Three years ago, I co-authored my book The New Age of Innovation with the late professor C.K. Prahalad. We argued then that the structure of business models was morphing, and businesses across industries were moving away from products and services to more personalization of unique experiences co-created with customers. We claimed that to orchestrate such unique experiences, firms must connect to a global resource network of suppliers and individuals. I find this trend in business models more pronounced now with the expansion of online cloud-based platforms from the likes of Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Microsoft. These platforms enable businesses to build ecosystems to connect with their customer communities, employees, suppliers, and partners. There is a new level of transparency to market opinions on products and services. Apple, Groupon, and Amazon are examples of such business ecosystems that connect millions of customers to thousands of content creators and other partners. This is not limited to technology firms. Ecosystem-based business models are emerging across industries.

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MAM and GCommerce collaboration helps WDs drive down costs Advanced connectivity solution helps warehouse distributors cut purchasing, receiving and reconciliation costs

MAM Software and GCommerce - two of the automotive aftermarket's leading solutions providers - have announced the completion of an integrated functionality for the 'purchase order to invoice' cycle, designed for warehouse distributors using MAM Software's Autopart ERP system.

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It’s been over a decade since supply-chain software solution provider GCommerce moved from the Big Apple to the Rust Belt, about nine years since it first tried to solve a pesky problem in the US$300 billion after-market auto parts industry, and one year since it finally found the key to the ignition: Windows Azure.

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DES MOINES, Iowa — GCommerce, a provider of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), has announced that Integrated Supply Network Inc. (ISN), a wholesale distributor and supply chain services provider, is adopting the GCommerce Virtual Inventory Cloud (VIC) solution, which is built on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform.

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DES MOINES, Iowa – GCommerce has announced a new agreement with Modern Sales Co-op (MSC) to help the group automate the procurement process between its members and vendors.

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Steve Smith, President and CEO of GCommerce does a Q&A session about the GCommerce approach to streamlining the procurement process for the company's customers.

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GCommerce is an illustration of how you can provide a fundamentally different type of application or service if you take advantage of the cloud.

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GCommerce Service Provider Transforms Special-Order Process with Cloud-Based Inventory Solution:  GCommerce offers electronic services that improve supply chain efficiency. It wanted to develop an application for the automotive aftermarket, which relies on special-order drop shipment for most transactions. To centralize inventory access and automate procurement, GCommerce implemented a cloud-based solution with Windows Azure and Microsoft SQL Azure. The Virtual Inventory Cloud solution gives distributors immediate online access to a global parts supply. The virtual data warehouse is expected to increase sales and drive down costs. In addition, marketplaces worldwide can benefit from the highly scalable solution. GCommerce reports that with Microsoft BizTalk Server 2010 and familiar development processes, it was able to launch the new service in just 90 days. The solution helps GCommerce focus on bringing innovation to the marketplace.

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Today we (MSFT) are excited to announce that we have Released to Manufacturing (RTM) BizTalk Server 2010 and it will be available for purchase starting October 1^st, 2010.

BizTalk Server 2010 is the seventh major release of our flagship enterprise integration product, which includes new support for Windows Server AppFabric to provide pre-integrated support for developing new composite applications.  This allows customers to maximize the value of existing Line of Business (LOB) systems by integrating and automating their business processes, and putting real-time, end-to-end enterprise integration within reach of every customer.  All this coupled with the confidence of a proven mission-critical integration infrastructure that is available to companies of all sizes at a fraction of the cost of other competing products.

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Microsoft put together this great promotional video highlighting the use of their Windows Azure and SQL Azure Cloud products in our VIC (Virtual Inventory Cloud) product.

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In the following interview, Sramana and Steven discuss how supply chain services for Internet-based electronic data interchange (EDI) in the automotive and traditional whole goods markets are adopting cloud computing to their advantage.

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Reseller oriented industries are those whose primary channel of sales is the manufacturer/wholesaler distribution channel.  These industries are often characterized by products that are durable/long-life, and have long production lead-times.  The focus of this Analyst Insight is to highlight the responses of over 60 companies out of an overal pool of 170 respondents...

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With the help of Microsoft, Smith plans to solve a $20 billion problem for auto parts retailers. If GCommerce can do that, then it could transform other industries, including plumbing, construction or any business that sees demand for items not commonly kept in stock.

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WPC2010/WASHINGTON, DC – July 13, 2010 – GCommerce’s Virtual Inventory Cloud (VIC™) will transform the special order cycle, in some cases from 15 minutes to 15 seconds—a 6,000 percent change. Built to scale rapidly at the industry level, VIC transforms the drop ship special order model for the distribution supply chain. Thanks to new cloud technology, GCommerce today announced at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC 2010 in Washington, D.C., that major market momentum is aligned behind VIC. Upon the launch of VIC, GCommerce has added some of the most prestigious and well known auto parts industry segments in the world as early adopters, The Automotive Aftermarket Parts Alliance (The Alliance), Federated Auto Parts, Gates, ISN, Tenneco, Lisle, K&N, Transamerican/4 Wheel Parts, and  FinishMaster,

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GCommerce, Inc. CTO Jason Popillion talks about VIC at WPC

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In D.C. this week at WPC, listen to Steve Smith of GCommerce talk about growing market momentum for itsVirtual Inventory Cloud (VIC) solution. Built on the Windows Azure platform, VIC enables hundreds of commercial wholesalers and retailers to improve margins and increase customer loyalty through better visibility into parts availability from suppliers.

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GCommerce offers electronic services that improve supply chain efficiency. It wanted to develop an application for the automotive aftermarket, which relies on special-order drop shipment for most transactions. To centralize inventory access and automate procurement, GCommerce implemented a cloud-based solution with Windows Azure  and Microsoft SQL Azure . By taking advantage of theVirtual Inventory Cloud  solution, distributors will have immediate, online access to a global parts supply. The virtual data warehouse is expected to increase sales and drive down costs. In addition, marketplaces worldwide can benefit from the highly scalable solution. GCommerce reports that with familiar development processes and Microsoft support, it was able to launch the new service in just 90 days. And by using SQL Azure and Windows Azure, GCommerce can focus on bringing innovation to the marketplace.

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Microsoft has published a 4+ minute video case study about GCommerce, Inc. and what we're doing with our Virtual Inventory Cloud (VIC) Product.

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Scott Koegler writes about the future of the automotive aftermarket special order supply chain.

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Microsoft Marketing Department generated a full page ad to run in Microsoft Prime

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Super Spec is an industry-specific definition of the EDI requirements needed to connect distributors and retailers with their manufacturers and suppliers in the aftermarket. Super Spec was originally developed by GCommerce through their efforts to set-up and manage thousands of EDI connections

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The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) has announced its support of the “Super Spec” as the industry best practice for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) documents within the automotive aftermarket.

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GCommerce working in concert with Microsoft’s cloud services team is developing a Virtual Inventory Cloud (VIC) designed to address many of the inefficiencies related to handling special orders in the automotive aftermarket.  GCommerce has been a key technology provider for this segment, developing and donating B2B commerce specifications that have been widely adopted

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