Kewill, a leading provider of innovative software for supply chain execution, today announced it has acquired the IBM® Sterling Transportation Management System (TMS), a SaaS-based multimodal transportation management system. The IBM Sterling TMS will be rebranded as Kewill Transport and will become part of the Kewill MOVE® multimodal transportation management platform, creating the market leading multimodal TMS. 

“The acquisition of the IBM Sterling TMS enhances Kewill’s position in the multimodal transportation management space, and in particular in the North American marketplace, enabling us to extend the range of solutions we offer to shippers and retailers,” states Bob Farrell, President and CEO at Kewill. “We believe that strengthening our offering in this key market is vital to enhancing the value we deliver to our customers, partners, employees, and shareholders.” 

The acquisition will extend the transportation management capabilities of the Kewill MOVE platform with the addition of a top-rated multimodal TMS that was ranked as a ‘Challenger’ by Gartner in its 2013 Magic Quadrant for Transportation Management Systems[1]report. 

Kewill Transport optimizes and transforms supply chain networks by planning and executing inbound and outbound transportation processes. It connects a collaborative logistics network of carriers, shippers, and customers, automating the entire transportation management process. Kewill Transport is delivered as Software-as-a-Service, which means fewer IT resources, no upgrade costs, easy connectivity, and low total cost of ownership, delivering a fast impact on the bottom line. 

As part of the transaction, the IBM team transferring to Kewill will add valuable domain and industry knowledge and further strengthen Kewill’s global multimodal domain expertise. Moving forward, Kewill will continue to invest in this offering as part of the Kewill MOVE platform. 

Following the acquisition, IBM Sterling TMS customers will benefit from the opportunity to expand their supply chain visibility and control with the flexibility to add integrated solutions from the Kewill MOVE platform. Kewill’s existing customers will also benefit from enhanced multimodal transportation management functionality and easy access to a wider carrier network. 

“We are delighted that Bob Farrell and the Kewill team are extending their leadership within the global transportation management software market with this strategic acquisition,” said Deep Shah, Partner at Francisco Partners. “In addition to adding new customers, including some of the best-known global brands, Kewill is expanding its existing carrier network which opens up significant new growth opportunities across the globe.” 

Mike Skinner, Senior Vice President & General Manager at CLX Logistics, a certified reseller and delivery partner commented, “We have been selling and delivering the IBM Sterling TMS for many years and believe it to be the leading product in the on-demand global-TMS market. We are excited to hear Kewill’s plans for investing in the TMS as Kewill Transport and as part of the Kewill MOVE platform. Our customer base is increasingly integrated on a global scale and demanding of logistics technology to manage all transport modes within and between all regions. As a leading global player in transportation and trade management technology, Kewill appears ideally suited to carry this vision forward.”

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