(1888PressRelease)
May 19, 2009 - BCL Soft is proud to introduce Barter21, a ready-to-deploy barter and trade exchange management application that offers ease of use, advanced capabilities and seamless transactions for network to network exchanges. Barter21 is a complete enterprise-class barter/trade exchange Software as a Service (SaaS) that features on-demand bartering with an online trading floor as well as real-time directory and search information.
While the exchange of goods and services through barter exchanges is at record highs, it’s also, for the most part, an antiquated system that has long needed some upgrades. Barter21 was created with input from an advisory panel comprised of some of the most seasoned and respected names in the barter industry. Founded by barter exchange owners Barry and Catherine Cohen, and web application developer Luther Monson, what started as a gripe session turned into a brainstorming session that resulted in the creation of an innovative trading platform that will enable barter exchanges to transact business with an ease and transparency that is unparalleled in the industry.
Says co-founder Barry Cohen, “The Barter21 platform was financed entirely in barter, so we know firsthand how effective and powerful it can be in attracting top talent. From logo and website design, to printing for promotion, to the hosting of the servers -- everything was paid in barter.”
“Barter21 is a technologically advanced barter platform with many features added to help barter exchanges manage their transactions in real time,” according to Monson, the business partner, who handled the web and software development of the eighteen-month long project. Regardless of whether an exchange is new, well-established, small or large, data can be migrated into the web-based system and be implemented for member use within a matter of days. Barter21 offers state-of-the-art security protocols, keeping credit card info, passwords, member privacy and transaction data as secure as financial transactions occurring within multi-national corporations. The intuitive interface was created with the goal of increasing the volume of transactions, which translates into additional revenues for exchange operators, and the same per-transaction cost-basis for members – a win-win situation.
Barter21 offers a variety of subscription levels to fit the needs of a barter exchange. The scalability enables small entrepreneurs to large member networks to create the right package for their members. Depending on the subscription chosen, Barter21 network members enjoy seamless trading with members of other exchanges. Barter21 stand-alone exchanges allow ease of transactions between the exchange’s members. From stand-alone use to full integration and every level in between, Barter21 has an application to suit the needs of any exchange.
Barter21 allows trades in real time with online transaction processing or transactions processed through the exchange’s office. Easy contact management features enable brokers to enter notes for members, send emails and schedule calls and reminders for themselves or other brokers in the exchange. Based on U.S. Dollar exchange rate conversions that are updated daily, the Barter21 network can also trade seamlessly with international exchanges.
According to co-founder Catherine Cohen, “Barter21 will offer a network of new exchanges as well as established reputable exchanges. Products will be featured daily, and at the click of a button they can be purchased using barter dollars. You see a purse you like? Buy it. With the ease of purchasing, we believe Barter21 will be a boon to many small businesses. Barter21 offers important options that have not been available previously, such as escrow. The Barter21 platform makes impulse buying easier. Exchanges will be better able to increase their trade capacity and form networks that offer more carefully selected top-choice trading opportunities.”
The Cohen’s speak from experience when it comes to bartering. Starting their own barter exchange, Premier Barter, with little cash outlay almost six years ago, the Arizona-based barter exchange now hosts some 350 member businesses and transacts more than a million dollars of goods and services annually. Says Catherine Cohen, “Our economy is fueling the growth of barter. We’re utilizing that momentum to evolve bartering into an even more convenient and easy to administer program through the Barter21 platform. That will enable the creation of more exchanges without the need for those exchanges to create a software program from the ground up.”
BCL Soft is an emerging leader in barter and trade software. With the development of its online barter/trade exchange platform, Barter21, BCL Soft is filling the gap in the barter and trade industries.
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