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Edgenet Merges with Big Hammer to Vertically Integrate the Hardlines Industry Demand ChainNASHVILLE, TN - March 9, 2006 - Edgenet, Inc., the industry standard for electronic catalog and guided selling solutions in the building products and home goods industry, announced today that it is broadening its offering to manufacturers and retailers by merging with Wisconsin-based Big Hammer®, a leading software company known for its data management, design and configuration solutions. Big Hammer Data Services is the largest private data pool in the building products industry with 3,500 suppliers and over 300,000 product items, which include 21 million product attributes. It is one of only eleven GS1®-authorized data pools in the United States to provide GDSN (Global Data Synchronization Network) services, and the only one that focuses exclusively on the hardlines industry. Big Hammer extends beyond core GDSN product data to include marketing and image content for building products and home goods retailers. The deal also includes Cad Quest®, the leading configuration software for decks, fences and outdoor buildings, demonstrated by The Home Depot® at the 2006 National Retail Federation Conference in New York. Tom Frederick, president and CEO of Edgenet, said the merger is part of a combined vision to provide a complete solution that encompasses both selling applications and content for home goods. “By merging the largest data pool provider in the hardlines industry with the industry standard guided selling solution, we can offer retailers and manufacturers the first vertically integrated commerce solution in the industry,” remarked Frederick. “This acquisition brings together Edgenet’s associate-facing business applications with Big Hammer’s data synchronization,” commented Rob Garf, research director for AMR Research. “The goal is to give consumers a consistent interaction across retailer touchpoints.” Big Hammer founder, Ron Rudolph, and Executive Vice President, Joe Czarnecky, promise business as usual for Big Hammer clients. “We have a long track record of success and this union means we’ll have the increased resources and deepened expertise to move faster and deliver even greater value to our clients,” added Rudolph.  |
