Rivals Or Partners?Rivals Or Partners?

Caterpillar Logistics Services and Schneider Logistics are taking cooperation to a new level. Caterpillar Logistics, a subsidiary of heavy-equipment manufacturer Caterpillar, will use Schneider's Sumit application suite to provide transportation management and track shipments to its own logistics operation and for its 40 manufacturing clients. Schneider will host the applications for Caterpillar in a five-year deal.

Schneider's speciality is logistics, and Caterpillar Logistics' forte is warehouse management, says Schneider CIO Steve Matheys. But they do compete for logistics customers. Says Matheys, "We look at it as coopetition, but we're happy to provide technology to people who can benefit from it."