In a move to expand its position in the fast developing e-purchasing environment, GE Information Services has acquired Office Integrated Solutions (OIS), an Ireland-based software company that offers Europe's leading business-to-business e-purchasing solution. GE will integrate OIS' flagship solution, Purchasing Expert, into its existing e- purchasing portfolio, adding Java and Internet-based indirect procurement capabilities. Purchasing Expert is an e-commerce requisition and order-management product which allows users to source, search and buy goods and services from "approved" suppliers on the corporate intranet and Internet.

"This acquisition ensures that GE is well positioned to shape the e- procurement marketplace," says Harvey Seegers, CEO for GE Information Services. "Today, many CEOs are looking to purchasing as a way to make a greater contribution to the cost competitiveness of a business. The acquisition of OIS provides our customers with a proven solution for increasing their competitive position in the global market."