Internet Merchandising Systems Inc. Launches B2B Gateway Software

Montreal, Canada, November 17th, 2004 - Internet Merchandising Systems Inc. (IMS) announced today the availability of its new HERMES Merchandising Gateway® and associated ChannelPartner® e-Store Software system. The software provides a complete automated net-based platform of business-to-business (B2B) linkages between business enterprises and their dealers, resellers and customers.

For companies seeking to implement automated business-to-business (B2B), HERMES and multiple Channelpartner e-Stores makes it possible to encapsulate key business services for automated access by their customers, partners, and suppliers, IMS said.
"Companies can leverage investments in existing Web sites, making the time and complexity of implementation minimal compared to technologies such as CORBA and traditional EDI," said John Shenton, president of IMS.

Internet-based HERMES, facilitate end-to-end electronic business and enables corporations of any size to achieve B2B product data integration without the costly investment in localized software and hardware technology.

HERMES and its associated ChannelPartner e-Stores improve effectiveness in delivering and exchanging real-time information to “selling partners” websites, enabling more efficient price quoting, description & quantity updating to resellers, thereby shortening order placement from resellers and tracking time from weeks to real-time.

These transaction services are encapsulated and accessed via an XML-based Remote Procedure Call (XML-RPC) mechanism that uses XML for both the description of the business procedure interface and the message format for the transferred data.
Security features include user authentication coupled with embedded Secure Socket Layer (SSL).

As customers continue to emphasize reducing purchasing and fulfillment costs, the opportunities for more efficient ways of doing commerce will continue to increase for suppliers.

HERMES makes it easy for companies of all sizes - from large global enterprises to the smallest home-based businesses - to differentiate their products and services and sell more effectively through multiple electronic sales channels and directly through their own Web sites.

HERMES is hosted on the client’s own web server for easy access and Channelpartner e-Stores can be hosted on each reseller’s server. The supplier maintains control of their transactions, their product information and their customer relationships. The servers must be Linux based and require PHP and MySQL installed.

Pricing for the Starter Pack Bundle is $3,995 comprising the HERMES Merchandising Gateway, two (2) Channelpartner e-stores also installation and training via the web. Additional Channelpartner e-Stores are $495.00 US with quantity discounts available. General availability is scheduled for January 1st 2005.