by Olin Thompson and P.J. Jakovljevic
SAP may benefit the most during Oracle's merger transition. Unlike most migration programs, SAP is offering to be responsible for maintaining the competitions implementation, as users transition to SAP alternatives, offering the stability that some will likely crave. Read this article
by Olin Thompson and P.J. Jakovljevic
The battle between Oracle, Microsoft, SAP, and IBM goes far beyond applications -- it goes right into the technology stack or the enterprise infrastructure. As a result, these vendors are drilling down deeper to compete with each other. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
For global trade management solutions (GTM) one should never overlook the enterprise applications leader SAP, which in most cases opts for in-house product delivery. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Despite challenges, both SAP and Oracle will be formidable forces in the hosting space, because of their intimate application knowledge, their infrastructure, organizational stability, and vast capital. However, SMEs should approach this decision with due diligence. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Because cash-strapped medium companies are looking for better options to traditional application pricing models, SAP and HP have allied to deliver "software as a service" and Oracle/PeopleSoft are also offering hosted solutions, suggesting that "software as a service" are here to stay. Read this article
Quinta parte: retos y recomendaciones a los usuarios
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Los clientes de SAP que esperan que MDM trate las iniciativas de sincronización de datos podrán estar seguros de que, a largo plazo, es muy probable que SAP aborde la consolidación de los datos de los productos con más objetivos en mente que el simple cumplimiento con los mandatos de los vendedores al por menor. Read this article
Part Five: Challenges and User Recommendations
by P.J. Jakovljevic
SAP customers waiting for MDM to address data synchronization initiatives can be confident that, in the long term, SAP will likely address consolidation of product data for more purposes than a mere compliance to retailers’ mandates. Read this article
Segunda parte: MDM de xCat y SAP
by P.J. Jakovljevic
SAP pretende que SAP MDM también sienta las bases para un intercambio eficiente y preciso de información entre negocios. Por ejemplo, las empresas de productos de consumo pueden intercambiar información de los productos de forma oportuna con los distribuidores de ventas al por menor, pueden evitar errores costosos de precisión y mejorar la comercialización y las operaciones de la cadena de suministro. Read this article
Part Two: xCat and SAP MDM
by P.J. Jakovljevic
SAP purports that SAP MDM also lays the foundation for efficient and accurate exchange of cross-business information. Consumer products companies, for instance, can exchange timely product information with retail distributors, avoid costly inaccuracies, enhance merchandizing, and improve supply chain operations. Read this article
Primera parte: resumen del evento
by P.J. Jakovljevic
SAP está decidida a usar SAP NetWeaver para convertirse en el evangelista de la lingua franca de las aplicaciones de arquitectura orientada al servicio (SOA) y esto puede volverse aún más evidente gracias a su voluntad reciente por adquirir A2i, el vendedor de gestión del contenido de los productos (PCM) y de catálogos, a pesar de conocer su costumbre de adquirir poco cuando se trata de vendedores de tecnología. Aparentemente, debe existir alguna necesidad importante de tiempo de comercialización para agregar valor PCM en el terreno de la gestión de datos maestros (MDM). Read this article
Part One: Event Summary
by P.J. Jakovljevic
SAP's determination to become a service-oriented architecture (SOA) applications lingua franca evangelist through SAP NetWeaver might have been further shown by its recent willingness to acquire catalog and product content management (PCM) vendor A2i, knowing its inclination to acquire little when it comes to technology vendors. Apparently, there should be some compelling time-to-market urge to add PCM value within the master data management (MDM) realm. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Parece que SAP y sus homólogos de ERP entienden que mejorar continuamente la presentación de la información empresarial y establecer una correspondencia entre los analíticos, la optimización y los sistemas de operación de ventas al por menor está teniendo buenos resultados con los vendedores al por menor. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
SAP and its ERP peers appear to understand that continuously improving the way enterprise information is presented and by marrying analytics, optimization, and retail operation systems on top of an ERP platform is starting to win over retailers. Read this article
Segunda parte: Desarrollo
