ERPhub Implementation Strategy News Briefs, May 17, 2000

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Survey.com reveals top five enterprise portal vendors

Survey.com has released preliminary results from a new syndicated survey of over 1,000 IT professionals asking their preferences in enterprise information portal (EIP) vendors. In order of preference, the Top 10 vendors are: Microsoft, IBM, Hummingbird Communications, SAP, PeopleSoft, Brio Technology, Netscape Communications, J.D. Edwards, Sybase, and BroadVision.

Among many other aspects of the EIP market, the survey also probed respondent opinions about the nature of an enterprise information portal. Overwhelmingly, they chose to describe an EIP as a system that “acts as a single point of access to internal and external information.” The survey results also show that the dominant use of an EIP will likely be to deliver structured information (database, data warehouse, etc.) to users.

PeopleSoft forms unit for B2B exchanges

PeopleSoft has formed a new business unit for PeopleSoft MarketPlace, a business-to-business (B2B) exchange that enables employees, customers, and suppliers to connect and do business over the Internet.

The MarketPlace Solutions Division will be headed by former Oracle executive Kerry P. Lamson, who will lead development, strategy, sales, and marketing for PeopleSoft’s business-to-business e-commerce initiatives. Lamson will report directly to PeopleSoft President and Chief Executive Officer Craig Conway.

The MarketPlace Solutions Division has more than 200 dedicated development, sales, and marketing employees. Additionally, the unit can take advantage of PeopleSoft Consulting and its more than 150 e-business consultants.

SAP Labs selects eOnline to host Internet selling solution

SAP America’s SAP Labs unit says it has selected eOnline, an enterprise application service provider (ASP), to host and manage the SAP Accelerated Internet Selling Solution.

The SAP Accelerated Internet Selling solution leverages mySAP.com solutions. It allows companies to interactively sell to consumers, business partners, and resellers over the Internet. SAP Labs is implementing SAP Accelerated Internet Selling through mySAP.com to demonstrate to customers the functionality, business value, and industrial strength of the offering. Furthermore, SAP Labs will get real-time market input on the usage and future requirements of the solution, as well as provide documentation and tools.

Running on a Dell/NT platform, eOnline will provide the following services for the SAP Labs implementation of SAP Accelerated Internet Selling: Complete project management, sizing and configuration, network design, technology and infrastructure lifecycle management for SAP R/3, Internet Transaction Server (ITS) Systems, and Web server, as well as hosting complementary software for tax and credit card settlement.

J.D. Edwards and MicroStrategy enter into KM
alliance

J.D. Edwards and MicroStrategy have signed a software licensing and technology agreement that will allow J.D. Edwards to resell the MicroStrategy Intelligent E-Business Platform worldwide.

J.D. Edwards, utilizing the MicroStrategy Intelligent E-Business Platform, will deliver complete, integrated knowledge management solutions that allow customers to access, analyze, and share information via the Internet, enabling them to work more efficiently and providing the ability to improve the quality of decision-making at every level of the supply chain.

MicroStrategy’s Intelligent E-Business Platform provides the segmentation, personalization, broadcasting, and interaction engines that will analyze internal data assets and turn them into valuable insights designed to meet the varying needs of every employee. The joint solution will facilitate information sharing in a Web-based environment, making it accessible throughout the extended enterprise in real time.

ASP eOnline has 23 clients and 10,000 registered users

Application service provider (ASP) eOnline says it has attained market leadership for SAP applications offered through ASPs in the U.S. In the last nine months, the company has signed 23 clients and supports more than 10,000 registered users in 58 countries.

In the first quarter of 2000, eOnline secured six SAP ASP deals. Many of the clients who have signed or have “gone live” in March and April have more than 1000 registered users. For instance, Autodesk, the world’s leading supplier of PC design software and digital content creation tools, went live with 1000 users on April 18, 2000.

Great Plains Dynamics now available through FutureLink

FutureLink says it is now offering customers subscription-based pricing for the Great Plains Software’s Dynamics enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, which includes more than 300 software applications. FutureLink also currently provides customers with access to Great Plains’ eEnterprise solution.

Dynamics provides modules for financials, distribution, project accounting, e-business, human resource management, sales and marketing management, and customer service and support. This solution also provides customers with tools for creating e-business solutions and for standardized integration with Microsoft Office and Visual Basic applications.

FutureLink markets its services through a network of channel partners, independent software vendors (ISVs), software resellers, and systems integrators throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Great Plains to acquire rival Solomon Software

Great Plains Software says it intends to expand its penetration into the midmarket e-business community through the acquisition of Solomon Software, a rival provider of business management and e-business solutions. The combined company, Great Plains, will have more than 130,000 customers, 2,200 team members, and a worldwide network of 2,000 channel partners.

Great Plains intends to acquire Solomon Software by the issuance of approximately 2,600,000 shares of Great Plains common stock and $35 million in cash. The parties have entered into a definitive merger agreement. The transaction is expected to close in June, the first month of Great Plains’ fiscal year, and would be accounted for as a purchase accounting transaction.

Solomon Software will operate as the Solomon business unit of Great Plains. The business unit will continue to deliver and enhance the Solomon line of business management and e-business solutions and provide services to Solomon partners and customers.