| General Motors Acceptance Corp. (GMAC) will become the first 800-pound gorilla of commercial finance to underwrite e-marketplace transactions in real time, through its GMAC B2B Credit business unit.
The company hopes to fill a critical void: the inability of most exchanges to finance transactions at the point of sale. If GMAC is successful and other financial institutions follow its lead, it could jump-start B2B e-commerce.
GMAC will market its commercial services, including receivables financing and credit cards, directly to exchanges, which would make them available as services on their sites. It also has struck a deal to work through the eCredit.com financing network in the hopes of establishing a beachhead among online exchanges.
A lack of financing options has been an impediment to B2B exchange transactions. Any advantage GMAC seizes is likely to be short-lived. Other players, including Citigroup and Wells Fargo, are sure to attack the market, said Gartner Group analyst Avivah Litan. | 
