i2 names key exec, invests in online college bookstore

i2 Technologies today named a former Texas Instruments executive as its chief operating officer and said it is making an investment in online college bookstore Ecampus.com.

Dr. Pallab Chatterjee joins Irving, Texas-based i2 immediately, the company said in a statement.

i2 is a supply chain software maker that has been making moves in the lucrative business-to-business e-commerce space.

Just last month, automaker General Motors and business-to-business e-commerce company Commerce One recruited i2 to help build an online exchange for GM's partners and suppliers.

i2's software and services help trading partners collaborate on business transactions, such as ordering headlights for vehicles or machine parts for plants. The company's supply chain market competitors include Manugistics, along with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software makers SAP and Oracle.

Chatterjee, who received his doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois, held several executive positions at Texas Instruments, including chief technical officer of the company's research and development unit and president of its personal productivity products.

In other news, i2 today said it has inked a deal with Ecampus.com to provide the online college bookstore with software and services. i2 said it will use its TradeMatrix system to automate Ecampus.com's inventory management, warehousing and shipping systems.

Additionally, i2 said it is making an equity investment in Ecampus.com, which launched last year. Financial terms were not disclosed.