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Los vendedores de ERP se están agrupando y están adquiriendo soluciones específicas o estableciendo asociaciones estratégicas para incorporar las funciones específicas de las ventas al por menor en sus series de productos e incursionar así en el mercado de las ventas al por menor. Eventualmente, probablemente pronto, al igual que en los demás mercados de las aplicaciones empresariales, el mercado de las ventas al por menor verá un enfrentamiento entre los vendedores al por menor puros y los vendedores de aplicaciones empresariales (por ejemplo, Oracle, SAP, Lawson, PeopleSoft, SSA Global, Geac, Intentia, etc.), que han estado tratando de incluir en sus productos originales más funciones para las ventas al por menor. Read this article
Part Two: Progress
by P.J. Jakovljevic
ERP vendors are making their way into the retail market by bundling, acquiring point solutions or partnering strategically to embed retail-specific functions within their suites. Like in all other enterprise applications markets, eventually, albeit not any time soon, the retail market too will come to a showdown between the pure retail vendors and the enterprise application vendors (e.g., Oracle, SAP, Lawson, PeopleSoft, SSA Global, Geac, Intentia, etc.), which have been striving to natively embed more retail-specific capability into their products. Read this article
Cuarta parte: SoftBrands
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Esta sociedad representa para SAP una oportunidad para cubrir las necesidades de las pequeñas plantas y divisiones que tiene alrededor del mundo y extender más el alcance que tiene dentro de su gran base de clientes. Así, SAP debería tener los medios para evitar que sus cuentas sean usurpadas por los vendedores que ofrecen sistemas de planta astutos y de bajo costo capaces de "cohabitar armoniosamente" con SAP. Read this article
Tercera parte: Impacto en el mercado
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Parece que la gente de SAP se han dado cuenta de que la clave para el éxito en el mercado de SMB es tener una conciencia de las marcas y un producto adecuado. Esto se debe a que los SMB están buscando el soporte de los vendedores que cuentan con estos dos elementos y que además tienen un profundo conocimiento de sus procesos verticales y comerciales, al igual que el compromiso para darles soporte y obtener un valor a lo largo de una relación a largo plazo. Las soluciones de los socios de SAP han sido impulsadas y manejadas mediante SAP Global Solutions Network, para que los socios no tengan que descubrir el hilo negro, ni competir innecesariamente en las mismas industrias. Read this article
Segunda parte: SoftBrands
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Con respecto al mercado secundario, SAP diseñó SAP Business One para cubrir las actividades esenciales de gestión de las empresas pequeñas y medianas que tienen un crecimiento dinámico. También busca un mejor manejo de las necesidades específicas de los fabricantes pequeños a través de una relación planeada de solución estratégica con SoftBrands, en la que ambos vendedores se esfuerzan por integrar Fourth Shift, el producto de software de fabricación principal de SoftBrands, con SAP Business One. Read this article
Primera parte: Resumen del evento
by P.J. Jakovljevic
A medida que se intensifica la competencia por el mercado secundario, SAP afina una doble estrategia para promulgar sus ofertas verticales completas de mySAP para el mid-market primario, al mismo tiempo que ofrece su producto SAP Business One para empresas más pequeñas que cuentan con procesos menos complejos. SoftBrands soporta las deSAParecidas capacidades de fabricación de SAP Business One con su producto Fourth Shift, pero ambas partes deberán salir beneficiadas una vez que se concretice la integración. Read this article
Part Four: SoftBrands
by P.J. Jakovljevic
This partnership provides SAP with the opportunity to further extend its reach within its large corporate customer base by serving the needs of its distant smaller plants and divisions dispersed around the globe. Thus, SAP should hereby have the wherewithal to defend its major accounts from encroachment by vendors touting low-cost, astute plant systems that "happily co-habit" with SAP. Read this article
Part Three: Market Impact
by P.J. Jakovljevic
SAP seems to have grasped that the key to success in the SMB market is brand awareness and an apt product, since SMBs are looking for support from incumbent vendors, with intimate knowledge of their vertical and business processes, ample local resources, and the commitment to support them both off- and on-site to achieve value over a long-term relationship. SAP partners' solutions have been leveraged and managed through SAP Global Solutions Network, so that partners do not have to reinvent the wheel, and even unnecessarily compete in the same industries. Read this article
Part Two: SoftBrands
by P.J. Jakovljevic
As for the lower-end of the market, SAP has designed SAP Business One to meet the core management needs of dynamically growing small and midsize businesses, and is moving to better address the specific needs of small manufacturers through a planned strategic solution relationship with SoftBrands whereby the two vendors have initiated efforts to integrate SoftBrands' leading manufacturing software product Fourth Shift with SAP Business One. Read this article
Part One: Event Summary
by P.J. Jakovljevic
