Commerce One touted the deal as a boon to its marketplace business, which has signed more than 100 deals with such companies as General Motors, Boeing, Citigroup, and utilities and energy companies. Consulting and integration services are a major component of building online marketplaces, which can involve hundreds of companies with different needs and technical requirements. Commerce One works closely with consulting firms PricewaterhouseCoopers and Andersen Consulting to provide the bulk of those services, but it also provides a few of its own people on the projects. A spokesman for PricewaterhouseCoopers, which says it has the largest staff of Commerce One-trained consultants, gave the deal his blessing during the press conference. Still, analysts say Commerce One may be risking more than it gains by acquiring AppNet.
Acquisition introduces the possibility of conflict with existing partners.
The companies expect the acquisition to close in about nine days, pending AppNet shareholder approval. InformationWeek Daily Get IT news, stock reports and calendar info delivered by E-mail every morning.