NETSCAPE JOINS FORCES WITH GE
By Adnews Staff
U.S.-based Netscape Communications and GE Information Services have jopintly formed a new software company to bring electonic data interchange (EDI) to the Internet. Called Actra Business Systems, it will create Internet-based programs that will let businesses send purchasing and supply forms to each other, as well as messages, orders, payments and electronic catalogues. The first products should be available within a year. Part of Actra's corporate mission will be to encourage smaller companies to use EDI. According to the The New York Times, only about 5% of U.S. companies that could benefit from business-to-business networking and EDI have invested in the technologies. This is mainly because of confusing technologies, high costs, a lack of open standards and the reluctance of businesses to change their operations to comply with the needs of computer programmers. Netscape prodcuts include Navigator, the most popular browser on the World Wide Web, and Commerce Server software for the Net. GE Information Services is a unit of General Electric Co. of Rockville, Maryland. It provides electronic commerce, electronic mail and data interchange services to over 40,000 companies in 42 countries.