Event Summary
On February
22nd, during the eLink conference, New Era of Networks, Inc., (Nasdaq: NEON)
an e-Business infrastructure platform provider, and Commerce One, Inc., (Nasdaq:
CMRC), announced the availability of the Commerce One BuySite to ERP Connector
for SAP R/3. The Connector, based on NEON's e-Business infrastructure products,
integrates Commerce One Buysite 6.0 with SAP R/3.
Commerce
One BuySite is an e-procurement application that provides direct access to suppliers
and to Commerce One's Global Trading Web.
The
XML-based Connector works with NEON e-Biz Integrator, NEON adapter for SAP
R/3 and NEON adapter for Commerce One. It provides business logic to perform
account checking, create and change purchase orders, perform real-time order
status checks and synchronize data.
NEON and Commerce One are currently developing additional Connectors for Buysite
6.0, including a Connector for Oracle and a Connector for JD Edwards. The product
is available immediately from Commerce One.
Also
during eLink 2000, Adexa, Inc., (formerly Paragon Management Systems), a provider
of business-to-business (B2B) collaborative solutions and Commerce One (Nasdaq:
CMRC), announced they have entered into a relationship to integrate Adexa's
collaborative planning solution, iCollaboration, with Commerce One MarketSite
Portal Solution addressing the B2B direct material market.
iCollaboration
will enable MarketSite to better link buyers and suppliers as well as synchronize
order procurement and fulfillment activities through the use of dynamic business-to-business
collaboration tools.
iCollaboration
is designed to provide MarketSite customers - Fortune 500 to 2000 buyers - improved
customer service levels through order promising, intelligent allocation, and
collaboration capabilities. The solution will also provide MarketSite's suppliers
with services such as demand visibility and order allocation capabilities, allowing
them to more rapidly respond to changing demand.
Market
Impact
When
selecting a new application, IT and business professionals almost always ask
if a new application will interface with an existing system. Legacy connection
impacts how and what companies are willing to invest in. Commerce One's new
relationships speak to the importance of connectivity and synchronization on
both the "buy" and "sell" side of the equation. If the connections work and
the data can help speed implementation and increase collaboration, the results
will be positive for Commerce One.
The
impact of this announcement may force other organizations to accelerate their
marketplace strategies. mySAP.com's Marketplace touts an open framework where
clients can connect with other exchanges. If Commerce One's procurement and
marketplace solution successfully integrates with R\3, they have effectively
"jumped the fence" and can provide SAP customers additional choices.
User
Recommendations
The NEON and Adexa announcements are positive for organizations considering
Commerce One's solution. An efficient connection to a back end ERP system and
a collaboration tool has tremendous appeal.
If
you're considering an e-commerce solution, review your options. Most, if not
all, ERP providers are creating their own exchanges, or partnering with organizations
such as Commerce One, Ariba and others to provide business-to-business solutions.
If you're an SAP owner speak to both companies to ensure their functionality
is compatible with your version of R\3. If not, identify the cost to upgrade
and factor the result into the price tag. If orchestrated correctly, both companies
may compete for your business. Regardless of the final selection, connectivity
with legacy systems, real time collaboration, and access to a marketplace are
attractive features.