iWay Streamlines B2B E-Commerce for CenterStone

New Process Orchestration and Data Quality Environment Replaces Integration Tools From Cast Iron Systems


NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Jun 27, 2011) - iWay Software, an Information Builders company and an innovator of enterprise integration solutions, announced today that CenterStone Technologies, Inc. is using iWay Data Quality Center (DQC) and iWay Service Manager to improve the speed, accuracy, and functionality of its business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce interfaces. CenterStone, which operates a multi-tenant, software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that helps specialty retailers order merchandise from manufacturers, implemented iWay's robust data integration platform after an initial selection of Cast Iron Systems.

CenterStone has moved 95 percent of its data flow management to iWay to automate the scheduling, loading, and cleansing of e-commerce data for more than 90 brands. CenterStone replaced a home grown .NET application, which was able to validate and parse data, but did not offer the flexibility available in iWay. iWay has proven its ability to accelerate these extract, transform, and load (ETL) processes and automate error-handling, verifying that pricing, stock, and inventory data is correctly updated as it is loaded into each supplier's electronic catalog.

Rich Guess, director of IT at CenterStone, estimated that CenterStone's implementation processes will be 60 to 70 percent more efficient now that iWay is in full production mode. "We saw iWay's potential immediately," he said. "Using our data, it took iWay five to seven minutes to complete a production load that took up to three hours with our .NET system."

In addition to using iWay for batch processing of bulk data uploads, CenterStone plans to use iWay to send and receive real-time updates via a web services interface. This interactive environment will synchronize time-critical data elements between suppliers and their retailers, enabling CenterStone to offer more competitive e-commerce capabilities to the marketplace.

iWay's data quality tools are part of the iWay Enterprise Information Management (EIM) suite, a robust, comprehensive solution that facilitates the real-time management of any information from anywhere across an entire enterprise. Regardless of where data resides, whether it's in structured or unstructured format, the iWay EIM suite can seamlessly integrate and enrich it, allowing for simple and efficient access, utilization, and maintenance.

"The need to more effectively monitor and control data quality has become increasingly important as information architectures become larger, more diverse, and more complex," said Dave Watson, chief operating officer at iWay Software. "Companies such as CenterStone must maintain the integrity of their data to ensure the speed and accuracy of e-commerce transactions. CenterStone's clients will benefit from iWay's robust data processing, management, and error-handling capabilities, making its SaaS offerings more attractive."

About CenterStone Technologies, Inc.
CenterStone Technologies, Inc. operates a multi-tenant, software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform and provides web-based B2B ecommerce applications in six languages and local currencies in North America and Europe with widespread adoption by specialty retailers and sales reps. CenterStone's e-commerce solutions processed more than $1.5 billion dollars in wholesale transactions in 2010. CenterStone makes vendors more competitive by driving revenue growth, providing increased inventory turns at retail, reducing customer service costs, and providing greater speed to market, thus improving relationships with its customers -- retail dealers. Additional information about CenterStone Technologies, Inc., based in Denver, Colo., with offices and employees in San Diego, Calif., and Paris, France, is at centerstonetech.com.

About iWay Software
iWay Software uses a single, integrated set of next-generation graphical design tools to assemble powerful real-time components for enterprise-class business-to-business (B2B), business process automation (BPA), or enterprise information management (EIM) integration scenarios -- without writing expensive custom code. With these comprehensive solutions, organizations can build a strong, yet open and flexible technology infrastructure that maximizes agility, efficiency, and competitive advantage with measurable ROI. We deliver the fastest, most cost-effective, and simplest way to integrate and streamline business.

About Information Builders
Information Builders provides software and services that bring smarter decision-making and streamlined processes to leading organizations in business, government, and education worldwide. The company's software is installed in tens of thousands of locations, servicing millions of users. Its WebFOCUS business intelligence (BI) platform delivers massively scalable information applications, analytics, and customer-facing portals to the new generation of information users to deliver game-changing business results. Its iWay Software integration platform allows enterprises to leverage all of their information resources to streamline internal and business-to-business processes while escalating the overall accessibility and integrity of information regardless of environmental complexity. Headquartered in New York City with 60 offices worldwide, the company employs 1,350 people and has established significant industry partnerships. Visit Information Builders at informationbuilders.com. For ongoing news, go to informationbuilders.com/new or follow Information Builders at @infobldrs.

Contact Information:

Press Contacts
Kathleen Moran
Information Builders
(212) 736-4433
Kathleen_Moran@ibi.com

Kate Finigan
LEWIS PR
(617) 226-8847
InformationBuilders@lewispr.com