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By Sonya Rabbitte, 19 October 2000 18:56

NEWS The company's fourth quarter revenue of $134.9m was up 687 per cent on the corresponding period a year ago and up 67 per cent on the last quarter. Net loss for the three months, excluding non-operating charges, stood at $1.1m - or zero cents per share - beating analyst expectations of a five cent loss per share. Net loss for the same quarter last year was $4.6m or three cents per share. Revenue for the entire fiscal year 2000 was $279m, up 515 per cent on $45.4m for the same period last year. Net loss for the year excluding non-operating charges was $29.5m, or 15 cents per share. Ben Wright, VP of marketing for Ariba EMEA, welcomed the results, but said the company had expected the results this quarter. He said: "We achieved these results through a strong focus on customers and on conservative fiscal policy. You look at the dot-com market and there are a lot of failed companies. They have no control over cost. We've got a responsibility to our shareholders, we have cash in the bank." Wright predicted turning a profit by the next quarter as Ariba continues to tap under-developed sectors of the market. Wright added: "In the past two quarters a lot of companies have been adopting B2B strategies, but still only eight per cent of global companies are using B2B. There is still an enormous untapped market despite this mass adoption." However, Alan Lawson, research analyst with the Butler Group, warned that Ariba should expect increased competition on the back of their success. Lawson added: "Ariba and Commerce One are making the most noise, but I'm not convinced there is first mover advantage. It's a healthy result, there's a lot of good coming from B2B technology, and it is encouraging, but can they sustain it?" "E-market places are the flavour of the month but there is still a question mark over pricing models," he said. "It's an immature market, anything could happen. If it moves away from what they are doing they'll have trouble catching up. But you can't blame them for making the most of a success story."