The two organisations say they are examining ways to develop an enhanced bolero.net service package for the automotive industry using the ENX network. Also under discussion are specialist automotive bolero.net user groups to be set up under the ENX umbrella, as well as joint work on bolero.net's XML-based standards initiative.

A connection to ENX (European Network Exchange), would enable Bolero to reach the 250 registered users of the network in one fell swoop, including Audi, BMW, Daimler-Chrysler, Ford, Volvo and Volkswagen. ENX also works closely with similar organisations in North America (ANX), Japan (JNX), Australia (AANX) and Korea (KNX).

ENX managing director Ralf von der Burg, comments: "Offering bolero.net services to our members is an important step to support the demand for faster development, cooperation and collaboration between trading partners across borders."

Bolero was launched by the banking and logistics communities to develop a set of standards for paperless trading over the Internet.

"Bolero.net is the only e-business system that crosses borders and industries," says bolero.net Germany managing director, Jochen Schäfer. "Not only are we able to give members of individual networks such as ENX a mechanism to securely exchange contractual, fulfilment and settlement details online; bolero.net actually has the potential to speed up the development of e-commerce worldwide by uniting different industry sectors on one global e-business platform."

The European ENX company was founded in June 2000 under the auspices of VDA to accelerate networking within the European automotive industry. Its membership consists of Audi, BMW, Bosch, DaimlerChrysler, Fiat, Ford, Karmann, MAN, Michelin, Opel, Porsche, PSA, Renault, Siemens, Volvo and Volkswagen as well as the automotive and logistics associations Anfac (Spain), Galia (France), SMMT (Britain) und VDA (Germany).