As the contest for the lower-end of the market intensifies, SAP is further honing a twofold strategy of promulgating its mySAP All-in-One vertical offerings for the higher-end of the mid-market, while offering the SAP Business One product to appeal to smaller enterprises with less complex processes. SoftBrands comes to help with its Fourth Shift product to bolster long-missing manufacturing capabilities of SAP Business One, but the benefits should go both ways, once the integration materializes. Read this article
Part Two: Market Impact
by P.J. Jakovljevic
The PeopleSoft-JD Edwards merger was, in great part, about retaining the big five (or big four, or big three) seat and the need to be bigger within shrinking market opportunities. The combined vendors should now a have solid foothold against SAP and Oracle, particularly because one better-performing side could, if necessary, cover up for the underachieving one. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
The Scala and Microsoft alliance in the CRM arena has merits of mutual benefits, particularly in the short to medium term, but due to vacillating motives of the participants that compete in the other enterprise applications fields, will it last? For the time being, Microsoft will likely be content to help Scala attack or keep the satellite divisions of its bigger competitors, particularly those of their common rival - SAP. Read this article
by Kevin Ramesan
The star above small and medium businesses (SMB) has never been so bright. CRM solution vendors are courting this market segment extensively. This is the second of a series of articles that look at strategies deployed by major enterprise solution vendors to attract the SMB decision makers and whether those vendors are ''dumbing down'' their enterprise software for the mid-market. This article evaluates SAP's mid-market solutions and its implementation approach. Read this article
Part Three: Market Impact Continued
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Trying to sell dumbed-down versions of mySAP Business Suite, Oracle E-Business Suite, without a serious re-engineering of these products, has not worked for the lower-end of the market. To date, Oracle and SAP have responded by acquiring more suitable genuine products for the segment, while it is not unlikely to see PeopleSoft and JD Edwards follow suit in the future. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
As the battle for the mid-market intensifies, each Tier 1 vendor is exhibiting its bag of tricks for small-to-medium enterprises. While PeopleSoft is refining its fixed-price & time proposition to the upper-end of the mid-market, SAP is trying a twofold strategy of promulgating its mySAP All-in-One similar offering for the higher-end of the mid-market, while offering SAP Business One product to appeal to complexity-adverse smaller enterprises. Oracle seems to be dabbling with both approaches… Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
While Commerce One may still face serious ramifications after the breakup with SAP, its recently released Conductor composite application platform may be yet another gamble for another lease of life. Read this article
Part Three: Challenges and User Recommendations
by P.J. Jakovljevic
One should imagine how humongous the job of delivering plug-and-play packaged middleware components for a number of other disparate applications SAP will attempt to enshroud in its xApps will be. In practice, the drawbacks of heterogeneous environment will not be eliminated – while communication between disparate applications will be eased, matching the business model across these remains the challenge and remains subject to individuals’ business acumen. Read this article
Part Two: Market Impact
by P.J. Jakovljevic
With SAP NetWeaver and the Enterprise Services Architecture, SAP will have delivered the blueprint for turning Web services from a concept into business reality of uniting hardware, information, and software platforms & applications. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
While SAP’s determination to become service-oriented architecture applications Lingua Franca evangelist should be of vital importance to its customers and for the general market direction, one should in the short-term expect tremors rather than tectonic moves and a speedy extinction of many pre-historic looking application species. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Scala seems to be telling any competitor that two can play the game in the global enterprise market. Employing offense as the best defense, the company is determined to attack the satellite divisions of its bigger competitors, particularly those of SAP. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
With a heavy heart, in 1999, SAP had to go back to the drawing board, to do a thorough redesign of its erstwhile ill-reputed Apparel & Footwear Solution (AFS). It appears that the effort was worthwhile. Read this article
Part 2: Challenges and User Recommendations
by P.J. Jakovljevic
