E2open looks to ease integration
E2open LLC is working with IBM Corp. to develop a Web services-based plan to make it easier for the electronics industry to integrate with E2open’s collaboration network, the company announced recently.
In addition, E2open and IBM are working together to expand requirements for Web services scalability and ease of deployment to support integration efforts in the electronics industry. Previously, the companies have worked together to address Web services security and to build a UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration) process directory. The new product, a lightweight Web services solution that companies can install behind their firewall, will be based on IBM’s WebSphere Business Connection Software. It will be available later this year.
Microsoft releases beefed-up content manager
Microsoft Corp. has released the first beta of CMS (Content Management Server) 2002, which features support for XML-based Web services, improved content authoring, and tighter integration with Visual Studio .Net programming environment and support for ASP. Net.
One of the technical highlights of the new release is the Authoring Connector for Office XP, which allows users to generate and contribute content for a Web site from within the suite of Office applications. In doing so, Microsoft officials believe the adoption of solutions can be speeded up. The upcoming product’s support for Web services makes it possible for users to expose content and functions of the server as Web services. This makes it simpler for users to integrate Web sites and content residing on other server-based applications regardless of the programming language used to build them. Also in the area of interoperability, Microsoft has built in XML-based content and publishing and storage capabilities through its XML Placeholder Control feature that allows developers to build native XML support into a Web site or publishing environment.
Business Objects fires up analytic engines
Business Objects SA has rolled out a new analytic framework designed to ease the delivery of integrated enterprise analytic applications and boosted its supply chain intelligence offering with new features to analyze all operations of the supplier network.
Business Objects Application Foundation 3.0 includes two new analytic engines designed to add predictive analysis and statistical process control capabilities into enterprise analytic applications. These applications give users better insight into data, helping them anticipate the outcome of targeted business decisions, said John Kreisa, senior product marketing manager at Business Objects. In addition, users can monitor, control and improve processes over time, specifically those related to enterprise quality management. Business Objects is among a bevy of vendors including Cognos, Hyperion and Ascential that have extended their offerings beyond reports to provide analytical applications designed to propel BI data throughout the enterprise to allow a company to measure actions against a business strategy.