New Suppliers Expand Works.com's Marketplace to Include Computer, Electronics And Wireless Telecommunications Products and Services
AUSTIN, Texas, March 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Works.com, the leading Internet business purchasing service, today announced that Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE:IM)
and Everything Wireless have joined its wholesale marketplace, expanding Works.com's business offerings to include a full range of computer, electronics and wireless telecommunications products and services. With these partnerships, Works.com customers can now automate the purchasing of over 30,000 business products, including computer software and hardware, business machines, telecommunications devices and plans, office supplies, furniture and maintenance and janitorial supplies. The online purchase automation capabilities of the Works.com service combined with the expanded product offerings, further solidifies Works.com's position as the No. 1 purchasing service for small and midsize business.
"With distribution to over 1.2 million small and midsize business customers, we've demonstrated that automated purchasing is something this market segment takes seriously," said Bo Holland, co-founder and CEO of Works.com. "The addition of Ingram Micro and Everything Wireless to the Works.com marketplace allows them to reach this often elusive market segment and ensures that our customers have access to products and services they need to run their businesses effectively."
Through its partnership with Ingram Micro, the world's largest provider of technology products and services, Works.com now offers desktop and portable computers, PDAs, monitors, printers, scanners, storage devices, input devices, power protection, networking products, memory, peripherals and software. Top brands include 3Com, Adobe, American Power Conversion (APC), Canon, Epson, HP, IBM, Iomega, Microsoft, Seagate, Symantec, Toshiba and Umax.
Works.com's partnership with Everything Wireless, a leading distributor of wireless products, will provide customers access to top wireless telecommunications products from Ericsson, Nokia and Motorola, as well as wireless service plans, including AT&T Digital One Rate, Omnipoint Wireless Service, Sprint PCS and SunCom.
"Works.com is a valuable channel through which small and midsize businesses can procure their technology products and services," said Dave Nalley, vice president and general manager, consumer and Internet markets division for Ingram Micro. "Through our partnership, we're able to deliver high-quality, high-value products with the added benefit of online purchase automation. We look forward to a successful relationship with Works.com."
Companies of all sizes spend a significant portion of their revenues -- up to 35 percent, according to Aberdeen Group -- on indirect business purchases (e.g., purchases of items like office supplies, computers, travel, etc.). In addition, computing and electronics is expected to make up the largest portion (57 percent) of online business trade in 2000, according to Forrester Research. As the leading Internet purchasing service for small and midsize businesses, Works.com is helping customers streamline the purchasing of these and a wide range of other business products at wholesale direct and volume discounted prices.
"Works.com provides Everything Wireless with a proven sales and infrastructure tool to reinforce our strong business-to-business marketing program," said Richard Swerdlow, Everything Wireless CEO. "As a Works.com merchant partner, we gain the ability to both leverage our own database through their front-end purchasing system and give Works.com's customer base access to our product line to help meet their business needs."
About Ingram Micro
Operating in 34 countries, Ingram Micro Inc. is the world's largest wholesale provider of technology products and services, with sales exceeding $28 billion in 1999. Ingram Micro's key business units deliver fulfillment and distribution, product acquisition and selection, supply-chain automation and programs, as well as eProcurement to more than 175,000 technology solution providers, manufacturers and businesses located in more than 100 countries. Ingram Micro is driving the evolution of wholesale distribution for the information technology industry and is the operations engine behind leading global e-businesses today.
About Everything Wireless (http://www.everythingwireless.com/)
Everything Wireless is the nation's first and largest direct marketer of cellular and PCS phones, accessories, pagers, two-way radios and GPS navigational devices. Working with every major manufacturer and service provider, Everything Wireless offers its customers more than 6,000 products as well as cellular and PCS phone activation in all 50 states. Everything Wireless is a wholly owned division of ROXY.com, the Internet's fastest growing retailer of digital consumer electronics products and services. ROXY.com is ranked #107 on Inter@ctive Week magazine's "Internet 500" list of the nation's top e-commerce companies. Major ROXY.com equity partners include Federated Department Stores (NYSE:FD)
, through its Fingerhut Companies subsidiary; NBC Internet Inc. (NASDAQ:NBCI)
; and ValueVision International Inc. (NASDAQ:VVTV)
.
About Works.com (http://www.works.com/)
Works.com is an Internet business purchasing service that automates the purchasing process and gives small and midsize companies volume purchasing power. With Works.com, companies can increase buying efficiency and control spending more effectively by automating and streamlining their purchase process -- from purchase request and approval to ordering, tracking, and reporting. Works.com's national merchant network offers discounts and fast delivery on 30,000 business products including computer accessories and software, telecommunications products and services, office supplies, furniture, breakroom products and janitorial supplies. And, Works.com cuts up to 30 percent off customers' monthly supplies bill by combining customer purchasing power to secure even deeper volume discounts on hundreds of their "most-used" products. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Works.com is funded by Bowman Capital, Hummer Winblad, Merrill Lynch, Presidio Venture Partners, and Trellis Partners. Bill Gurley of Benchmark Capital is a member of the Works.com board of directors.
Source: Works.com
Contact: Karl Scholz of Works.com, 512-685-8650, or kscholz@works.com;
or Carrie Brooks of Benjamin Group/BSMG, 714-245-7500, or
carrie_brooks@benjamingroup.com, for Ingram Micro, Inc.; or Doug Curran of
ROXY.com, 800-451-5999, or doug.curran@roxy.com, for Everything Wireless
Website: http://www.everythingwireless.com/
Website: http://www.works.com/