LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. — Commercial standards groups GS1 US here and GS1 Germany have signed a definitive agreement to form a joint venture combining their 1SYNC and SA2 Worldsync data pool subsidiaries, respectively, into a new combined organization named 1WorldSync.
The data pools’ prior commitments to U.S. food retailers for product data synchronization services via the Global Data Synchronization Network will remain unchanged under 1Worldsync, said Nihat Arkan, 1WorldSync’s chief executive officer and former CEO of SA2 Worldsync, during a conference call today.
1Worldsync intends to expand its services beyond traditional business-to-business (B2B) synchronization to deliver accurate and trusted product data for business-to-consumer (B2C) applications, such as those providing nutritional, allergy and other data online.
Read more: GS1 Issues Recall Standard
The initial release of the B2C platform will take place this year, but will be limited to “dedicated early customers,” including content providers and retailers, said Ulf Adebahr, chief information officer for 1WorldSync and previously chief operating officer of SA2 Worldsync. Additional releases will take place in 2013, he added.
The ownership of 1WorldSync is divided between GS1 US (60%) and GS1 German (40%). GS1 US and GS1 Germany will provide equal representation to the 1WorldSync board of directors, whose voting members are Bob Carpenter, CEO of GS1 US, and Jörg Pretzel, CEO of GS1 Germany, and whose external directors are Rodney McMullen, president and COO, The Kroger Co.; Joe Pleasant, CIO, Premier healthcare alliance; Otmar Debald, managing director, Procter & Gamble Germany; and Erich Harsch, chairman of the board, dm-drogerie markt.
Pretzel and Carpenter made the following joint statement: “Brand owners and other businesses will benefit from this venture as we create a proven leader in the development and implementation of solutions to build a better-informed world. The sharing of product information beyond the traditional business-to-business model has rapidly become a flashpoint for businesses, and 1WorldSync will be at the forefront of this major shift.”
Read more: Data Sync Organizations to Merge
“This is a very important coupling of talents, as 1WorldSync combines 1SYNC’s strengths across multiple industries with the global reach and strategic partnerships of SA2 Worldsync,” said Arkan. “1WorldSync accelerates our vision for consistent, authentic, high-quality product data to manage industry and consumers’ expectations successfully.”
1WorldSync starts with more than 15,000 customers, directly or indirectly, in more than 40 countries. It offers solutions and services across a range of industries, including, grocery, consumer packaged goods, hardlines, foodservice and healthcare. The management team will be based in both Lawrenceville and Cologne.
| Suggested Categories | More from Supermarketnews |
 |
|
|
|
