Competitive Response -- SAP
When the definitive merger agreement between PeopleSoft and Oracle, the respective number two and three business applications providers in the market, was signed in December, the enterprise market shifted, if not rumbled. Customers in particular were somewhat bemused, not to mention mildly concerned about what this meant for them. To appease its newly acquired and existing customer base, Oracle affirmed its commitments, although its product roadmap did not include active marketing of PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards product lines. The vendor will, however, continue to market them to the installed base, and will attend user conferences, run campaigns, and conduct public and analyst relations. Because these products are being seen, by some, as dead ends (at least in the long run), many competitors have been scrambling to offer all sorts of incentives to entice disconcerted, existing PeopleSoft and Oracle customers to switch. In this regard, at least, Oracle can feel vindicated that its claim, made during the antitrust trial, that the merger would increase competition has proven true.
Part Two of the While Oracle and PeopleSoft Are to Fuse, Competitors Ruse—Leaving Customers (Somewhat) Bemused series.
Notably, only a day after Oracle's event outlining the company's roadmap, SAP announced a comprehensive offering for SAP customers running solutions from PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards—one that included SAP applications, technology, and maintenance services. SAP claims the offering provides companies a safe passage away from any uncertainties surrounding the brands acquired by Oracle while offering a clearer roadmap to assist companies in evolving to the next generation of business software.
In making the announcement, SAP also revealed that it had acquired TomorrowNow, the Bryan, Texas-based (US), experienced, third-party support provider of enterprise maintenance and support for PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards product. The company has been quite PeopleSoft-focused since its creation by former PeopleSoft managers, and has received considerable attention in the last several months by offering lower-cost support contracts to PeopleSoft customers—support at about half the price PeopleSoft would charge and with a 24x7, 30-minute guaranteed response value proposition. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. However, the SAP offering includes maintenance and software support for PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards solutions through TomorrowNow. It was initially directed at companies that are already joint SAP customers, but was recently extended to all PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards customers. The offer should provide these customers with the comfort and flexibility to plan their maintenance and software migration strategies at their own pace.
SAP's approach seems to be two pronged. Namely, on the one hand, it provides PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards's users with an alternative source of support for their existing legacy applications. On the other hand, it is about offering extensions through the SAP NetWeaver integration platform, and migration services to mySAP ERP, SAP's enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. Under a program dubbed "Safe Passage," the focus will be initially on a few thousand corporate users currently running in hybrid SAP, PeopleSoft, or J.D. Edwards environments. While the SAP Safe Passage offering includes support for PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards products, TomorrowNow will also continue to market and offer its standard TomorrowNow Support Services, offering up to 50 percent savings to any PeopleSoft or J.D. Edwards customer wanting to extend the life of their current products. Thus SAP is actively working on two fronts to remove customers from the Oracle tent. One is via Safe Passage to move to SAP products, and the other by moving PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards licensees to TomorrowNow Support Services and off Oracle's maintenance and support "gravy train", reducing Oracle's revenue. This moves disconcerted licensees to more of a "vendor agnostic" position, and saves money and resources, while giving customers room to decide in what direction they want to move in the future.
SAP NetWeaver lies at the core of SAP's overall enterprise services architecture (ESA) strategy, and the new service oriented architecture (SOA) version of mySAP Business Suite will not function without it. The launch of SAP NetWeaver in 2003 sent ripples throughout the software infrastructure business, and the product currently consists of a portal builder, an application server, a master data manager (MDM), some business intelligence (BI), data warehousing and analytics tools, an integration suite and various other tools (for more information, see SAP Bolsters NetWeaver's MDM Capabilities). Because of its breadth, SAP NetWeaver appears to compete with many commercially available application servers, and integration and portal products, signaling SAP's intention to move out from its traditional enterprise application territory to also become an infrastructure supplier.
Further, SAP believes that there might be two main profiles of customers that will find the Safe Passage program attractive. The first group will likely have PeopleSoft's human resource and payroll applications in place, but are using SAP's applications for financials or supply chain management (SCM) among many other functions. The other group tends to be large manufacturing corporations that have SAP at headquarters, but are still using J.D. Edwards manufacturing savvy applications in many plants and divisions. In most cases, SAP was selected long after the PeopleSoft or J.D. Edwards products were put in place, and there might already be an action plan to eventually standardize on SAP corporate-wide.
These companies may find the vendor standardization opportunity and license trade-in credit attractive, even if they are in no rush to migrate now. To that end, they would have to trade in their PeopleSoft or J.D. Edwards licenses for equivalent SAP licenses (mySAP ERP or any other solution in mySAP Business Suite). They would receive a credit equal to 75 percent of the license price that they had paid, but they will have to pay the difference between that price and the current SAP license fee. They will also be charged a maintenance fee based on 17 percent of the total SAP software license value. This, however, will cover the support of their PeopleSoft or J.D. Edwards products. The customer will then be free to continue to use their current applications, begin migration immediately, or use the SAP NetWeaver platform to build integration or extensions for the combined products.
SAP believes that under this Safe Passage Program, organizations running PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards will be able to fairly quickly extend their IT infrastructure with the SAP NetWeaver platform, which also includes connectors for these solutions. As a result, these organizations might benefit from integrating their entire IT landscape with one open platform that enables flexible business processes across the entire company. SAP indicated that there are approximately 2,000 companies globally running SAP solutions who also have headquarters, plant facilities, subsidiaries and satellite operations running PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards solutions. Likewise, this new offer might be particularly attractive to existing SAP-leaning clients who are now forced to deal with the challenges of figuring out what to do about the PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards solutions running somewhere in their extended enterprise.
This is Part Two of an eight-part note.
Part One detailed the event.
Part Three will discuss how competition involves infrastructure.
