The sole sizeable survivor of the dotcom frenzy for online business procurement exchanges, China-based Alibaba.com, is preparing to introduce premium services in Australia, where it already has 200,000 customers.
The company offers its 38 million small and medium customers access to millions of others in web-based networks that let them source parts and products as well as selling their wares without the slower process -- and expense -- of using consultants or intermediaries.
Late last year, the company stitched up a local alliance with listed hosting and domain name group Melbourne IT.
Alibaba is a key way for Australian small businesses to source products through its millions of users in China.
It has three marketplaces, in English, Chinese and Japanese.
"Australia is a very important market for us," Alibaba chief executive David Wei said. "We will be launching premium services here very soon."
Its business model is simple: companies can either use the marketplace or pay a yearly membership fee.
Melbourne IT will be selling Alibaba's TrustPass service, a paid membership package that helps suppliers stand out in the business-to-business marketplace, it claims.
The TrustPass offers third-party verification and authentication of the seller's business to give buyers confidence. This enables them to keep a firm eye on their costs and, for Alibaba, eliminates the need for messy and complicated commission systems and expensive billing platforms.
Mr Wei said Australia was unusual in that about 96 per cent of Alibaba's customers here just used the site for purchasing and not selling. "It seems they are not very good at selling offshore, but hopefully this can change."
Alibaba was founded in 1999 by Chinese schoolteacher Jack Ma and a group of colleagues. Mr Ma has since developed a reputation as the country's Mr Internet.
Mr Wei, 39, has worked at the highest levels of banking and retail for China B&Q, a home improvements group, before joining Alibaba in 2006 and quickly progressing to the top job. He is also on the board of The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking group. Alibaba made its initial public offering on the Hong Kong stock exchange in November 2007 -- worth $US1.7 billion.
After just catching the last wave of the bull market, it is now finally starting to add more serious revenue and profits to its once-massive valuation.
In its 2008 full-year results unveiled on March 19, the company said it had more than 11 million users -- 7.5 million in international marketplaces. Its revenue rose 39 per cent per cent to 3 billion yuan and posted a profit of 1.1 billion yuan ($220 million).
Mr Wei said the company saw the global financial crisis as an opportunity to help small and medium business customers use the internet to cut costs and increase the flexibility and productivity of their operations.
Source: http://news.alibaba.com/
The company offers its 38 million small and medium customers access to millions of others in web-based networks that let them source parts and products as well as selling their wares without the slower process -- and expense -- of using consultants or intermediaries.
Late last year, the company stitched up a local alliance with listed hosting and domain name group Melbourne IT.
Alibaba is a key way for Australian small businesses to source products through its millions of users in China.
It has three marketplaces, in English, Chinese and Japanese.
"Australia is a very important market for us," Alibaba chief executive David Wei said. "We will be launching premium services here very soon."
Its business model is simple: companies can either use the marketplace or pay a yearly membership fee.
Melbourne IT will be selling Alibaba's TrustPass service, a paid membership package that helps suppliers stand out in the business-to-business marketplace, it claims.
The TrustPass offers third-party verification and authentication of the seller's business to give buyers confidence. This enables them to keep a firm eye on their costs and, for Alibaba, eliminates the need for messy and complicated commission systems and expensive billing platforms.
Mr Wei said Australia was unusual in that about 96 per cent of Alibaba's customers here just used the site for purchasing and not selling. "It seems they are not very good at selling offshore, but hopefully this can change."
Alibaba was founded in 1999 by Chinese schoolteacher Jack Ma and a group of colleagues. Mr Ma has since developed a reputation as the country's Mr Internet.
Mr Wei, 39, has worked at the highest levels of banking and retail for China B&Q, a home improvements group, before joining Alibaba in 2006 and quickly progressing to the top job. He is also on the board of The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking group. Alibaba made its initial public offering on the Hong Kong stock exchange in November 2007 -- worth $US1.7 billion.
After just catching the last wave of the bull market, it is now finally starting to add more serious revenue and profits to its once-massive valuation.
In its 2008 full-year results unveiled on March 19, the company said it had more than 11 million users -- 7.5 million in international marketplaces. Its revenue rose 39 per cent per cent to 3 billion yuan and posted a profit of 1.1 billion yuan ($220 million).
Mr Wei said the company saw the global financial crisis as an opportunity to help small and medium business customers use the internet to cut costs and increase the flexibility and productivity of their operations.
Source: http://news.alibaba.com/
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