) Limited, in a joint venture with Hai Minh Corp. The head office will be located in Hanoi, with plans for two branch offices in Haiphong and Ho Chi Minh City. The agency is scheduled to begin operations on April 1.
http://www.kline.com


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