Wipro, Axway join hands to offer B2B services

Wipro Technologies has signed an alliance with IT solutions vendor Axway to offer business-to-business (B2B) integration and electronic data interchange (EDI) managed services using a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model.

The managed services would require no upfront software license and upgrade fees, and would feature pay-as-you-go pricing, resulting in lower maintenance and IT skills upkeep, Wipro said in a release.

The Wipro-Axway solution, based on a SaaS model, will enable companies to outsource non-core business functions, improve efficiencies and also capture and track critical events across their extended supply chains. Wipro can either host Axway's software for the customer or manage the customer's B2B and EDI operations, depending upon the customer needs and Internet-based or "cloud computing" strategies, said Srini Pallia, global head and vice-president, Business Technology Services, Wipro.

B2B integration within the SaaS is expected to have a strong growth potential, according to Wipro. Industry analysts anticipate 50 per cent growth on worldwide B2B gateways and over 100 per cent growth in B2B outsourcing -- reaching an estimated $3 billion over the next four to five years.