Technology - August 2005
Marc Blackwell signs on as supplier on FarCountries.com
MGM Transport introduces improved e-tracking solution
ME Bath launches me-bath.com
Brandwise SSI, Socket Communications partner
Marc Blackwell signs on as supplier on FarCountries.com
FarCountries.com, the leading online marketer to the giftware industry, has added Marc Blackwell New York, the designer of innovative tabletop and home accessories to its list of quality suppliers.
“Initially, we’ve assigned selections from several of our most exciting and in-demand product lines to FarCountries.com,” said Blackwell. “We see this agreement as giving my designs immediate access to FarCountries’ 35,000 qualified retailers. I am confident that upscale shops looking for fun and exciting products will find our designs ready-made for their most discriminating clientele.”
Blackwell is known for his elegant tablescapes and exciting home accessories for discriminating buyers and collectors.
FarCountries.com, an online unit of The Company of the Far Countries, Ltd. based in New York City, is a wholesale website in the giftware, home decor, and gourmet food industries serving 35,000 registered retailers in the U.S.
MGM Transport introduces improved e-tracking solution
MGM Transport Corp. announced a new online tracking feature called MGM E-Track. Designed by MGM Technology Services, E-Track allows businesses to receive daily emails on the status of shipments transported by MGM. This automatic information helps companies keep on top of priority shipments and provide more timely status information to their customers.
The E-Track update feature is part of the latest Version 5 updates to the MGM Online Tracking System. Long regarded as the industry benchmark, it is a comprehensive solution that uses the latest technology to provide timely information to companies on the status of their deliveries. While this information is still available through a secure MGM Web site or by calling Customer Care directly for information, the new E-Track solution proactively e-mails tracking information. Additionally, Proof of Delivery and Bill of Lading reports are viewable on demand.
The MGM E-Track Update service is available to all MGM customers, in addition to 24/7 online tracking capabilities.
ME Bath has recently unveiled its new Web site, www.me-bath.com.
Customers can see the flavors and products available and order directly from the site.
Brandwise SSI, Socket Communications partner
Brandwise SSI, a provider of sales force automation, customer relationship management and business analysis tools for manufacturers and sales agencies in fragmented wholesale industries (including gift, home furnishings, lighting, craft and specialty toy), and Socket Communications Inc, the Mobile Connection Company, announced a partnership to deliver integrated sales automation solutions. The combination of Socket’s barcode scanning technology and Brandwise SSI’s Showroom Elite solution enables both showroom and field sales representatives to improve the speed and accuracy of order processing.
“Our clients boast an increase in revenue of 20 to 30 percent using the combined solution, due to the speed at which the orders are processed and overall efficiencies gained through automation,” said Barry Zane, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Brandwise SSI. “Using Socket’s laser barcode scanning technology along with our applications on a Pocket PC or laptop, sales representatives are able to capture orders accurately and immediately both in the showroom and in the field.”
Customers using the combined solution also benefit from real-time access to order history, inventory data, product availability and shipping status. The integrated system ties together back office operations without the need to use multiple, complex systems. Sales representatives have access to business critical information and can capture accurate data while in the field. Brandwise SSI’s applications streamline and deliver data from existing applications to handheld devices used by sales representatives. Integrating the CF Scan Card from Socket provides efficient alternatives to manual data entry via keyboard. Socket’s barcode scanners have been shown to be up to 50 times faster than the manual method and to dramatically improve data accuracy.