SAP’s viability and its business applications market’s leadership remains unscathed, as the company remains rock-solid and will be the leader for a long time to come. While SAP has espoused one of the most compelling and promising collaborative-Commerce vision to-date, the ideal enablers of collaboration – it still has to prove to the market it can integrate and deliver, and satisfy the small and medium-size customer with quick implementations and nimble responses to problems. Read this article
Part 1
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Although SAP’s recently announced tamed results for Q1 2002, which fit within the current market milieu, may add to some challenges moving forward, particularly seen from sharply reduced license revenue, and while some may question SAP’s justification of assimilating its two former subsidiaries, SAP has meanwhile become much more alert and diverse to spar with difficulties. Read this article
Part 2: Market Impact
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Now that is it publicly traded, it is poised for reaching over $400 million revenue mark in calendar 2002. Lawson has maintained significant mind and market share in the service industries sector, and is a recognized competitive force to keep the likes of PeopleSoft, Oracle and SAP on their tiptoes. Read this article
Part 2: Market Impact
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Tier2/Tier 3 vendors are prepared to endure the onslaught of the likes of SAP, Oracle, and PeopleSoft, as well as of proverbial mid-market leaders such as JD Edwards, Baan, Intentia, QAD, IFS and Epicor, and newly formed mid-market juggernauts like Microsoft Great Plains, Best Software (formerly Sage Software), and Navision, to name some. Frontstep and the Syspro Group lead the way. Read this article
Part 3: Market Impact
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Oracle remains a true IT powerhouse with fingers in many pies other than databases, such as application servers, and development tools, which ranks it as an enterprise infrastructure provider, together with SAP, IBM at a higher and, and Microsoft at the lower end of the market. However, Oracle may be getting very uncomfortable with how its protracted diSAPpointing revenue results (possible the worst in a decade) jeopardizes its No. 2 position in the applications market. It seemed all but inconceivable over a year ago that PeopleSoft could be so close to snatching the No. 2 position from Oracle. Read this article
Part 1: Recent Events
by P.J. Jakovljevic
While Oracle's declining revenue and profit continue across main businesses, SAP and Siebel have been extending their leads in respective enterprise application markets, while PeopleSoft has been anticipating turning on the overtaking flashing indicators. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
As the battle for the mid-market intensifies and each Tier 1 vendor is exhibiting its bag of tricks for small-to-medium enterprises, SAP is trying a twofold strategy of promulgating its mySAP.com offering for the higher-end of the mid-market, while offering a recently acquired product to appeal to complexity-adverse smaller enterprises. Read this article
Part 1: Recent Announcements
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Recently, SAP announced solid results for Q4 2001, in contrast to the current soft market. Although not all troubles seem to have been left behind, as can be seen from reduced license revenue, and while some may question SAP's justification of merging its two subsidiaries, a positive sign is that SAP has meanwhile become much more nimble to spar with any disturbance factors. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
There is nothing new in the fact that software partnerships do not last long. While Commerce One would face serious consequences if there were a breakup with SAP, the bigger and better party would not be unscathed either. The partners may, therefore, stay together, for the children's sake. Read this article
Part 2: Market Impact
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Will the long awaited Siebel 7 product release help the until recently undisputed CRM leader withstand the pressure from ERP giants – SAP, Oracle and PeopleSoft? Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Will the long awaited Siebel 7 product release help the until recently undisputed CRM leader withstand the pressure from ERP giants – SAP, Oracle and PeopleSoft? Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
As the battle for the mid-market intensifies and each vendor is exhibiting a pertinent sabre rattling display of power, SAP is turning to help from the alliance in order to partly counteract the needed cost-cutting exercise in its US operations Read this article
Part 2: Results
by P. Jakovljevic, L. Talarico, & B. Spencer
This is part two of a case study from a recent selection engagement for an ETO mid-size manufacturer; we assess Oracle, JD Edwards, SAP, and IFS in terms of their ability to demonstrate alleged functionality of their products. Read this article
Part 1
by P. Jakovljevic, L. Talarico, & B. Spencer
Contrary to what vendors may contend, not all of them are able to provide an effective out-of-the-box solution that satisfies the critical requirements of an organization. In this case study from a recent selection engagement for an ETO mid-size manufacturer, we assess Oracle, JD Edwards, SAP, and IFS in terms of their ability to demonstrate alleged functionality of their products. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
