Ariba launches direct procurement application

NEWS Ariba is launching an application which extends online purchasing throughout the enterprise. The application, called Ariba Enterprise Sourcing, distributes to purchasers access to supplier management tools and allows them to source suppliers and negotiate e-procurement contracts. Copies of the application will be available on CD in the US by the end of the month. The progress of the launch will be eagerly studied by Ariba and its competitors to see whether it can bump up the sector's flagging fortunes. Ariba started the year with a landmark report of operating profits, but followed it up with a chequered six months. By February the company was beginning to show the signs of strain when it dumped partner i2 and turned its back on public marketplaces. In April Ariba pulled out of a merger with Agile after seeing over a thousand jobs slashed across the sector. It was then the subject of takeover rumours itself by May.