Gxs Corp. and Global Network Systems announced a joint venture to build a new retail B2B hub, the Morocco Retail eXchange, in Morocco and French-speaking North Africa. Together, the two companies will enable five retailers and 800 suppliers in the region to conduct electronic trading and gain increased visibility of the regional supply chain. GNS has signed a five-year agreement to utilize GXS Trading Grid(R) as the platform for the exchange. GNS, part of the $10 billion BMCE Bank group, estimates that approximately 90% of orders and invoices in the region are manually processed. GNS is currently working with the main retailers and suppliers in the region to build participation in the Morocco Retail eXchange. GNS has utilized GXS Trading Grid services for more than 10 years to provide B2B services to customs and ports authorities as well as financial institutions in Morocco. The Morocco Retail Exchange will utilize GXS Active Orders, a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) visibility application, to consolidate all order-related information into a central repository, delivering powerful business process automation and event monitoring tools. Part of GXS Trading Grid suite of services, GXS Active Orders automates routine transactions and centralizes the management of order information in a 100% paper-free environment.

Gxs Corp. launched a methodology for identifying the total cost of ownership (TCO) of managing a B2B program in-house versus outsourcing to a managed services provider, like GXS. The current economic environment is forcing many companies to cut costs while maintaining the same or better functionality. The GXS TCO methodology enables companies to definitively establish whether B2B outsourcing can lower their spend on B2B e-commerce operations. The model takes into account all costs and resources associated with B2B and provides companies with a detailed cost comparison for both avenues.

Gxs Corp. announced that OSRAM SYLVANIA has adopted GXS Trading Grid(R) Messaging Service to manage B2B e-commerce transactions with customers and suppliers on a global basis. OSRAM SYLVANIA cited speed to market and innovation as critical drivers for the company's growth and the primary factors behind its selection of GXS. OSRAM SYLVANIA selected GXS to help support the company's EDI strategy to drive global growth, especially in Asia, and improve the time to market for new products while increasing innovation. GXS Trading Grid Messaging Service is a global, Internet-based transaction management service that enables companies to trade business documents electronically in a secure, fast and reliable fashion using both the latest XML standards as well as traditional EDI document standards. GXS Trading Grid Messaging Service provides OSRAM with a B2B e-commerce solution that is helping the company become more flexible in the global economy, responding quickly and effectively to EDI opportunities throughout the world.