While SAP’s determination to become enterprise applications Web Esperanto evangelist is of paramount importance to its customers and for the general market direction, one should by no means expect short-term tectonic moves. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Since the license revenue plunge in the US, a likely cascading economic slowdown worldwide, and SAP’s high stakes in struggling Commerce One happened much before the fatal September 11, one is only to wonder why SAP’s management woke up to reality and revised its projections so belatedly. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Regardless of whether Oracle is cautiously pessimistic or SAP is unrealistically enthusiastic about the immediate future, both vendors will quite likely weather the impending El Nino phase. Still, neither one can rest on its laurels, as they both have their internal and external challenges to solve. Read this article
by Randy Garland
SAP AG has seemingly crossed a strategy chasm, from a strict, stodgy, Not-Invented-Here (NIH) approach to software development and delivery, to a seemingly quite open approach of broad development alliances, company acquisitions, Internet portals development, and a deep, new relationship with IBM for both technology sharing as well as bolstering IBM Consulting’s support for SAP’s new multiple mySAP.com™ initiatives. 'Collaborative' and 'SAP' were not two words you might have ever seen in the same article. You’re seeing it now. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
SAP announced upbeat results for Q2 2001 and reconfirmed the positive outlook for the rest of the year amid the bloodbath of many of its competitors. However, negative license revenue growth in the US, a likely cascading economic slowdown from the US to other markets, and net profit restatement owing to the investment in money burning Commerce One, may give rise to a careful scrutiny and moderate caution. Read this article
Part 5: Challenges and User Recommendations
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Delivering on its enormously ambitious strategy is the challenge SAP faces. Read this article
Part 4: SAP's Strategy
by P.J. Jakovljevic
It appears as though SAP feels confident now that its software solutions outside of its core ERP can stand on their own and attract new customers. Read this article
Part 3: Market Impact
by P.J. Jakovljevic
SAP's decision to be more open and flexible was both wise and pragmatic. SAP now can afford to compete on a component per component basis, having basically reached its limit in capturing most of large customers in the market with an integrated product suite. Read this article
Part 2: Expanding Functionality
by P.J. Jakovljevic
During its international e-business conference, SAPPHIRE, SAP displayed a bullish attitude, contradicting the current market malaise. SAP touts a multi-pronged answer to prevailing heterogeneous IT environments. The company is staking its future on five pillars - exchanges, portals and the three extended-ERP applications: customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management (SCM), and product life-cycle management (PLM). Read this article
Part 1: Alliances
by P.J. Jakovljevic
During its international e-business conference, SAPPHIRE, SAP displayed a bullish attitude, contradicting the current market malaise. Expanding outside its traditional ERP stronghold into five attractive technology areas, as well as the realization that no vendor can be ‘all things to all people’ might be the necessary ingredients of the formula for future SAP success. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Baan keeps on showing us wonders are still possible. The OEM alliance with its nemesis SAP was all but inconceivable a year ago. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
On April 19, SAP announced upbeat results for Q1 2001, contradicting thereby the current market malaise. However, flat currency adjusted license revenue in the US and expected cascading economic slowdown from the US to other markets, may feel like a cutthroat competition, a loss of market share and the fact that not all troubles have been overcome. Read this article
by M. Reed
In a move designed to increase its presence in enterprise portals and integrated business intelligence, SAP AG has announced an agreement to purchase TopTier Software for approximately $400 million USD in cash. TopTier’s products are already integrated with SAP’s mySAP Workplace, so the acquisition should be painless and have little negative effect on SAP’s 2001 earnings per share. Read this article
by M. Reed
Informatica Corporation’s Informatica PowerCenter 5 is a platform for integrating data to be deployed in e-Business applications, analytic applications and data warehouses, including a wide range of data sources, from enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems such as SAP R/3 and PeopleSoft, to web logs and Siebel applications. Market validation of its offerings is shown in a record Q4 of 2000, with a 150% increase in revenue over the previous year. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
