Ariba on Tuesday announced an updated version of its Buyer e-procurement software that is aimed at international business-to-business e-commerce.
Ariba Buyer 7.0 carries enhanced language currency and localization features, as well as improved interoperability, according to the Mountain View, Calif.-based company.
Carl Lenz, a research director at Gartner Group in Stamford, Conn., said that until now Commerce One, in Pleasanton, Calif., has garnered the most recognition for global functionality in its business-to-business software.
"Everyone in this space will support [multiple languages and currencies], but is has been kind of piecemeal so far," Lenz added.
In addition to Ariba and CommerceOne, Gartner counts Clarus, in Atlanta, among the significant players in this space.
"The companies in this space concentrated on getting solutions rolled out in the U.S., and then concerned themselves with reaching out to other countries," Lenz said.
Ariba now supports eight major languages. Ramin Tabanfar, Ariba Buyer product marketing manager, said the language support also includes subsets of languages, such as French-Canadian.
Buyer 7.0 includes localized features as well, such as an API that enables it to work with third-party tax engines to figure out local taxes, and the capability to define a purchase order according to local parameters.
Tabanfar said Ariba Buyer provides a route to marketplaces, exchanges, and the Ariba CSN (Commerce Services Network), enabling companies to conduct business with worldwide trading partners.
Ariba Buyer 7.0 is available in a standard version and an ASP (application service provider) edition; both will ship on Aug. 31.