Est. 2min 18-10-2001 (updated: 29-01-2010 ) Euractiv is part of the Trust Project >>> Languages: Français | DeutschPrint Email Facebook X LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Companies believe that the use of virtual marketplaces – i.e. internet trading platforms – will behighly significantgoing forward. Surveys of German companies found that 68% intend to use virtual marketplaces in 2003. By 2004, approximately 30-50% of total online sales will probably be done via public market places. Only afew marketplaces in a given sector will be able to prevail. This is underpinned by the fact that independent operators need to attract a large number of transactions to their sites so they can finance themselves through fees. However, companies will be able to participate – depending on their field of activity and the sector they belong to – in several different marketplaces with different functions. Public marketplacesrun by independent operators marked the inception of virtual marketplaces. In the future they are likely to play a major role especially when companies go about sourcing low-value or standardised goods and commodities. Industry-specific marketplaces(ISMs) have changed the playing field in the affected sectors. They are typically set up by competitors within a sector.Cooperationbetween the founding companies is one of the key arguments favouring their success. But cooperation and the related size of the marketplace also harbour the risk that the companies involved willconsolidate their (purchasing) power. Private networksfocus mainly on the element of cooperation between suppliers and buyers, with the possibility of different links in the value chain being organised in the form of a private trading network. Alternatives range from the provision of real-time information on inventories, coordinated planning and forecast processes, up to joint product development. So far, the biggest obstacle to the spread of marketplaces is the reluctance of companies to participate in virtual trading platforms in the first place, since they fear that their margins will be eroded further. However, thereorganisation of enterprises’ internal processesalso mounts major challenges. The greater the emphasis on the element of cooperation, the greater the requirements to make a company’s existing systems compatible with the systems of the marketplaces or other companies. , Laura Zampieri For in-depth analysis of the new economy, see the Deutsche Bank Research eResearch.
