Several large aerospace companies may join the ranks of those forming online business-to-business entities, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The new venture would be led by Seattle-based Boeing Co. and include Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and British Aerospace. According to reports, the four companies will form a separate entity that would broker sales of everything from aircraft and weapons parts to data services.
The reports come on the heels of several recent announcements of similar ventured to be formed by large companies in the automotive and food/consumer packaged goods industries. The recent spate of Internet marketplace activity has apparently drawn the attention of the government. Last week the Journal reported the Federal Trade Commission had begun inquiring into the Big Three carmakers’ plan to form an automotive marketplace. According to the report, the FTC is concerned about the arrangement’s antitrust legality and the danger of price-fixing.
