October 17, 2000

HispanB2B reserves a seat at the New Economy table for all minority companies.

On October 12, HispanB2B, a MeritSpan Holdings company, became the first digital marketplace built on the newest technology using Microsoft Enterprise 2000 platform and Clarus eMarket. HispanB2B is an impartial market maker that aggregates the Fortune 500 and the Hispanic-owned businesses, U.S.'s fastest growing business segment.

The new Microsoft-NET-powered online market will bring Hispanic and Fortune 500 businesses together by allowing organizations to build more efficient e-commerce relationships with small business suppliers in multiple business sectors.

E-commerce is predicted to grow to $2.7 trillion dollars by 2004. HispanB2B aims to differentiate itself for in the exploding arena of electronic market makers by investing in next generation Internet technologies that support its business philosophy.

They hope to enable the Fortune 500 companies to advance their existing and future supplier diversity initiatives online, while allowing the Hispanic500 to access the purchasing power of the Fortune 500.

HispanB2B also hopes to provide Hispanic and other minority-owned businesses with a rapid point of entry to the new economy. And, provide Fortune 500 companies with desktop access to elusive and fragmented Hispanic-owned businesses nationwide.

"Unlike conventional databases that simply attempt to introduce buyers and suppliers, we have created a transaction-ready marketplace that can integrate both existing vendors and new, diverse suppliers," said Alex Suarez, CEO of HispanB2B. "In our view, this is how an impartial market maker can create value for the members of our inclusive marketplace. By bringing great efficiencies into the management of supplier diversity procurement, we are delivering on one of the true promises of e-commerce," Suarez added.