Merrill Lynch and Thompson Financial Had a Three-Year, $1 Billion

Multiple Choice

Merrill Lynch and Thompson Financial had a three-year, $1 billion project that put workstations on the desks of 25,000 of Merrill Lynch's brokers. These machines put the world of investing information at brokers' fingertips. Thompson, the supplier, was obliged to not only deliver technology and services on time and on budget, but also constantly improve customer-satisfaction levels among Merrill's brokers and customers. This is an example of

A) a reciprocity agreement.
B) exclusive dealing.
C) supplier alliance.
D) a buyer-seller relationship.
E) a tying arrangement.