(Jan. 17, 2012) – Thomas Industrial Network and Ariba, Inc., announced that they are joining forces to connect more buyers and sellers around more commerce in the fast-growing category of industrial MRO. Under the terms of a newly-formed partnership, Thomas Industrial Network will offer services to enable the more than 650,000 suppliers that it currently supports to do business on the Ariba® Network. Ariba, in turn, will automatically match the capabilities of Thomas’ suppliers to the requirements of Ariba buyers and provide a common platform through which they can connect and transact business. Companies around the world use the Ariba Network to transact more than $200 billion in commerce each year.
The new relationship means that suppliers of bearings, gears, motors, pumps, valves, etc. who are on ThomasNet.com will have new opportunities to reach and do business with qualified prospects when they’re readying to make a purchase. Many of these suppliers also have data-rich product catalogs with downloadable CAD drawings from Thomas Industrial Network, which buyers will also be able to consult as they make purchasing decisions.
“Finding and qualifying leads for new business requires significant time and effort,” said George Short, vice president, Thomas Industrial Network. “Connecting ThomasNet suppliers to a network through which they can automatically receive and respond to RFPs from buyers in active purchasing cycles allows for increased speed and better business opportunities.”