Part Four is a reality check.
Part Five will look at What Oracle Gains.
Part Six will cover Oracle's acquisition history.
Part Seven is the SAP Factor.
Part Eight will discuss challenges and make recommendations.
Competitive Response—Microsoft
A similar move, but one that will hardly make heads turn, took place on January 10, when Microsoft announced it would offer a migration program designed to satisfy the needs of businesses that use PeopleSoft World (formerly from J.D. Edwards), PeopleSoft EnterpriseOne (formerly from J.D. Edwards), and PeopleSoft Enterprise. This migration program was also developed to help PeopleSoft customers and partners respond to challenges from Oracle's acquisition. Microsoft hopes some customers will not like Oracle's new direction, and especially hopes those reevaluating their ERP life cycle will be looking at the competition.
The migration program provides migration technology, price discounts on Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) software and services, and strategic guidance to help companies efficiently and affordably migrate to an appropriate MBS business management application. While the program is available for all four MBS applications, Microsoft recommends that PeopleSoft World and PeopleSoft EnterpriseOne customers consider MBSAxapta. Along similar lines, it encourages PeopleSoft Enterprise customers in the US and Canada consider MBSGreat Plains, although businesses interested in MBSNavision and MBSSolomon too could take advantage of the new migration program, which is also designed to serve business partners that specialize in PeopleSoft technology.
The new program provides a potentially, attractive financial package for PeopleSoft customers, including a 25 percent license discount as well as a 25 percent discount for the first year of participation in MBS support and enhancement programs, but not its resellers consulting and implementation services. These financial incentives are available to customers that license an MBS application no later than June 22, 2005.
The program offers migration planning guides to help customers evaluate applications and platforms, as well as data migration tools to shorten the total implementation time. Microsoft will also provide guidance from experienced systems integrators who specialize in PeopleSoft migration, and from technical specialists skilled in PeopleSoft application conversion who can cross-train companies' sales personnel. The migration program is available now through Microsoft partners worldwide, although MBS software availability and specific program offerings may vary by country.
Incidentally, some claim that the trigger of the recent effervescent spate of acquisitions could in fact be traced back to Microsoft's acquisition of former Great Plains and Navision (see Microsoft 'The Great' Poised To Conquer Mid-Market, Once and Again) in its unveiled quest to create a $10 billion (USD) application business empire by 2010. Given that its current applications revenue is "only" about $700 million (USD) or so, plus the modest to dismal prospects of organic growth in a still docile economy, it is logical to deduce remaining $9 billion in revenues will be supplemented through acquisitions. This is especially probable given Microsoft's almost infinite buying power to entertain its (also almost infinite) aspirations. This feeling remains, despite MBS executives' recent attempts to depict this lofty target as a mere misunderstanding of the market. One that was taken out of the context from Jeff Raikes' 2000 interview after the Navision acquisition, that reflected his wish to take 25 percent of the market share from the $40 billion (USD) enterprise applications market.
Therefore, however shocking it may have been for the market to find out about the secret merger talks between SAP and Microsoft—a byproduct finding of the Oracle vs. Department of Justice trial—the talks did not happen without a good reason. That is to say, through the merger, Microsoft would expeditiously reach the magic $10 billion (USD) mark, and would have assembled a full-fledged application product to compete with the likes of Oracle and IBM. While the merger talk has been cancelled (or postponed indefinitely, likely due to the antitrust scrutiny on both sides of the Atlantic), the two strange bedfellows continue to both compete and partner.
This concludes Part Two of an eight-part note.
Part One detailed the event.
Part Three will discuss how competition involves infrastructure.
Part Four is a reality check.
Part Five will look at what Oracle gains.
Part Six will cover Oracle's acquisition history.
Part Seven is the SAP factor.
Part Eight will discuss challenges and make recommendations.
About the Authors
 Olin Thompson is a principal of Process ERP Partners. He has over twenty-five years experience as an executive in the software industry. Thompson has been called "the Father of Process ERP." He is a frequent author and an award-winning speaker on topics of gaining value from ERP, SCP, e-commerce, and the impact of technology on industry.
He can be reached at Olin@ProcessERP.com
|
|
 Predrag Jakovljevic is a research director with TechnologyEvaluation.com (TEC), with a focus on the enterprise applications market. He has nearly twenty years of manufacturing industry experience, including several years as a power user of IT/ERP, as well as being a consultant/implementer and market analyst. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and he has also been certified in production and inventory management (CPIM) and in integrated resources management (CIRM) by APICS.
