WebMethods chosen for Pentagon's Emall

WebMethods Inc., Fairfax, Va., will provide the integration software for the Department of Defense's Emall electronic procurement system, the company announced Jan. 2. The value of the contract was not disclosed.

The software platform will be used to connect about 30,000 vendors to Emall, clearing the way to eliminate many paper-based purchases. The platform also will allow the department to better link to outside marketplaces, exchanges and suppliers.

According to Al Fox, director of public-sector operations for WebMethods, the company's platform was chosen for its scalability and usability.

Run by the Defense Logistics Agency, Emall is an electronic marketplace for military personnel to purchase off-the-shelf, finished goods from commercial marketplaces and the government suppliers without a government purchase card or an activity address code.

"The WebMethods integration platform enriches the functionality of ... Emall in a way that was not previously possible," said Don O'Brien, Emall program manager for the Defense Logistics Agency.