ABN Amro is already committed to implementing an internal Ariba-powered e-procurement solution and offering an Ariba-powered marketplace to the bank's customers.

Under the new agreement, ABN Amro will first integrate its financial services engine with the Ariba Platform in the US and then roll it out globally over time with solutions tailored to regional market needs.

The two companies say the combined solution provides the missing link in B2B e-commerce solutions - the ability for buyers to initiate payments to complete online purchases by means other than credit cards. ABN Amro has integrated bank-neutral payment alternatives into its US financial services engine, allowing all companies to initiate automated clearing house (ACH) payments with self-defined settlement dates.

Additional value-added offerings will include credit and risk management solutions to determine the potential risks involved in transacting with new buyers. The engine will also provide Indentrus-powered security technology.

Gerben Kuyper, senior executive vice president of B2B e-commerce and private equity at the bank says the Ariba deal provides a platform to strengthen relationships with existing commercial customers and win over new customers

ABN Amro customers in the US began initiating transactions over the Ariba platform last month, making it one of the first Ariba-powered marketplaces to process live transactions.

The bank is also in the process of implementing the Ariba Buyer e-procurement solution throughout its worldwide operations to provide a B2B system for connecting ABN Amro employee buyers directly with preferred suppliers. This solution went live in the US in July, with global deployments to follow.