|
The Cha(lle)nging World of Value-added Resellers | Application Portfolio Management: Are You Getting the Most from your Enterprise Software? | No Yawn Intended: Enterprise Applications Giant Introduces a Mid-tier Support Choice | Supply Chain Management Vendor Finds Balance for Service Supply Chains | User Recommendations for Pricing Management | The Retail Battleground for Pricing Management | Applications Giants Bolster Their Pricing Management Capabilities | Recommendations for Users of Acquired Enterprise Resource Planning Systems | Acquisitions Fuel Vendor Growth in the Enterprise Applications Field | The Impact of the 'Assembler Strategy' in the Enterprise Applications Field | New Vendor Acquisition Strategies in the Enterprise Applications Field | Contributing to the Rejuvenation of Legacy Systems in the Enterprise Resource Planning Field | The Enterprise Applications 'Arms Race' To Be Number Three | Vendor Articulates Message and Vision for Product Lifecycle Management | A Small Enterprise Resource Planning Vendor: The Vision and the Challenges |
Getting It Right: Product, Quality, Timing, and Price | The Formula for Product Success: Focus on Flexibility and Cooperation | Jeeves—Thriving Organically as a Humble Servant | Product Lifecycle Management Agility Founded on Innovation | Enterprise Resource Planning for Services, and Professional Services Automation: Where Do You Draw the Line? | Vision Software Brings a Solid Business Process Management Solution to the Table | Using Business Intelligence Infrastructure to Ensure Compliancy with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act | Aligning Information Technology with Corporate Strategy | Competition from a Small Vendor | Major Vendors Adapting to User Requirements | Acquisition Changes Product Lifecycle Management Landscape | Business Engine: Driving Project Portfolio Management for IT Departments in the Enterprise Market | Software as a Service beyond Customer Relationship Management and Sales | Software as a Service for Customer Relationship Management and Sales | What Is Software as a Service? | Software as a Service Is Gaining Ground | Vendor Feels the Heat in Hot Product Lifecycle Management Market | Comparing Business Intelligence and Data Integration Best-of-breed Vendors' Extract Transform and Load Solutions | On-demand Product Life Cycle Management: Not Just for Small to Medium Businesses Anymore | Enterprise Application Provider May Deepen Market Impact | Vendor Extends Welcome Mat for Hospitality Industry | Extended Enterprise Resource Planning Vendor Shows Its Lean Side | Classic Enterprise Resource Planning Solution Shifts Over | SoftBrands' Recovery Softens the AremisSoft Bankruptcy Blow | E-learning Course Design | Reflections on Lean Philosophy and the Theory of Constraints | The Theory of Constraints Enters the Lean Manufacturing Arena | The TEC Quick Case for Made2Manage | Enterprise Resource Planning Vendors Address Lean Manufacturing | So What: The Big Test of Your Positioning Strategy | Manual versus Information Technology Enabled Lean Manufacturing | How to Achieve Lean Manufacturing | Lean Tools and Practices that Eliminate Manufacturing Waste | Microsoft's Dynamic New Approach to Professional Services Automation | Globalization Has a Profound Impact on the Supply Chain and Supporting Information Technology | IDeWeb Provides Best-of-breed Product Portfolio Management Functionality for the Manufacturing Sector | Enterprise Resource Planning Vendor Gains Connectivity through Acquisition of Plant Intelligence Provider | Has SAP Nailed Plant Level Leadership with Lighthammer? | Where is Oracle in the Product Lifecycle Management Software Market? | SAP NetWeaver Background, Direction, and User Recommendations | Multipurpose SAP NetWeaver | Pelion Systems Champions Manufacturing Process Optimization | Enterprise Resource Planning Giants Eye the Shop Floor | As Hype Becomes Reality, a Radio Frequency Identification Ecosystem Emerges Part Two: The Middleware Dilemma, Partnerships, and What Next? | As Hype Becomes Reality, a Radio Frequency Identification Ecosystem Emerges | Extending Quality's Reach to Manage Quality in the Supply Chain | SSA Global finds Little Known SCM Gems in Filling Out its Solution Portfolio | Exact Faces Challenges | Exact Acquires Vanguard Solutions Group | A Single Software Solution That Enables Business Process Management | Global Software Aspirations | Exact Software Continues with Its Share of Judicious Acquisitions | Project Portfolio Management for New Product Development: Tracking the Project Cycle from Idea to Launch | What Are Your Competitors Telling You? A Case Study: SAP's New Advertising Campaign | Working Toward Truly Strategic Partnerships | How Is Business Process Management Applicable to Financial Services? | Project Portfolio Management for Service Organizations: Bridging the Gap between Project Management and Operations | Easy ERP: A Challenge to Conventional Thinking | Predictive Analytics; the Future of Business Intelligence | New Approaches to Software Pricing | Enterprise Software Service and Maintenance Alternatives | Plant Intelligence as Glue for Dispersed Data? | A Unique Product Lifecycle Management Tool for Private Label Retail | ERP Plus and Beyond | The Strengths of a Vertically Centric Enterprise Software Provider | IT Governance: Maximizing the Business Investment | Supply Chain Vendor Morphs into SCEM with Response Management Vision | Business Process Management: A Crash Course on What It Entails and Why to Use It | Records Management Becoming More Important Due to Compliance Regulations | Integrating Customer Relationship Management through Software As A