Spiceworks automates technology purchasing with e-commerce offering

Scott Abel, co-founder and CEO of Spiceworks, says that the new RFQ (request for quote) feature automates the processes of purchasing business technology and services by using the the Spiceworks community and the system's e-commerce functionality. Manufacturing SMEs, for example, can solicit vendor quotes anything from cloud services and hosted e-mail to laptops, desktops and servers. They can also share quotes with peers and place orders directly from within the Spiceworks network. "Social commerce has changed consumer buying habits, but the approach has yet to take hold among businesses," states Abel. However, with 1.5 million business professionals in Spiceworks, he reckons the Spiceworks community spends more than $260 billion a year on technology products and services. "The new RFQ feature is the latest of several capabilities we will unveil that aim to harness the collective-buying power of the Spiceworks network, while also providing technology vendors a way to benefit from the growing wave of social commerce," insists Abel.