News Briefs

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Lawson introduces next-generation enterprise applications

Lawson Software has introduced lawson.insight, its next-generation enterprise applications software product line.

The lawson.insight line adds new e-commerce and e-business functionality, and re-packages Lawson’s enterprise software applications-including financials, human resources, distribution, procurement, and analytical processes- into three categories. They are: e-business transaction engines, role-based Self-Evident Applications (SEA), and solution extensions. Lawson.insight is engineered to help companies achieve competitive advantage through e-business operational improvement of financials, human resources, distribution, procurement, and analytic processes.

In addition to lawson.insight, Lawson also announced the branding of lawson.consulting, the company’s implementation project management and consulting division, and lawson.community, digital exchanges powered by lawson.insight solutions, customizable to meet the unique information and process flow requirements of large and growing e-business enterprises.

Baan to form dedicated E-CRM company

Baan plans to spin off its customer relationship management (CRM) software operations into a separate company. Those operations are based on Arum Software, a company that Baan purchased only three years ago.

Baan says the move is designed to accelerate its delivery of Internet-enabled applications, open new markets, and migrate Baan’s core business to an Internet-based model. The new, as-yet-unnamed CRM company will focus on supporting e-enabled business processes across the commerce chain by allowing companies to serve infinitely wider markets while adopting more cost-effective business operating models.

The new company will operate globally with headquarters in Golden, Colorado. Baan is currently in the process of creating a new subsidiary and expects to have the legal entity in place by June 2000.

FirstWorld deploys Oracle’s Internet platform as part of ASP offering

FirstWorld has deployed Oracle’s Internet Platform as part of FirstWorld’s new application service provider (ASP) offering.

FirstWorld is working with Oracle to provide small-to-medium sized businesses with the complete Oracle e-business infrastructure for application development and hosting via FirstWorld’s Internet Data Centers (IDCs). Additionally, Oracle is promoting the FirstWorld ASP offering to more than 17,000 Oracle Partners, many of which are actively considering the hosted model for their applications.

WebWare has signed an initial letter of intent with FirstWorld to host its Media Asset Management By Objects Hosted Service (MAMBO HS). WebWare’s MAMBO HS is a secure, Web-based application for managing digital brand assets.

Big names launch new aerospace and defense B2B exchange

An aerospace and defense industry group that includes Boeing, Lockheed Martin Corporation, BAE Systems, and Raytheon have teamed with B2B e-commerce company Commerce One, to create an independent enterprise that will develop an Internet trading exchange for the global aerospace and defense industry. This open aerospace and defense exchange, based on the Commerce One MarketSite Portal Solution, will be a secure, electronic marketplace where buyers and sellers around the world can conduct business.

The four aerospace and defense companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to form the new venture. The parties expect to sign a binding agreement soon, and will form a new company that will own and operate the exchange. The Web-based trading exchange is aiming for a launch by mid-year.

Under the terms of the MOU, the founding industry partners have agreed initially to take equal ownership stakes in the new entity. Adjustments to this allocation will be based on each founding partner’s flow of its e-commerce through the exchange over the first three years. Twenty percent of the equity has been set aside for other industry participants and employees of the new venture. Commerce One will have a five percent equity position.

Corio certified to remotely manage mySAP.com and SAP R/3 applications

Corio and SAP America have entered into a strategic partnership in which SAP has named Corio the first application service provider (ASP) certified to offer SAP Accelerated Internet Selling through mySAP.com.

This new, hosted offering integrates Web storefronts and enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications to create a complete selling solution from front to back office in just weeks. Accelerated Internet Selling is a comprehensive, cross-industry package, which includes documentation, preconfiguration, add-on development, and project management. In addition, it is a predefined solution that handles the majority of a company’s core order execution and fulfillment business processes with SAP Financials, Manufacturing, and Sales and Distribution functionality.

Lawson Unveils On-Line Procurement/Supply Chain System

Lawson Software has slated a Fall 2000 delivery of Lawson Digital Depot, its new Internet-based procurement and supply management system.

Digital Depot integrates all commerce-related interfaces and processes via an e-commerce hub; it includes value-added information and e-service aggregating catalog information from all industry-leading manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors. Lawson offers these components of Digital Depot as subscription-based, outsourced services.

In addition, Lawson Digital Depot will be delivered as a complete business-to-business commerce system for creating customized digital marketplaces for specialized enterprises. This system includes the Digital Depot e-commerce hub and catalog, plus additional components powered by lawson.insight solutions.

IBM and Versata offer rules for Web developers

IBM has unveiled software that enables businesses to adapt rapidly to changing market needs by providing an integrated development environment for fast, flexible deployment of transactional Web applications.

The new toolset, VisualAge Application Rules, brings together Versata’s Workbench with IBM’s VisualAge for Java and WebSphere Studio, and Versata’s Logic Server with IBM’s WebSphere Application Server, to deliver core business processes to the Web. VisualAge Application Rules automatically can generate up to 90 percent of the code for e-business applications.

VisualAge Application Rules will be available on Windows NT, IBM AIX, and Sun Solaris. The US English version of this product will be generally available in the second quarter of 2000, with a National Language Version to follow shortly after.

Lawson adds Hyperion Enterprise to analytics line-up

Lawson Software has expanded its strategic partnership with Hyperion Software to include the integration of Hyperion Enterprise 5 with Lawson’s financials solutions.

Lawson will integrate and resell Hyperion Enterprise 5, the leading packaged business analysis application for advanced financial consolidation, reporting, and analysis, as part of Lawson’s Enterprise Consolidations solution. Under the existing relationship between Lawson and Hyperion, Lawson resells Hyperion Essbase OLAP Server as part of Lawson’s Analytic Suite and Hyperion Pillar as part of Lawson’s Enterprise Budgeting solution.

BullSoft security software bridges Web and enterprise environments

BullSoft has enhanced its AccessMaster security software product line to give large organizations integrated security tools to enforce security rules consistently across their e-business and enterprise applications.

BullSoft’s new AccessMaster 5.2 security software includes a new Web Single Sign-On (SSO) technology. This feature allows users to access multiple Web and enterprise applications with one log-on and one password, which simplifies administrative tasks while improving user convenience and overall application security. BullSoft Web SSO relies on a powerful AccessMaster security server and repository for centrally defining users, profiles, and audit services. It extends to the portal AccessMaster’s proven capabilities in consolidating enterprise wide and Internet security in a single, secure, easy-to-use and easy-to-manage global access policy for the e-corporation.

BullSoft’s AccessMaster 5.2 enhancements will be available in the second quarter of this year.

Mercury Interactive’s LoadRunner monitors app server performance

Mercury Interactive has introduced a set of new Web performance monitor add-ins for LoadRunner, its load testing solution. These add-ins have been designed specifically to best test and monitor Allaire ColdFusion, BEA WebLogic, BroadVision One-To-One Enterprise, and SilverStream application servers.

In addition, performance monitors for Microsoft Active Server Pages, Microsoft IIS, Netscape, and Apache Web servers have been added to LoadRunner. These new monitors help optimize Web site performance by enhancing LoadRunner’s ability to verify scalability and identify Web site performance bottlenecks.

The new Web application server monitors for BroadVision One-To-One Enterprise, Allaire ColdFusion, SilverStream, and BEA WebLogic are available now. They are priced as individual add-ins ranging from $2,500 to $3,500. The Web server monitors for Microsoft IIS, Netscape, and Apache are now included as part of LoadRunner 6.0 at no additional cost.