Service | Comparing On Demand Customer Relationship Management Service Alternatives | Enterprise Software Product Outsourcing: A Fresh Perspective for Mid-market Vendors | The Exacting Needs of Metal Service Centers | What Plant-level Systems Can Do for the Enterprise Market | Plant-level Systems: Facing and Dealing with Obstacles | The Importance of Plant-level Systems | Parametric Technology Corporation's Bold Vision Drives Growth and Innovation | Prepackaged SAP Best Practices—Are They for You? | Best-of-breed Approach to Finance and Accounting | Joining the Sarbanes-Oxley Bandwagon; Meeting the Needs of Small and Medium Businesses | Composing Collaborative Financial Applications | Global Trade Management Software Vendors Under-Perform, But Were Predictions Overly Optimistic? | Using Visibility to Manage Supply Chain Uncertainty | Supply Chain Management Is Evolving toward Interdependent Supply Networks | Partnerships with Vendors and Independent Software Vendors: Rejuvenating Legacy Systems | Server Platform Revitalization in the Enterprise Applications Space | The Challenges of the Lawson-Intentia Merger | Market Impact of Lawson-Intentia Merger | Intentia Prepares for Merger with Lawson | 'New' Lawson Software's Transatlantic Extended Enterprise Resource Planning Intentions | Critical Components of an E-PLM System | Retalix Strives for Leadership in Retail Food Segment | Vendors Strive for Segment Pack Leader Status; Does Retalix Measure Up? | Looking For Software—The Expectations of Small and Medium Enterprises | SCM in a New Flavor: Real Time and Demand Driven | Enterprise Resource Planning: Bridging the Gap between Product Vision and Execution | Stability and Functionality for Process and Discrete Manufacturers | Aligning Java-based Application Strategies | A New Platform to Battle Software Bloat? | Can Java Perk Legacy Enterprise Resource Planning Systems? | Portal Strategy: One Vendor's Story and What It Means to You | Epicor To Give All Its Applications More Than A Pretty Facelift | A New Model for Evaluating Third Party Logistics Providers: Enter Service Oriented Architecture | Product Architecture for Product Endurance? | Programming for Business Analysts? The Promise of Simplified Web Services Implementation and Access | Niche Software at Its Best | Portals: Necessary But Not Self-sufficient | ERP and Warehouse Management: Technology, Challenges, and User Recommendations | Responding to Warehouse Management Needs | Mid-Market Strategy: International Enterprise Solutions | Adonix' Mid-Market FORMULA – Adopting Best of Both 'Organic Growers' and 'Aggressive Consolidators' Worlds | The Blessing and Curse of Rejuvenating Legacy Systems | Technology Enablers for the Lean Supply Chain | Rapidly Consolidating Enterprise Applications Market: The Worlds of 'Organic Growers' and 'Aggressive Consolidators' | Demand-driven Manufacturing and Warehousing: Challenges and User Recommendations | The Impact of Demand-Driven Technology in the SCM Market: IBS | Supply Chain Operations Reference and Other Features in ASW | IBS–Slow but Steady (and Demand-Driven) May Win the SCM Race | Essential ERP—Its Underpinning Technology | Mid-sized SCE Buys Small SCP: No Sure Bet on Short Term Profits | Warehousing Management: Yard Management, Competitive Analysis, and Challenges | Who Needs Warehousing Management and How Much Thereof? | The Technology Choices | Global versus Local Channel Approach, Who Will Win? | The Market Impact of Two Powerhouses | Addressing Channels and the Low-End Market | What Do Users Want and Need? | Technical Staff Management Systems for the Aviation Industry | Marquee Vendors Partner for Deepening Inherent CRM and BI Links | Why Are CRM and Analytics Intrinsically Connected? | Three Cs of Successful Positioning: The Competition | When Customer Relationships Meets Business Intelligence Marketing Analysis and User Recommendations | SAS and Action-Oriented Business Processes: Alliances, Partnerships, and Acquisitions | SAS: Striving to Sustain Leadership | Customer Life Cycle Solutions: Strategic Alliances, Challenges, & User Recommendations | A Tectonic Shift in Communications Customer Life Cycle Management | Amdocs Overhauls Its Marketing | Supply Chain Management Systems for Service and Replacement Parts: Players, Benefits, and User Recommendations | Avoid the Perils of Service Parts Planning in Supply Chain Management | Lucrative but "Risky" Aftermarket Business—Service and Replacement Parts SCM | Interview with Louis Suárez-Potts of OpenOffice.org and CollabNet | Interview with Karl Fogel of Subversion and CollabNet | Interview with Jeff Bates of SourceForge.net, Slashdot, and the OSTG | Concerted Disruption, Climb Aboard | Competitive Challenges for Vanguard | A Demand-driven Approach to BI | Has the Mid-market Found Vanguard BI Solutions? | Integration and Consolidation of Business Intelligence within Business Performance Management | Business Intelligence Status Report: Recommendations | Access to Critical Business Intelligence: Challenging Data Warehouses? | Business Intelligence Vendors | Business Intelligence Corporate Performance Management Market Landscape | Business Process Management: How to Orchestrate Your Business | New Data Triggers for International Supply Chain Finance | Manufacturing Environments and Integration with Other Functions | Managing Your Supply Chain Using Microsoft Navision | Attaining Real Time, On-demand Information Data: Contemporary Business Intelligence Tools | Business Intelligence for SMBs: MBS Excel Applications and Competitive Analysis | Vendors Harness Excel (and Office) to Win the Lower-end of Business Intelligence Market | Unifying Global Trade