Xiameter opens website for more business

London -- Xiameter -- the web-only trading arm of Dow Corning -- has

opened for business in silicone elastomers, offering smaller volumes and a range of standardised payment otions.

The

company announced a new trading platform in London recently, which makes

all Dow Corning's "standard" products available through the Xiameter

web interface, and permits customers to buy in smaller volumes than

previously associated with the Xiameter brand. The interface has now gone live in English,

Chinese and Korean languages.

Klaus Hoffmann, commercial director

of Xiameter, Europe, said that the Xiameter is interface designed to

deliver service around the clock to those customers who wish to buy

products with minimal technical service. He said all Dow Corning's

standard products would be available. He noted, however, that it

depends on how a 'standard' product is defined. In general, he said,

this includes products which are relatively mature in their life cycle,

where customers have a choice of suppliers, and make the purchasing

decision mainly on price. All such products will sold through the

Xiameter interface, he said.

Historically, Xiameter has

focussed on large accounts and volumes of truckloads. Thuis precluded

many silicone elastomers and almost all liquid silicone elastomers.

From the launch of the new portal, however, the smaller volume options

and the greater maturity of the elastoimer products means that now many

grades of HC rubber and LS rubber will be available through Xiameter.

The

company was keen to highlight that the Xiameter brand is focussed

around efficiency and cost-down, while the Dow Corning brand is

focussed around innovation and change. Products which are still in the

early phase of commercialisation will remain under the Dow Corning

umbrella until they reach a certain stage of maturity, when they will

switch to the Xiameter brand.

Where Dow Corning offers full

technical support, based on traditional face-to-face andf telephone

support, Xiameter offers web-based technical support. Hoffmann noted

however that in parts of the developing world, Xiameter will offer

limited face-to-face support, especially for first-time customers and

new business.