Leading Auction House chooses EPAM for a Strategic Internet Initiative

Sotheby’s is the world’s oldest international auction house that has been in continuous operations. Since its establishment in 1744, Sotheby’s has long distinguished itself as a leader in the auction world, specializing in fine, decorative, and contemporary arts, jewelry, and other collectibles.

Sotheby’s operates in 40 countries, with principal salesrooms located in New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris. The Company also regularly conducts auctions in six other salesrooms around the world. In 2010, Sotheby’s made the decision to undertake an initiative to improve their client experience both offline and online. In order to better serve a global client base, Sotheby’s endeavored to build a more flexible platform to grow its future digital strategy.

Sotheby’s partnered with EPAM to implement a modern web content management system along with a flexible and unified content repository. Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform technology was selected for its comprehensive content management tools and its focus on online marketing and communications. The EPAM team worked closely with Sotheby’s to deliver an integrated platform that now enables stronger management of the client experience online including:

• Centralized media asset management system to find and re-use rich media assets
• Mobile experience to help clients connect on the go
• 7 languages to connect with clients world-wide – from Europe and Americas to Asia
• Sophisticated workflows to integrate ERP, CRM, and other enterprise systems
• E-Commerce capability to support online transactions and subscriptions

The delivery of the new website has provided Sotheby’s with a distinctive new look, as well as a new and effective online client support system. Based on the freshly introduced technology and sophisticated design of the website, Sotheby’s now has the technological means to dynamically update the site and provide their clients with both a consistent and rich online experience:

• Enriched, personalized online experiences, connecting clients with the auction world through sothebys.com
• Better interactions through the consolidation of client information and improved behavior analytics
• New connections to clients world-wide on a daily basis in the client’s native language