Management: Challenges and User Recommendations | Dealing with Global Trade Management Complexity | Market Leaders of Global Trade Management | Managing Global Trade Flows | Fighting Terrorism with Global Trade Management | Selecting a CMMS System | Global Trade Solutions: Competition, Challenges, and User Recommendations | Confronting Core Global Trade Problems: Order, Shipment, and Financial Settlement | Tackling the International Supply Chain | Confronting International Regulatory Compliance: Web-based GTM Solution | TradeBeam Keeps on Rounding Out Its GTM Set | How to Cope When Your Service Provider is Acquired | Enterprise Software Migration Alert: Is SAP the Alternative? | Oracle's Product Future: What Can the Past Tell? | Battle Booty from Oracle's Victory Over PeopleSoft | Offshore Outsourcing: Is There a Method to the Madness? Planning for Offshore Outsourcing | When Small Business Packages Have Enterprise Appeal | Employee Performance Management Problems | The Oracle/PeopleSoft Reality Check | What's Ahead for Users on the Enterprise Infrastructure Battlefront? | While Oracle and PeopleSoft Are to Fuse, Competitors Ruse--Leaving Customers (Somewhat) Bemused | A New Development Framework on iSeries or i5/OS: Architecture | GTM Solutions--Always Watch Out for SAP | Global Trade Regulatory Software: Vendor Obstacles and User Recommendations | Navigating Global Trade Waters | The Future of SOA-based Applications and Infrastructure | SOA as a Foundation for Applications and Infrastructure | SOA-based Applications and Infrastructure--The Next Frontier? | Customer Choices for Achieving Growth | Competitive Advantage in a Saturated Market: How Will the Big Few Do It? | Achieving Growth: New Accounts versus Up-selling to Existing Accounts | Merging Disparate IT Systems and Exploiting Multichannels | Enterprise Application Alternatives: What You Should Be Asking Oracle and SAP | Enterprise Application Players Keep Refining Value Propositions | Why Open Source is Important to You | Linking Planning and Execution Systems for Retailers’ Nirvana--Improved Visibility and Fulfillment | One Product for Large and Small Manufacturers: Challenges and User Recommendations | When EDI Goes Native, Everything Falls in Sync with IQMS | Benefits of a Single Database Solution: Improved Enterprise Quality Management from IQMS | Solving Enterprise Problems: The Fully-integrated Solution of IQMS | Why Service Matters: Enterprise Solutions, Market Differentiation, and IQMS | IQMS Prospers by Helping Enterprises Work Smarter | The Players of Software-as-a-Service Business Models and Finding the Best Value Propositions | Disruptive Innovations? On-demand Pricing Models and Vendors | Get on the Grid: Utility Computing | Trends in Delivery and Pricing Models for Enterprise Applications: Pricing Options | Oracle Further Orchestrates Its SOA Forays
Part Six: Weaknesses and User Recommendations | Oracle Further Orchestrates Its SOA Forays
Part Five: Collaxa Acquisition | Oracle Further Orchestrates Its SOA Forays
Part Four: SOA and Web Services | Oracle Further Orchestrates Its SOA Forays
Part Three: Strategy Shifts | Oracle Further Orchestrates Its SOA Forays
Part Two: Strategy | Oracle Further Orchestrates Its SOA Forays
Part One: Event Summary and Market Impact | A Spoonful of SugarCRMCase Study and Review of an Open Source CRM Solution | Atrion User Conference Highlights Need for Regulatory Compliance in PLM | The Name and Ownership Change Roulette Wheel for Marcam Stops at SSA Global
Part Four: What SSA Global Gets | SSA Global Forms a Strategic Unit with an Extended-ERP Savvy
Part Three: Challenges and User Recommendations | TEC Talks to OpenMFGFree and Open Source Software Business ModelsPart Two: OpenMFG | Provia Tackles RFID in a Twofold Manner
Part Eight: Challenges and User Recommendations | Provia Tackles RFID in a Twofold Manner
Part Seven: WMS Market Impact | Provia Tackles RFID in a Twofold Manner
Part Six: Market Impact | Provia Tackles RFID in a Twofold Manner
Part Five: 3PL Support and SCE Optimization | Provia Tackles RFID in a Twofold Manner
Part Four: Global Availability | Provia Tackles RFID in a Twofold Manner
Part Three: Provia and Viastore Systems Alignment | Provia Tackles RFID in a Twofold Manner
Part Two: RFID Compliance | Provia Tackles RFID in a Twofold Manner
Part One: Recent Annoucements | RFID Case Study: Gillette and Provia
Part Two: Challenges and Lessons Learned | RFID Case Study: Gillette and Provia
Part One: Background | PeopleSoft Revamps World for Its Mid-Market "Express" Conquest
Part One: Recent Annoucements | Encompix--Thriving on Encompassing Complexity
Part Two: Challenges and User Recommendations | Exact Software--Working Diligently Towards the "One Exact" Synergy
Part One: Event Summary | 3M Wraps Up HighJump, While Retalix Shops OMI International
Part Three: Challenges and User Recommendations | Onyx/Pivotal Rivalry Through Thin Rather Than Thick | I-Impact Predicts Your Customer Retention! | Microsoft Keeps on Rounding up Its Business Solutions
Part Two: Challenges and User Recommendations | Microsoft Keeps on Rounding up Its Business Solutions
Part One: Event Summary | Autodesk to Bring Microsoft Business Solutions Closer to PLM | Lawson Software-IPO and Several Acquisitions After
Part Five: Challenges and User Recommendations | Lawson Software-IPO and Several Acquisitions After
Part Four: Strengths Continued | Lawson Software-IPO and Several Acquisitions After
Part Three: Market Impact | Lawson Software-IPO and Several Acquisitions After
Part Two: Retail and Professional Service Initiatives | Lawson Software-IPO and Several Acquisitions After | Ramco to Its Customers-Let's Get Personal!
