Where Businesses And Consumers Can Mix

In today's competitive and bustling marketplace of Internet technology, users expect to accomplish daily tasks with just one click of a mouse. While many companies have begun to lean this way, the maritime industry has joined the ranks of various other Internet sites with the recent strategic alliance of Marex.com and Boatscape.com.

It was a combination that was likely to meld well...a rookie company that is known as the largest business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce company (Marex.com), and an online destination that provides community, information and e-commerce to the recreational boater (Boatscape.com). Together, these two companies will be able to provide users with the utmost in comprehensive e-commerce solutions for the marine industry. With Miami, Fla.-based Marex.com focusing on the business-tobusiness aspect, Boatscape.com, located on Boston's Back Bay, will take on the reigns of the business-to-consumer aspect in the alliance. In an announcement made at a press conference at New York's Marriott Marquis Hotel, on January 10. the two companies formalized their agreement, as well as outlined the specific services that will be provided by each company. While they are combining their respective sales and marketing forces as part of this strategic alliance — they are not in effect, merging together as one company. Rather, they will be able to provide customers from both ends of the spectrum with a valuable online service, which until about a year or so ago, was virtually non-existent.

"We feel that Boatscape.com is doing the best of attracting and serving the needs of marine consumers online. As a result of our relationship with them, we'll now be able to provide marine companies with end-to-end e-commerce solutions," said David Schwedel. president and CEO of Marex.com.

Boatscape's president and co-founder.

Jay Wilkins, is optimistic about joint collaboration as well.

"We are extremely enthusiastic about this agreement," stated Wilkins. "We are very confident that the strategic alignment of our companies will enable us to better and more completely service the entire marine industry." Schwedel and Wilkins initially met last year when they were speaking on an e-commerce panel at last year's IMTEC show in Orlando, Fla. It was there — when after discussing the future of the e-commerce industry and how they could further its services — both began to explore the idea of forming the current alliance.

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Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 48, Feb 2000

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Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.