US supply chain software provider, Infor, has announced it is buying GT Nexus, the world's largest cloud-based global commerce platform, for $675m. The buyout is expected to be complete by the end of September this year and will create the first global commerce cloud with end-to-end control and visibility for the production of direct goods, according to Infor.
The deal remains subject to regulatory approval and until then it is not clear whether GT Nexus will retain its branding, though one option, according to a source close to the deal, is that GT Nexus will retain its identity as a dedicated business unit within Infor.
GT Nexus offers services for 25,000 businesses, including six of the top ten logistics providers in the world. These include Ceva, DB Schenker, DHL Kuehne + Nagel and Maersk. It also provides services for OEMs including equipment maker Caterpillar. It provides them with a global order management system that coordinates commerce across partners. Buyers transmit order information through GT Nexus to their suppliers, financial institutions, freight carriers and logistics providers.
Infor, meanwhile, is a global supplier of ERP software, which helps manufacturing companies, including those in the automotive industry, orchestrate production. Customers include Ferrari, Guangzhou Automobile, Nissan, Volkswagen Group and WAI Global.
“Together, Infor and GT Nexus will provide customers with unprecedented visibility into their supply chains to manage production and monitor goods in transit and at rest," said Charles Phillips, CEO of Infor. "In a complex, high velocity supply chain, all partners need to know what was ordered, when it was built, where it is in transit, if the order has changed, and has it cleared customs. Specialisation and speed are moving the future of manufacturing into the commerce cloud."