Part Two: Commitment and Recommendations | Ramco to Its Customers - Let's Get Personal! | Surado! A Rising Mid-market CRM Provider | Analyzing MAPICS' Further Steps After Frontstep
Part Five: Challenges and User Recommendations | Analyzing MAPICS' Further Steps After Frontstep
Part Four: Market Impact Continued | Analyzing MAPICS' Further Steps After Frontstep
Part Three: Market Impact | Analyzing MAPICS' Further Steps After Frontstep
Part Two: More Recent Events | Analyzing MAPICS’ Further Steps After Frontstep | chinadotcom in the "Process" of Acquiring Ross Systems
Part Two: Challenges and User Recommendations | chinadotcom In The "Process" of Acquiring Ross Systems | SSA GT to EXE-cute (Yet) Another Acquisition
Part Four: Challenges, and User Recommendations | SSA GT to EXE-cute (Yet) Another Acquisition
Part Three: Impact on SSA GT | SSA GT to EXE-cute (Yet) Another Acquisition
Part Two: EXE | SSA GT To EXE-cute (Yet) Another Acquisition | QAD Pulling through, Patiently but Passionately
Part Six: User Recommendations | QAD Pulling Through, Patiently But Passionately
Part Five: Challenges | QAD Pulling Through, Patiently But Passionately
Part Four: Market Impact Continued | QAD Pulling through, Patiently but Passionately
Part Three: Market Impact | QAD Pulling Through, Patiently But Passionately
Part Two: Company Background | QAD Pulling Through, Patiently But Passionately | PeopleSoft Strategy a Good Deal for JD Edwards Customers | Battery Power Shakes Up Made2Manage
Part Two: Challenges and User Recommendations | Battery Power Shakes Up Made2Manage | IBM is Serious About SMB | Solomon Stands the Test of Time Despite Changing Masters
Part Four: Challenges and User Recommendations | Solomon Stands the Test of Time Despite Changing Masters
Part Three: Product Differentiators | Solomon Stands the Test of Time Despite Changing Masters
Part Two: Market Impact | Solomon Stands the Test of Time Despite Changing Masters | Scala and Microsoft Become (Not So) Strange CRM Bedfellows
Part Three: Challenges and User Recommendations | Scala and Microsoft Become (Not So) Strange CRM Bedfellows
Part Two: Market Impact Continued | Scala and Microsoft Become (Not So) Strange CRM Bedfellows | Epicor Conducts Its Own ROI Acquisition Rationale
Part Three: Challenges and User Recommendations | Epicor Conducts Its Own ROI Acquisition Rationale
Part Two: Market Impact | Epicor Conducts Its Own ROI Acquisition Rationale | Lose the Starry Eyes, Analyze: Reviewing the Ideal Candidate for EMR Innovations ProcessPro | RTI's CRM Applications Rivals The Major League Providers | IBM Express-es Its Candid Desire For SMEs
Part Three: Challenges and User Recommendations | IBM Express-es Its Candid Desire For SMEs
Part Two: Market Impact | IBM Express-es Its Candid Desire For SMEs | Best Software Delivers More Insights To Its Partners
(As Well As To The Market)
Part Five: Challenges and User Recommendations | Best Software Delivers More Insights To Its Partners
(As Well As To The Market)
Part Four: Market Impact Continued | Best Software Delivers More Insights To Its Partners (As Well As To The Market)
Part Three: Market Impact | Best Software Delivers More Insights To Its Partners (As Well As To The Market)
Part Two: Event Summary Continued | Best Software Delivers More Insights To Its Partners
(As Well As To The Market) | Baan And SSA GT Merge To Form A Mid-Market Empire With An ''Iron Side''
Part Four: Market Impact Summary and User Recommendations | Baan And SSA GT Merge To Form A Mid-Market Empire With An ''Iron Side''
Part Three: Market Impact On SSA GT | Baan And SSA GT Merge To Form A Mid-Market Empire With An ''Iron Side''
Part Two: Market Impact On Baan | Baan And SSA GT Merge To Form A Mid-Market Empire With An ''Iron Side'' | To Gain Market Share in the Mid-Market, SAP Leaves No Stone Unturned | Welcome to the CRM Mid-Market Abyss-PeopleSoft | Frantic Merger-Mania Spiced Up With Vendettas Leaves Customers Anxious | Lose the Starry Eyes, Analyze: Reviewing the Ideal Candidate for Metasystems ICIM | Epicor Reaches Better Vista From This Vantage Point
Part Three: Challenges and User Recommendations | Epicor Reaches Better Vista From This Vantage Point
Part Two: Market Impact | Epicor Reaches Better Vista From This Vantage Point | A User Centric WorkWise Customer Conference | ROI Systems Defies The Odds Through Delighted Customers
Part Three: Strengths, Challenges and User Recommendations | ROI Systems Defies The Odds Through Delighted Customers
Part Two: Market Impact | ROI Systems Defies The Odds Through Delighted Customers | Adonix + CIMPRO = A Feature-Rich Process ERP Product, But With Challenges | SCE Leaders Partner To See Beyond Their Portfolio
Part Two: Market Impact | Baan Seeking A New Foster Home -- A Déjà vu Or Not Quite?
Part Three: Market Impact and User Recommendations | Baan Seeking A New Foster Home -- A Déjà vu Or Not Quite?
Part Two: Baan Under Invensys | Baan Seeking A New Foster Home -- A Déjà vu Or Not Quite? | Microsoft Convergence 2003 portrayed an Enterprise Solutions crossroad! | Commerce One Conducts Its Soul-Searching Metamorphosis
Part Two: Challenges and User Recommendations | Commerce One Conducts Its Soul-Searching Metamorphosis | Cincom Acknowledges There Is A Composite Applications Environ-ment Out There
Part Two: Challenges and User Recommendations | Cincom Acknowledges There Is A Composite Applications Environ-ment Out There | Lose the Starry Eyes, Analyze: Reviewing the Ideal Candidate for a Pronto Solution | Is J.D. Edwards's CRM 2.0 (With more than 200 Enhancements) Good News? | Ramco Ships Technology And Products.
Part Two: User and Vendor Recommendations | Ramco Ships Technology And Products.
Is This The Future Of Enterprise Applications? | SYSPRO - Awaiting Positive IMPACT From Its Brand Unification
Part Three: Challenges and User Recommendations | SYSPRO - Awaiting Positive IMPACT From Its Brand Unification
Part Two: Market Impact | SYSPRO - Awaiting Positive IMPACT From Its Brand Unification | SAP Weaves Microsoft .NET And IBM WebSphere Into Its ESA Tapestry
Part Three: Challenges and User Recommendations | SAP Weaves Microsoft .NET And IBM WebSphere Into Its ESA Tapestry
Part Two: Market Impact | SAP Weaves Microsoft .NET And IBM WebSphere Into Its ESA Tapestry | Lilly Software - Product Enhancements Remain Its Order 'Du Jour'
Part Four: Challenges and User Recommendations | Lilly Software - Product Enhancements Remain Its Order 'Du Jour'
Part Three: Competitive Analysis | Lilly Software - Product Enhancements Remain Its Order 'Du Jour'
Part Two: Market Impact | Lilly Software - Product Enhancements Remain Its Order 'Du Jour' | Will Adonix Provide A Warmer Home To CIMPRO?
