Alibaba aims to draw in more U.S. businesses to its Alibaba.com portal, as buyers and sellers. One strategy is to reduce the number of counterfeit goods, a major problem in China and a concern for companies considering sharing intellectual property such as technology and designs.
To that end, Alibaba has enlisted Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp, among others, to beef up a supplier-certification program it hopes will help draw in many of the estimated 27 million small-time American businesses and manufacturers that now operate mostly offline.
Validation could allow both sides to assure themselves that they are working with legitimate partners. Jeff Stibel, CEO Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp’s effort with Alibaba, said integration was starting, and it will launch its certification program early this year.
Source: Reuters
