RedPrairie Partners With IBM for Retail Store

Warehouse logistics and supply chain firm Red Prairie Corp is teaming up with IBM Corp to jointly build supply chain applications that work with IBM’s Store Integration Framework.

The IBM Framework offers a componentized J2EE architecture for building retail applications using IBM’s middleware products.

Milwaukee-based RedPrairie is calling the integrated offering Ready for IBM Retail Store Innovations which lets retailers optimize their store, supply chain operations.

The move builds on the acquisition last June of retail-focused workforce management software firm BlueCube Software Inc

Privately-held RedPrairie is owned by Francisco Partners and has bought a string of supply chain and logistics firms over the past three years to broaden its functional footprint and strengthen its position in key verticals.

These include: GEOCOMtms Inc for fleet management capabilities; MARC Global Holdings Inc, which provides distribution and inventory management software for transportation; Alta A/A, a Danish event management software firm focused on the automotive sector; UK-based RangeGate Mobile Solutions Ltd, for retail in-store and warehouse management; and UK-based Logistics Information Systems for supply chain execution.