Part Three: Challenges and User Recommendations | Will Adonix Provide A Warmer Home To CIMPRO?
Part Two: Market Impact | Will Adonix Provide A Warmer Home To CIMPRO? | ACCPAC -- Being Much More Than Meets The Eye
Part Four: Challenges and User Recommendations | ACCPAC -- Being Much More Than Meets The Eye
Part Three: Market Impact | ACCPAC -- Being Much More Than Meets The Eye
Part Two: Announcements Continued | ACCPAC -- Being Much More Than Meets The Eye | Ramco Systems' Users - Winning Big And Speaking Out In Las Vegas | Made2Manage Affirms Its Technological Astuteness
Part 3: Challenges and User Recommendations | Made2Manage Affirms Its Technological Astuteness
Part 2: Strategy | Made2Manage Affirms Its Technological Astuteness | MAPICS To Leap Forward In A Frontstep Way
Part 3: Challenges and User Recommendations | MAPICS To Leap Forward In A Frontstep Way
Part 2: Market Impact | MAPICS To Leap Forward In A Frontstep Way | Best Software To Hold Competition At Bay
Part Four: Challenges & User Recommendations | Best Software To Hold Competition At Bay
Part Three: Market Impact | Best Software To Hold Competition At Bay
Part Two: Strategy | Best Software To Hold Competition At Bay | Ross Systems Shows Poise in 'Big Easy' | Is SSA GT Betting Infini(um)tely On Acquisitions?
Part Four: Challenges and User Recommendations. | Is SSA GT Betting Infini(um)tely On Acquisitions?
Part Three: Complementary Products | Is SSA GT Betting Infini(um)tely On Acquisitions?
Part Two: Market Impact | Is SSA GT Betting Infini(um)tely On Acquisitions? | Epicor Picks Clarus' Bargain At The Software Flea Market
Part 2: Challenges and User Recommendations | Epicor Picks Clarus' Bargain At The Software Flea Market | Cincom Asserts Expertise In CRM For Complex Manufacturers
Part 2: Challenges and User Recommendations | Cincom Asserts Expertise In CRM For Complex Manufacturers | MAPICS Moving On Pragmatically
Part 4: Competition and User Recommendations | MAPICS Moving On Pragmatically
Part 3: Challenges | MAPICS Moving On Pragmatically
Part 2: Market Impact | MAPICS Moving On Pragmatically | Microsoft Lays Enforced-Concrete Foundation For Its Business Solutions
Part 4: User Recommendations | Microsoft Lays Enforced-Concrete Foundation For Its Business Solutions
Part 3: Challenges | Microsoft Lays Enforced-Concrete Foundation For Its Business Solutions
Part 2: Market Impact | Microsoft Lays Enforced-Concrete Foundation For Its Business Solutions | J.D. Edwards Finds Its Inner-Self Within Its 5th Incarnation
Part 4: Challenges and User Recommendations | J.D. Edwards Finds Its Inner-Self Within Its 5th Incarnation
Part 3: Market Impact | J.D. Edwards Finds Its Inner-Self Within Its 5th Incarnation
Part 2: FOCUS Announcements Continued | J.D. Edwards Finds Its Inner-Self Within Its 5th Incarnation | PeopleSoft Internationalizes Its Mid-Market Forays
Part 2: Challenges & User Recommendations | PeopleSoft Internationalizes Its Mid-Market Forays | Frontstep Ups The .NET Ante
Part 2: Challenges and User Recommendations | Frontstep Ups The .NET Ante | Will Glovia Glow Again Through Its Hub And VARs?
Part 2: Challenges and User Recommendations | Will Glovia Glow Again Through Its Hub And VARs? | Lose the Starry-Eyes, Analyze:An Ideal Customer for Relevant INFIMACS | Ramco Systems - Diversity Marshaled Through Flexibility
Part 3: Challenges and User Recommendations | SAP Farms More Business Out Amid Its Staff Reductions | Ramco Systems - Diversity Marshaled Through Flexibility
Part 2: Market Impact | Ramco Systems - Diversity Marshaled Through Flexibility | SAP Opens The ‘Miss Congeniality’ Contest | Lilly Software Visualizes Its eBusiness Offering, NOW. Part 2: Market Impact | PeopleSoft Remains Rock-Hard And Economy Proof | Lilly Software Visualizes Its eBusiness Offering, NOW | Glovia On B2B Reinventing Trail | Kewill And Microsoft Great Plains To Further Mutually Complement | Syspro Hatches 'Encore' IMPACT On SME Manufacturers. Part 2: Market Impact | INFIMACS Becoming Ever More RELEVANT For Project-Based Industries. Part 2: Market Impact and User Recommendations | INFIMACS Becoming Ever More RELEVANT For Project-Based Industries. Part 1: Recent Developments | Clarity of Vision: Clarify Sold to Amdocs by Nortel | Collaborative Commerce: ERP, CRM, e-Proc, and SCM Unite! A Series Study: IFS - Part 2 of 2 | Way To Go, Ross Systems! | Collaborative Commerce: ERP, CRM, e-Proc, and SCM Unite! A Series Study: IFS - Part 1 of 2 | MAPICS Unifies The Brand And Interacts For CRM Solutions | IFS Glows Amidst The Mid-Market Gloom | Oracle Makes A U-Turn At The 'All Things To All People' Exit | 'Collaborative Commerce': ERP, CRM, e-Proc, and SCM Unite! A Series Study: SAP AG | 'Collaborative Commerce': ERP, CRM, e-Proc, and SCM Unite! A Series Study: Baan and Parent Company, Invensys | Frontstep Still Awaiting Better Times | Will V8 Help SSA GT Regain Lost Ground? | PeopleSoft Keeps Truckin’ On A Potholed Road Ahead | Epicor Shows Resilience When It Needs It The Most | J.D. Edwards Fires Siebel, Hires YOU | SAP Thrives On Competitors' Plight, In Part | Made2Manage Manages Throughout Soft Market | Microsoft Great Plains Procures eProcure At Last | SAP - A Humble Giant From The Reality Land?