In January, SAP announced upbeat results for Q4 2000, in contrast to the current market slowdown. However, 8% license revenue growth in North America is much less compared to recent reports from its direct competitors, indicating a possible loss of market share and the fact that not all troubles have been left behind. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
On October 19, SAP announced its results for Q3 2000, in which revenues rose 27% and net income increased 96% over the same period last year. However, bear in mind that SAP’s export figures have been bloated to a degree by currency effects, namely a recent favorable exchange rate between dollars and Euros . Even without that effect, 17% revenue growth in the US is much less compared to recent reports from its direct competitors, which should indicate a possible loss of market share. Read this article
by Steve McVey
This year at i2’s Planet conference, Texas Instruments reviewed lessons learned during their 3½-year i2-SAP implementation. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
SAP is responding to the changing Internet marketplace in a multiplicity of ways. First, by restructuring to develop flexibility; then, by forming key partnerships and alliances to put content behind its extensive advertising campaign for mySAP.com, which started in full force on September 22. Will racing’s Formula One help SAP overtake Oracle’s high-flying marketing machine? Read this article
by D. Geller
Commerce One’s eLink2000 in Las Vegas is less about gambling than it is about sure things. Except, perhaps, for just how close it’s willing to get to SAP. Read this article
by Steve McVey
While Catalyst should be congratulated for improving profitability, the Wall Street and user communities were clearly expecting to see more revenue from its pact with ERP giant SAP. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
On July 20, SAP AG, the leading provider of enterprise business software applications, announced its results for the quarter ended June 30, 2000. Despite an 18% decrease of net income, a notable increase of license revenue in all markets worldwide was encouraging. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
SAP is responding to the changing Internet marketplace by restructuring to develop flexibility and forming key partnerships and alliances to put content behind its extensive advertising campaign for mySAP. com Read this article
by M. Reed
Oracle’s focus on software application markets is impacting its Database business. Recently SAP AG and Siebel Systems, i2 Technologies, Inc., and PeopleSoft have also chosen IBM’s DB2 Universal Database as their preferred database for developing current and future applications, and as their preferred backend database for customer deployment. In addition, IFS AB, one of the top 10 ERP vendors, which was previously Oracle-centric, has announced an agreement with IBM to add DB2 support. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
On June 20, Oracle Corporation, the leading provider of database and enterprise software applications, announced its fiscal 2000 results, claiming that it has passed SAP to become the world's largest applications software company. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
SAPMarkets, the US dot-com spin-off of German ERP leader SAP AG, is partnering with Commerce One to build and sell software for online trading exchanges. This announcement comes only a month after its partnership with Nortel Networks for CRM product offering. SAP, owing to this alliance, has a chance to put content behind its extensive recent advertising campaign for mySAP. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
SAP is reportedly planning a radical revamp of its software development operations in an effort to regain dominance of the North American business software market. Read this article
by D. Geller
Commerce One and SAP announced that Commerce One will supply the marketplace infrastructure behind the mySAP portal. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
This is a transcript of an audio conference on Enterprise Resource Planning Systems presented by TechnologyEvaluation.Com. The presentation used the TEC patented selection engine WebTESS to conduct a real time evaluation and selection. It then reviewed the critical differentiating ERP criteria, as well as detailed comparisons of the several major ERP vendors: SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, Baan, Intentia, System Software Associates (SSA),Geac Computers, Industrial & Financial Systems (IFS), QAD, MAPICS, Symix Systems, Great Plains, and Lawson Software. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
On May 2, SAP AG, the leading provider of enterprise software applications, announced a strategic alliance with Nortel Networks to develop and integrate industry-specific CRM solutions. Read this article
by Steve McVey
