BEIJING, Jan. 31 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- e-Future Information Technology Inc (Nasdaq: EFUT) ("e-Future") announced today that it was selected by IBM to provide customer management (eCard) solution and services for B&Q China. B&Q chose IBM as its total solution provider of front business processes optimization in China and integration with SAP's end solutions.
B&Q's parent company, Kingfisher plc. (LSE: KGF; NYSE: KGFHY), is Europe's leading home improvement retail group and the third largest in the world, with leading market positions in the UK, France, Poland, Italy and China. Kingfisher operates over 700 stores in 11 countries in Europe and Asia. The family holds main retail brands including B&Q, Castorama, Brico Depot and Screwfix Direct.
Since 1999, B&Q has developed and operated in excess of 50 stores in approximately 20 cities in China, as the business grown into twice the size of the nearest competitor, and became one of the largest Western retailers in China.
e-Future has been a long-term premier partner of IBM. IBM chose to utilize e-Future's experience, technologies, and professional capabilities in connection with the development of B&Q's customer management (eCard) solution. e-Future will work closely with IBM, as well as multiple vendors worldwide, to offer its excellent business solutions to companies looking for operation improvements, such as B&Q China.
IBM's selection of e-Future marks an additional example of the recognition that e-Future continues to receive from leading businesses worldwide. Mr. Adam Yan, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of e-Future, commented, "We are delighted for this outstanding opportunity, and we look forward to continuing to develop relationships with world-class companies like IBM and B&Q."
About e-Future Information Technology
e-Future is a leading provider of integrated software and professional services for manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, logistics companies and retailers in China's supply chain market. e-Future's customers are centered in the retail, automotive, general household appliance and consumer goods industries. Its solutions are specifically designed to optimize demand processes from finished goods to customer checkout and to address supply chain management, business processes, decision support, inventory optimization, collaborative planning and forecasting requirements. e-Future's software solutions business is enhanced and supported by its consulting services and ongoing maintenance on existing software installations.
e-Future provides software products and services to Fortune 500 companies from across the world that are doing business in China. Clients include Proctor & Gamble, the Chang'an & Ford joint venture and other large companies operating in China's domestic markets, such as Gucci, Panric, Haier, Suning, Parkson Sogo, Wangfujing, Homeway (acquired by Home Depot), Orient Home, China duty-free stores, and AYAYA.
About B&Q
B&Q's parent company is Kingfisher plc. It listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: KGF) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: KGFHY) and the French Stock Exchange (Paris: KGF-PAR). Kingfisher is Europe's leading home improvement retail group and the third largest in the world, with leading market positions in the UK, France, Poland, Italy and China. Kingfisher operates over 700 stores in 11 countries in Europe and Asia. Its main retail brands are B&Q, Castorama, Brico Depot and Screwfix Direct.
B&Q is the UK's leading home improvement and garden center retailer, offering over 45,000 products for the homemaker, occasional to serious Do-It-Yourselfers, and trade professionals. B&Q is the number one home improvement retailer in Europe and the third largest in the world. B&Q is the market leader in the UK and is almost twice the size of its nearest rival. With the Warehouse store format and the smaller mini-Warehouse format, B&Q offers customers the widest range of products in its stores, around 32,000 products in a Warehouse store.
B&Q China consolidated its position as market leader in 2005 with the purchase of OBI's stores in China, which have all been converted to the B&Q format. B&Q now has over 50 stores in China and is twice the size of the nearest competitor. It is also one of the largest Western retailers in China. B&Q China has developed a full design and decoration service for Chinese apartments, which transforms an empty concrete shell into a stylish home. Customers select the designs, furnishings and colours in store and a B&Q service team undertakes all the work, from the installation of the kitchen and bathroom, to the painting of the walls. 15,000 apartments were designed and fitted out in 2005 and this service has now been adopted by B&Q Taiwan.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT WITH RESPECT TO FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This document may contain certain forward-looking information about e-Future that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor for "forward-looking statements" provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and any other similar laws that may apply. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements because they speak only as of the date on which they were made.
These statements include, but are not limited to: the continued financial and operational growth of e-Future, e-Future's ability to implement further acquisitions on a profitable basis, if at all, and the effect the TangCheng acquisition may have upon e-Future's stock price.
e-Future does not undertake any obligation to republish revised forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of these forward-looking statements or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Readers are also urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures in e-Future's various SEC reports, including, but not limited to, its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2005.
For more information about e-Future, please visit
http://www.e-future.com.cn English channel .
For more information, please contact:
Investor Relations & Media Relations
e-Future Information Technology Inc.
Tel: +86-10-5165-0998
Email: ir@e-future.com.cn
