Consolidation continues apace in the supply-chain software market as two leading vendors, OPTUM Software and Metasys Inc. agreed to merge. The new company, also called OPTUM Software, will have both warehouse management and transportation planning software. Heading up the merged firm will be President and CEO David J. Simbari, formerly senior vice president of global sales and marketing at Industri-Matematik International Corp. Former OPTUM CEO Boris Reznik will be chairman, and Patrick Thean, president and CEO of Metasys, will be vice chairman and executive vice president.
The merged firm will focus on specific industries, including automotive, electronics, and high technology, as well as consumer and industrial products.
Analysts appeared optimistic about the merged OPTUM's offering. "OPTUM provides the process-oriented, supply chain execution capabilities required for effective collaboration across an enterprise of manufacturers, distributors, and retailers," says Tony Friscia, president of Advanced Manufacturing Research (AMR) in Boston. AMR estimates the market for supply-chain software will grow to $2.7 billion by 2001.