Though Catalyst should be encouraged by its first quarter report card, the results do not yet indicate substantial growth in its business, an effect Catalyst hopes to achieve largely through its partnership with SAP. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Business applications market leader SAP reported a 43% drop in net income for its first quarter ended March 31, despite a 10% increase in revenue. In a separate announcement, SAP also said that Kevin McKay, head of SAP's U.S. operations, has resigned for personal reasons. Read this article
by A. Turner
SAP announced its involvement in XML-based Internet content standards initiatives, detailing its involvement with standards committees, acceptance of XML, integration with their products, the creation of an XML interface repository and a partner certification program. What does it amount to? Read this article
by A. Turner
SAP and BackWeb Announce Strategic Alliance To Bring New Push Technology to mySAP.com™ Marketplace For Complex RFPs and RFQs. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
In February SAP AG announced a web-enabled version of their product data management (PDM) software, the application that lets manufacturers collect and manage databases of information about the products they make. Read this article
by Steve McVey
"Catalyst International, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLYS), a leader in warehouse management software, today announced that due to longer sales cycles of prospective customers, revenues are expected to be lower than projected resulting in a third quarter loss. The delay in signing new contracts appears to result from a general slow down in procurement and contracting decisions by tier one customers as Y2K approaches. Further, sales of new accounts were hindered for several months between Catalyst's pre-release announcement regarding the "potential strategic partner" and the actual press release announcing the SAP/Catalyst Advanced Strategic Alliance du Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
At the end of September, SAP AG's U.S. subsidiary set up a dedicated team of technical consultants to assist apparel and footwear makers installing SAP R/3. The move follows a series of unsuccessful R/3 implementations that forced some SAP apparel and footwear customers to put on hold or completely abandon their R/3 projects. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
On November 9, SAP outlined its Customer Relationship Management plans in preparation for its product delivery next month. In December the company is expected to launch a telesales application and Internet portal that it hopes will lay the foundation for the full CRM suite rollout early next year. Read this article
by Steve McVey
ERP giant SAP AG announced on September 1 that it had acquired nearly a 10% stake in warehouse management system (WMS) vendor, Catalyst International Inc. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
On December 6, SAP revealed it had entered into a partnership with Recognition Systems Group of the United Kingdom to add marketing-planning and campaign-management features to its customer-relationship management suite. Read this article
by Steve McVey
At last week's eBusiness Conference & Expo, SAP AG updated attendees on its supply chain management application, Advanced Planner and Optimizer (APO). Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
On January 7, taking many by surprise, enterprise software giant SAP pre-announced fourth quarter earnings, saying pre-tax earnings had doubled the final quarter of 1999 after a third-quarter profit warning. License revenue skyrocketed 40% to 800M EUR ($822.7M U.S.) in the fourth quarter and sales rose 25%, well above Wall Street estimates. Read this article
by Steve McVey
On February 25 in Waltham, Massachusetts, SAP proclaimed itself the number two vendor of supply chain management solutions. Many in the room were openly skeptical, but does SAP have a case? Read this article
by M. Reed
SAP AG has chosen SQL Server 7.0 as its strategic database for the Windows platform. The companies also will cooperate to make the Windows 2000 OS available as a platform choice for customers wishing to implement mySAP.com solutions. On the heels of the agreement to use IBM DB2 as a preferred backend database, Oracle continues to lose market share as a database in the ERP arena. Read this article
by M. Reed
Ardent Software has announced the addition of SAP extraction and load capabilities to their DataStage product, increasing their strength in the Extract/Transform/Load tool market. Due to the prevalence of SAP in the Enterprise Resource Planning space, this addition will provide a competitive advantage over some of the other major ETL vendors such as Sagent and Computer Associates. Read this article
by M. Reed
Boston, October 25 /CNW-PRN/-Hummingbird Communications Limited (TSE:HUM,NASDAQ:HUMC), announced the immediate availability of Genio MetaLink for SAP R/3. MetaLink features drivers that enable organizations to extract and transform SAP data. This is the first product in their new ERP-related electronic business strategy. Hummingbird also announced the rollout of the Hummingbird Enterprise Information Portal, which will be available in December. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