Part 5: Challenges and User Recommendations | SAP - A Humble Giant From The Reality Land?
Part 4: SAP's Strategy | i2, SAP, Oracle Poised For Showdown in Q4 | SAP – A Humble Giant From The Reality Land?
Part 3: Market Impact | SAP - A Humble Giant From The Reality Land?
Part 2: Expanding Functionality | SAP - A Humble Giant From The Reality Land?
Part 1: Alliances | PeopleSoft Supply Chain Is Music To Mid Market Ears | It Is Possible - SAP And Baan Strange Bedfellows | Oracle Claims The Worst Is Over And Turns To KISS For A Boost
Part 3: The Challenge of Gaining Competitive Advantage | Oracle Claims The Worst Is Over And Turns To KISS For A Boost
Part 2: The Implications | Oracle Claims The Worst Is Over And Turns To KISS For A Boost
Part 1: The News | Baan Achieves A Speedy Recovery Despite The Tough Times | Will QAD Finally Get The Break (-Even)? | ROI Systems - A Little ERP Fellow That Gets By | PeopleSoft - Catching Its Second Wind From The Internet
Part 3: Predictions and Recommendations | PeopleSoft - Catching Its Second Wind From The Internet
Part 2: Strengths and Challenges | PeopleSoft - Catching Its Second Wind From The Internet
Part 1: About PeopleSoft | Epicor To Try The Divestiture Tack, Too | MAPICS Clings To Its Customers' Loyalty | SAP Remains One Of The Market’s Beacons Of Hope | SSA Acquires MAX Hoping To Leap From Its MIN | IBM Buys What’s Left of Informix | Invensys Announces New Division - Baan Process | SAP Acquires TopTier To Further Broaden Its Horizons | Oracle Sails Slower In The Low Tide, But Mayday Signal Is Quite Far-Fetched | IFS Aspires To Capture North American Market Against The Low Tide | Is Intentia Truly Industry’s First In Food Traceability? | QAD Finally Breaks The Red Ink Streak, But… | Epicor Software Corp.: Completing Painstaking "e"Volution Part 2: Evaluating Epicor | J.D. Edwards Saved By SCM, Narrowly, And Only For Now | Epicor Software Corp.: Completing Painstaking "e"Volution Part 1: About Epicor | Infinium Attempts To Better Gain Some Markets' Ear | MAPICS XA Expands BI Offering Through Partnership With Vanguard | Has Intentia Turned The Corner? Almost. | Ross Systems Closes Ranks For A (Possible) Turnaround | PeopleSoft Plays Hardball | Is Made2Manage Made2Survive? Seems So. | Frontstep (Nee Symix Systems) A Step Closer To A Turnaround | SAP Defies Economic Slowdown, For Now | Can Lilly Software Get More VISUAL? | Fourth Shift Hopes To Thrive On China’s Greener Pastures | PeopleSoft Joins The Hunt For SMEs | Extricity Makes a Move into IBM’s Sphere of B2B Influence | Microsoft And Great Plains – A Friendship That Turned Into A Marriage | Oracle Sails Despite Market’s Low Tide; How Far Will It Go? | J.D. Edwards Reaches $1B Milestone In Another Losing Year | e-Catalysts Delivers Digital Marketplace | Made2Manage Systems, Inc.: M2M From A2Z For SMEs? | Ross Systems Continues To Slip, But Pledges to Fight Tooth And Claw | IFS Has A Magic Growth Formula; But What About Profitability? | SAP Claims Big Gains In The Low-End Battleground | IBI + IBM = EAI | Baan – What Will The Future In Invensys’ Stable Bring? Part 2: Evaluating Baan | Infinium Ends Its Most Challenging Year | JuxtaComm And IBM Integrate Their Integration Products | Great Plains Unveils New E-Commerce Solution | Great Plains Taps The Web To Deliver Product Support | Epicor Delivers On Milestones, But Its Situation Remains Bleak | Onyx Software: CRM Vendor Battling For Viability | Baan – What Will The Future In Invensys’ Stable Bring? Part 1: About Baan | Intentia Possibly Seeing Daylight | SAP Q3 Results Cause Mixed Reactions | Fourth Shift Tightens Belt To Weather The Drought | PeopleSoft Delivers Oxymoron In 'Supply Chain in a Box' | PeopleSoft – Again A Force To Be Reckoned With? | Another Type Of Virus Hits The World (And Gets Microsoft No Less) | J.D. Edwards – A Collaboration Thought Leader Or A Disguised ERP Follower? Part 2: Evaluating J.D. Edwards | J.D. Edwards – A Collaboration Thought Leader Or A Disguised ERP Follower? Part 1: About J.D. Edwards | ROI Systems Catching Up With e-Commerce | IBM Aims Renamed UNIX Server at Sun | Catalyst International to Tread Water With SAP Through 2000 | More Vendors Bail on Oracle in Favor of IBM | Great Plains Supply Chain Series To Be Powered By Logility | Infinium and Elcom Walk Down ASP Aisle | SAP Details CRM Plans | J.D. Edwards Closes Out Millennium on an Up Note | Oracle is Word One at Ford | Intentia Floats Vaporware Agent to Replace Business Planning | IBM Announces Netfinity 4000R Super-Thin Server | SAP AG - ERP Leader with a "New Dimension" | Baan Company N.V. - Is the Worst Over? | PeopleSoft on Client/Server and Database Issues | PeopleSoft - Are Business Intelligence and e-Commerce Enough? |