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B2B Ecommerce Becomes Reality in the Floor Covering Industry

December 10, 2002, DALTON, GA - The floor covering industry continues to capitalize on the growth of the Internet to simplify the way business gets done.

A new ecommerce technology called the business-to-business (B2B) standard has been adopted by companies all along the supply chain: dealers, distributors, manufacturers and software providers. The B2B program was formally launched in January 2002 and has shown a significant impact.

Today, the industry's standard language for the electronic exchange of product and order information across the Internet is well on its way to helping trading partners increase efficiency, cut costs, and improve customer service.

A panel of dealers will be discussing their implementation of the B2B standard at Surfaces, the global floor covering marketplace held January 29-31, 2003. These company representatives will talk about their first-hand experiences in making the technology work for them. This informational "how to" session, on January 29 at 1:00 pm, will address the questions and concerns of retailers and buying groups considering adopting the technology. Participating software vendors and manufacturers will also be available for questions and comments.

The B2B standard, which is available for implementation by any company in the floor covering industry, currently covers the following types of transactions: product/price catalog, purchase orders and acknowledgements, shipment notices, and invoices.

For more information about the B2B standard check the website at www.flooringb2bstandard.com.