April 2000

Two software giants of the e-business market, i2 Technologies and Aspect Development, are joining forces in what is being billed as the biggest merger in the history of the software industry. i2 has also acquired Supplybase, a leading provider of solutions for Web-based product design and sourcing of custom parts and assemblies.

The $9.3 billion stock-for-stock i2-Aspect deal creates a business with 4,000 staff and a research and development budget of nearly $1 million per business day. According to Sanjiv Sidhu, chairman and chief executive of i2: "The merger will create a B2B marketplace powerhouse with unmatched solution breadth and depth of functionality, unparalleled content, and a laser-focus on value creation."

i2 made its name in enterprise software, but lately has repositioned itself as a global provider of intelligent e-business solutions. Among its current flagship products is TradeMatrix, a comprehensive electronic business solution that enables companies to deploy business-to-business and business-to-consumer portals. It covers a whole range of functions including procurement, commerce, fulfilment, customer care, retail, planning and product development.

Although less well known in the UK, Aspect is described as the established market leader in design collaboration, direct procurement and content. Aspect"s e-commerce content provides information on more than 17 million standard products and supplies used in business, which is collected and maintained in searchable database and is promoted as the "fuel" for e-commerce.