On January 24, SAP announced its preliminary year-end results and warned that the costs of its new employee stock option plan and marketing and staff additions for its mySAP.com Internet software system would likely outpace sales in the first quarter of 2000. Read this article
by M. Reed
SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) and IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced an agreement to expand their global sales, marketing and development relationship. As part of this agreement, the two companies will work together to provide expanded choices for customers that wish to implement mySAP.com and IBM's DB2 Universal Database on a variety of hardware platforms. Following in the footsteps of Siebel, SAP has abandoned Oracle and is standardizing on DB2 UDB as its preferred platform. The deal is estimated at $400 million in sales annually. Read this article
by M. Reed
Sand Technology Systems International Inc. (NASDAQ: SNDT), a provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions, announced today that it is partnering with Acta Technology, Inc. (Acta) to provide "guaranteed and cost-effective" BI results for users of SAP R/3. Both Sand and Acta will be featuring the Nucleus RapidMarts as preferred solutions for the increasing numbers of customers seeking effective ways to handle BI applications with SAP. Read this article
by A. Turner
SAP AG and Hewlett-Packard have aligned their internet and e-services strategy. Read this article
by D. Geller
ERP giant SAP Aktiengesellschaft announced full details of its Internet strategy. Consumer electronics giant Best Buy announced 2Q earnings rise of 34 percent, but delays Internet launch. Read this article
by A. Turner
SAP adds functionality to its role-based workplace portals. Read this article
by A. Turner
Application Hosting with mySAP.com was introduced in January of 1999. Recently, SAP announced over 5,000 users in North America have embraced the initiative. Read this article
by D. Geller
In the space of one week, three separate announcements paired E-procurement companies and energy companies in the creation of Internet marketplaces. Ariba, Commerce One and SAP paired with Chevron, Shell and Statoil. Read this article
by M. Reed
During the course of product evaluations for a customer, the Technology Evaluation Center has uncovered a potential security hole in SAP R/3's three-tier architecture. SAP has revealed that they expect the database or third party products to handle security between the application server and the database server. If the client does not take these extra measures, the master password for the SAP database instance travels over the network in the clear, and can be captured. PeopleSoft has the same issue. Read this article
by P.J. Jakovljevic
Today, SAP is in the process of completing one of its most aggressive new product launches in its history by introducing its "New Dimension" products line, which initially includes independent business applications for Supply Chain Management, Client Relationship Management (CRM, Business Intelligence (BI), and e-Commerce."New Dimension" and "Industry-Specific" products (particularly "SAP BW" and "SAP HR") will be significant contributors to SAP sales revenue... Read this article
by Steve McVey
Announced over two years ago, SAP's Advanced Planner and Optimizer (APO) is geared toward the supply chain management market, where it will compete head-to-head with established best-of-breed vendors like i2 and Manugistics. With a massive 190 pilot implementations underway around the globe, a picture of SAP's new supply chain suite is beginning to emerge. Read this article
by Steve McVey
In the increasingly competitive supply chain management marketplace, corporations either advance or are trodden underfoot. Descartes' acquisitions over the last few years demonstrate that its management is committed to establishing a dominant position in the Internet fulfillment and collaboration software market. In spite of recent losses, Descartes has the potential to pose serious competition for other vendors in the e-fulfillment market, such as SAP, i2, and Oracle. Success will depend primarily on Descartes ability to put its bold vision to work. Read this article
by Steve McVey
A recent survey of companies which have implemented SAP Accounts Receivable reveal more than a few areas where the system failed to deliver. Although nearly all reported one or more influences on credit and collections that did not relate to SAP, 70% of them felt shortcomings of SAP's A/R module were at least partly to blame for the observed rise in Days Sales Outstanding. Read this article
by M. Reed
To address questions for a TEC customer, we interviewed Dr. Peter Barth, Technology Marketing Manager for SAP AG in Walldorf, Germany. The conversation covered issues in the areas of client/server architecture and database management used by the SAP R/3 Enterprise Resource Planning suite of products. Read this article
by Steve McVey
In what may be the most significant event since the company's launch, Catalyst International has lashed its corporate ship to ERP leviathan SAP in a new alliance. The deal could buoy the small Wisconsin vendor through unprecedented revenues or scuttle it. Read this article