Former PaperX.com technology director Ian Leader has acquired all of the software written by PaperX from the receivers and set up a new firm, Exteriority.


"Our intention is to offer our services not as a marketplace, but as a software provider," said Leader.


"Our target market will initially be paper and packaging, but we will not be limiting ourselves to the forestry cluster."


Leader said that the main product would be software, not hosting, but companies will be able to purchase a licence, and then install and run the software on their own machines.


"We will, however, offer hosting and management services for those that request it," Leader said.


Although Leader would not specify any prices, he said that the pricing would be more competitive than PaperX.


Leader declined to comment on the fact that no software provider has yet been selected for Expresso, the pan-European trading portal unveiled by UPM-Kymmene three weeks ago (PrintWeek, 4 May).


"With PaperX we got the feeling people liked the technology, but not the way it was packaged," he said.


The company will employ six staff, comprising founder members of PaperXs software development team, but the plan is to extend this to 12-15 next year, depending on demand.


Exteriority has signed its first client, EBEEX, for which it will provide a marketplace for the procurement of bio-fuels.


Leader will be joined by Borge Bogaard formerly president of PaperX in North America as chief operating officer and chairman. Christoph Ferch, previously head of packaging at PaperX, will become chief executive.


Exteriority will officially launch this week, along with a website www.exteriority.com an office in London, one in Germany, and further sites planned for Austria and the US.


Story by Andy Scott