Export61: New powerful export portal is launched in Australia

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - July 8, 2002 - Newsta Pty. Ltd., a privately owned Melbourne based company, launches its first project - Export61 (<http://www.export61.com/>) - a one-stop export portal providing Australian companies with access to global markets through e-commerce and the Internet.

Promotion and facilitation of e-commerce for export in Australia were described by Professor Tanya Castleman, School of Management Information Systems, Deakin University as "an issue of national importance".

Export61 is one of a few Australian web resources integrating e-commerce in export operations and the only one offering a self-managed company profile and product catalogue, web traffic statistical monitoring, discussion forum and free self-managed web site.

"This is simply a great product" - said Joseph Zaritski, Marketing and BD Director of Newsta -"it allows exporters to develop new export markets, proactively promote their products and services in these markets and deal directly with potential buyers using new technologies and innovative solutions."

According to a new Austrade report, only about 4% of Australian businesses export and only 2% intend to export in the next three years. This is below the rate of other comparable industrial economies.

We don't offer a panacea for exporters," - Zaritski continued - "but an innovative and cost-effective marketing tool to upgrade their business and increase export sales."

David Cattell, International Manager of Berri Limited stated: "The Export61 facility is a very useful way of presenting our products in a way that is easily accessible to a broad audience of potential export customers... the inquiries we receive are in fact relevant to what we are offering, which solves one of the biggest causes of wasted time when fielding inquiries from other sources."

For overseas buyers Export61 is a comprehensive source for Australian trade. It contains searchable databases of Australian products, services and exporters; information on freight, insurance, finance and trade statistics.

Export61 is not an online B2B marketplace. There were two main reasons why we decided that an "online marketplace" concept is unlikely to be successful - the non-acceptance of electronic export documentation by banks and the capability of Australian exporters to accept online trading as a replacement of personal relationships," - said Joseph Zaritski - "we keep e-transaction implementation on our long-term agenda and will introduce it when the time is right."

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