National Bank of Canada has signed a multi-year contract with e-business solutions provider eScout to develop a new online B2B marketplace.
Business customers will be able to use the Web-based service to present and manage their product catalogue online, says the bank.
Using their Internet browser, business customers will be able to access billing and payment solutions, electronic auctions and connectivity to internal management systems such as SAP, Oracle and PeopleSoft via the marketplace.
The National Bank eScout marketplace complements the bank's ClicCommerce subsidiary which offers a range of B2C hosting and B2B e-procurement services through its ClicInc portal.
Michel Lozeau, senior vice-president of e-commerce at the National Bank, states: "The bank feels that the Internet offers a high growth potential and therefore wants to stay at the forefront of technology by offering increasingly high-quality solutions to its clients."
eScout powers more than 100 public and private marketplaces and has created an international network of 1300 banks to help distribute its products and services.