Lucent, Vastera ink $25 m-deal

NEW YORK: Trading software and services firm Vastera Inc. said on Wednesday

that it had reached a five-year deal with Lucent Technologies worth at least $25

million to help the telecommunications equipment and software maker manage its

global trade operations.

Vastera said it will receive $25 million for the first three years of the

five-year deal, the second-largest contract it has received. The company helps

other firms manage their global trading systems and has a client roster that

includes Dell Computer Corp., Nike Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Nortel Networks

Corp.

Lucent plans to use Vastera's systems to manage product classification,

checking shipments, applying for licenses and generating international shipping

and filing import papers. Vastera chairman Arjun Rishi said the company was

seeing strong demand for managed services offerings such as the kind Lucent was

purchasing.

In July 2000, Vastera reached a 10-year deal with Ford Motor Co., with the

first four years worth $47 million. The company did not disclose the terms of

the rest of either the deal with Ford or Lucent.

(C) Reuters Limited 2001.