PT ForestExpress has picked Moai Technologies to run auctions and reverse auctions at its online timber-products marketplace. Moai makes e-commerce software that lets buyers and sellers negotiate on multiple terms, such as delivery dates, return terms, product availability, as well as price. The timber and paper-products exchange picked Moai for its open platform, the minimal degree of customization required, and how it allowed customers to negotiate over more terms than others, says Kevin Rathie, vice president of applications services. Moai already has deals with three other consortium-backed exchanges.
Size is one.
Backed by Georgia-Pacific Corp., International Paper, Weyerhaeuser Co., The Mead Corp., Boise Cascade Corp. and Willamette Industries, ForestExpress has bigger trading partners and backers than any other exchange in its industry. Also, Moai beat out Ariba, Commerce One and Oracle in the hotly competed bid, Rathie confirms. Corporations are also looking to use Moai for their own private exchanges, Miller says. He disagrees with the view that one model of exchange will come to dominate B2B e-commerce. The way it will roll out is there will be all three.