A Vietnamese digital commerce agency has reached an agreement to replace two existing legacy business-to-business (B2B) portals for the largest independent hardware wholesaler in Australia.

SmartOSC, which is headquartered in Ha Noi, reached the deal with Australia’s Independent Hardware Group (IHG), the power behind independent and family-run retail brands such as Mitre 10 Australia Pty Ltd and Home Hardware.

IHG, which is owned by Metcash, is an AU$2.1 billion (US$1.5 billion, VND34.5 trillion) business with the majority of the volume represented by the consumer-facing brands of Mitre 10 (est. 1959) and Home Timber & Hardware (est. 1993).

The company has a combined network of more than 630 branded stores and a wholesale network that supplies in excess of 1,500 stores across Australia, providing millions of homeowners with solutions for their home improvement projects.

Under the deal, SmartOSC will become IHG’s development partner and help the company replace two existing legacy B2B sales portals.

The initial phase of the B2B portal project will also improve customer experience by providing a unified solution for cohesive interaction between their members and the IHG team.

“SmartOSC and IHG share a vision for the digital ecosystem, so we’re thrilled that this iconic Australian business has selected SmartOSC as their development partner,” said Adrian Wakeham, Regional Manager for Australia and New Zealand at SmartOSC.

SmartOSC has offices in Ha Noi and HCM City, as well as in Australia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, the US, and the UK. — VNS