Press Releases

Recent News Press Releases Article Archive

Press Releases

Bigmachines.Com Partners With Idiom, Inc. To Strengthen Global Reach

Global Company Adds Key Element in B2B Success

FOSTER CITY, Calif. and MUNICH, Germany - July 24, 2000 - BigMachines.com™, revolutionizing the buying and selling of industrial machinery via the Internet, today announced a strategic partnership with Idiom, Inc., the premier provider of Web globalization solutions. BigMachines.com will integrate Idiom's WorldServer™ technology through the BigMachines.com Internet Sales Channel™. The WorldServer software will enable BigMachines.com to maintain and synchronize a Web presence that functions on a global scale, providing distributed control and collaboration among managers and contributors worldwide. WorldServer facilitates deployment of a global Web strategy embracing multiple countries, languages, cultures; business practices and access devices, and leveraging an organization's existing Web architecture, content management and workflow systems. In addition, BigMachines.com, a global company committed to serving international markets, will integrate Idiom's technology into the BigMachines.com Internet Sales Channel™, creating an international Web presence in multiple languages including German, French and Japanese.

"In today's Internet age, smart companies know that a global strategy is vital to long-term success," said Godard Abel, co-founder and CEO of BigMachines.com. "We are a global company with major offices in Germany and the U.S. and we are confident that Idiom's solutions will give our customers the global expertise they need to increase revenues, strengthen customer loyalty and project a powerful, consistent global brand."

"Being selected by BigMachines.com is very rewarding," said Fred Lizza, CEO and president of Idiom. "BigMachines.com takes pride in delivering the best possible products and services to their clients, and we believe the selection of Idiom's globalization solutions will help them leverage the global Web to reach new markets and to achieve strategic e-business goals."

Companies Must Think Globally
With international B2B growing at a phenomenal rate, the need for a comprehensive globalization strategy is imperative. 92% of the world doesn't speak English. 43% of today's Web users are non-English speaking. And over the next few years, Internet use is expected to grow by 79% in Asia, 123% in Latin America, and over 2000% in Japan.

According to the Piper Jaffray June 2, 2000 B2B Analyst Report, " ... since over 70% of total B2B commerce transactions are currently cross border transactions, having a global perspective is a strategic long term imperative."

As a strategic partner, Idiom will also work closely with BigMachines.com for joint marketing purposes. On July 24th BigMachines.com, Idiom and webMethods are co-sponsoring the eBusiness for Engineered Systems (EES) Workshop, a forum for buyers and sellers of industrial machinery to understand how the Internet will dramatically impact their industry. During this two-day workshop, Don DePalma, vice president of Corporate Strategy at Idiom, will discuss the imperative of globalization, providing attendees with insight on how eBusiness is emerging within the industrial machinery industry and how Internet-based strategies and technologies will continue to shape the future of engineered systems. For more information visit www.bigmachines.com.

About Idiom, Inc.
Idiom is the world's premier provider of Web globalization solutions for e-business. Idiom's approach encompasses software, strategy, and services that enable organizations such as Lycos Tripod®, Travelocity.com™, Xerox™, and Xilinx, Inc.™, to deploy a multilingual and multicultural Web presence, thereby increasing revenue, improving customer loyalty and reinforcing brand. Idiom's flagship WorldServerTM product is Web-based software that allows organizations to maintain a Web architecture that functions on a global scale, providing distributed control and collaboration among managers and contributors worldwide. Idiom is funded by Greylock, North Bridge Venture Partners, Sigma Partners and JAFCO America Ventures. Idiom was recently named one of Computerworld's "Top 100 Emerging Companies to Watch in 2000." and by UPSIDE Magazine as one of the "Hot 100 Private Companies." For information, call (617) 456-3000, visit http://www.idiominc.com or email info@idiominc.com. Idiom's strategic partners include Vignette Corporation, a reseller of WorldServer for Vignette, Interwoven, Inc., Akamai Technologies, Adero, Inc., Bowne Global Solutions, and Digital Island, Inc.

About BigMachines.com, Inc. and BigMachines.com AG
As the leader in eBusiness for Engineered Systems (EES), BigMachines.com is revolutionizing the buying and selling of industrial machinery via the Internet, taking B2B commerce beyond commodities and standard catalog items. BigMachines.com provides Internet technology to select and configure industrial machinery based on engineering requirements integrated with an end-to-end eBusiness engine. BigMachines.com is a global company, incorporated in the U.S. as BigMachines.com Inc. and in Europe as BigMachines.com AG. The company has brought together a unique combination of Internet software developers and machinery engineers from around the world, with locations in Silicon Valley, New York, Chicago and Munich. BigMachines.com's customers are leading fluid machinery companies, including KSB AG, Europe's largest pump and valve manufacturer and ABEL Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Roper Industries (NYSE: ROP). BigMachines.com also has strategic alliances with leading technology companies, including Ariba, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARBA).