Ingram Micro Upgrades Its Online Marketplace with CNET Product Data To Enhance Its Web Offering to 140,000 Resellers Worldwide
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- CNET, Inc. (NASDAQ:CNET)
and Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE:IM)
, the world's largest wholesale provider of technology products and services, today announced that Ingram Micro will license CNET Data Services' Transactive Product Data(TM) to expand product content offerings on its e-commerce marketplaces, enhancing the purchasing experience of more than 140,000 resellers worldwide. The two companies believe that a collaborative effort will bring significant benefits to both customers and strategic partners.
With the integration of CNET's Transactive Product Data, Ingram Micro can provide comprehensive, up-to-date, Internet-ready data, allowing faster and easier access to essential purchasing information for resellers globally. CNET's Transactive Product Data, an extensive multi-lingual database of computer product descriptions, images and specifications, is constructed to greatly enhance the purchase decisions of computer product resellers online. The CNET-branded product data will provide improved viewing of product features and supports Ingram Micro's objective to continue rapidly expanding its online commerce with resellers.
"Developing global e-business solutions for resellers is a key objective for Ingram Micro," said Guy Abramo, chief information officer. "Pairing with CNET provides us with an essential component for raising the service level to our customers and critical product information for resellers sourcing and procuring products online. This data allows Ingram Micro to move its online content to the next level and enables easier and more efficient product searches and transactions between Ingram Micro and its customers."
For CNET, the relationship places CNET-branded content into the world's largest online business-to-business computer marketplace, with Ingram Micro providing unprecedented exposure for CNET, expanding CNET's position as the leading media company linking buyers and sellers of technology products at every level of the online sales channel, from business-to-consumer to business-to-business. The relationship positions CNET as an integral link in the chain of business-to-business transactions between computer resellers and distributors, and further solidifies CNET's role as the leading content provider for technology products for both business buyers and consumers. The agreement with CNET will advance Ingram Micro's vision for the transforming the IT industry through virtual marketplaces and its leadership in providing e-commerce fulfillment and solutions to the largest group of resellers in the world.
"As the common language between the powerhouse Ingram and its massive network of resellers, CNET's Transactive Product Data is positioned to become the worldwide standard," stated Halsey Minor, chairman and chief executive officer of CNET. "This relationship further illustrates that CNET's high-quality, credible content, in its numerous forms, is central to the online buying and selling of computer products -- throughout the computer sales channel."
About CNET Data Services
CNET Data Services is a Swiss affiliate of CNET, Inc. CNET Data Services' Transactive Product Data is available on a licensing basis to online computer retailers, distributors, VARs, computer dealers, manufacturers, IT consultants, systems integrators and other vendors. The service includes management, maintenance and dynamic updating of database content. To date, CNET Data Services has licensed its multi-lingual Transactive Product Data to more than 30 U.S. and European online retailers, resellers and e-commerce content providers, including Commerce One, Outpost.com, Buy.com and Multiple Zones. For more information on CNET Data Services, please contact info@data.cnet.com or visit http://data.cnet.com .
About CNET
CNET, Inc. is at the leading edge of media companies, producing a branded Internet network and television programming for both targeted and general audiences. Online and on television, CNET is the leading authority on computers, the Internet and digital technologies. CNET's network serves millions of users each day. CNET television programming airs on CNBC and in national syndication, as well as nearly 100 foreign countries. CNET currently has investments in cash and marketable securities that are valued at more than $1 billion, including its 13 percent stake in NBC Internet Inc. CNET recently announced its intention to acquire mySimon, inc., a comparison shopping service, for approximately 11.3 million shares of CNET common stock. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2000.
About Ingram Micro Inc.
Ingram Micro Inc., headquartered in Santa Ana, Calif., is the world's largest wholesale provider of technology products and services, and a leader of assembly and integration services with sales of $26.5 billion for the past four reported quarters. The company and its subsidiaries operate in 34 countries and distribute more than 225,000 products to more than 140,000 resellers in 130 countries.
Source: CNET, Inc.
Contact: Karen Wood of CNET, 415-364-8473, or karenw@cnet.com, or
Lisa Landry, lisa_landry@benjamingroup.com, ext. 225, or Jennifer Marchetta,
ext. 224, both of Benjamin Group-BSMG, 714-245-7500, for Ingram Micro