Renee Boucher Ferguson

Despite application and integration software developers claims of providing a composite application framework, few actually have a fully integrated offering. Some software developers, however, are making strides. Magic Software Enterprises Ltd., long known for its iBolt integration platform, is extending that technology to create a composite application framework. Code-named M10 and in beta now, the […]

SAP AG, of Walldorf, Germany, has teamed up with Seeburger Inc. to solve a small but potentially worrisome issue: invoice errors. The companies announced last week that they are developing an add-on application to SAPs MySAP ERP (enterprise resource planning) invoice management system that automates the process of detecting and handling errors in incoming paper-based […]

Microsoft Corp. is acting to soothe its ailing partner channel with a slew of initiatives, including Version 2.0 of its Microsoft Partner Program and product-upgrade highlights across the board, all announced at its Worldwide Partner Conference last week in Minneapolis. But while the new initiatives amount to incremental steps forward, the efforts to smooth channel […]

Best known for its Enterprise Message Service, TIBCO Software Inc. is having much less success with its BPM efforts. TIBCO, of Palo Alto, Calif., faces five shareholder lawsuits alleging the faulty integration of Staffware plc., the business process management software developer TIBCO acquired in April 2004 for $217 million. The total cost of the acquisition […]

At its SOA Executive Summit in London last month, IBM announced an initiative to help ISVs and system integrators successfully develop and implement a service-oriented architecture with their customers. The program—part of IBMs initiative to empower ISVs and system integrators using IBM software and services—will enable partners to access IBM resources. Included in the initiative […]

At Microsoft Corp.s 2005 Worldwide Partner Conference in Minneapolis this past weekend, Microsoft worked to soothe its ailing partner channel with a slew of new initiatives including the 2.0 release of the Microsoft Partner Program and product upgrade highlights across the board. As part of the upgraded Partner Program, announced in 2003, Microsoft will launch […]

MINNEAPOLIS—As Doug Burgum, the senior vice president in charge of Microsofts Business Solutions group, began his abbreviated keynote address to some 6,000 partners Friday at Microsofts Worldwide Partner Conference here, more audience members were leaving than listening. Generally an insightful, if rambling, speaker, Burgum got right to the point in todays address: Any partner who […]

Oracle can thank much of its fourth-quarter 2005 success to increased sales across its entire product line, with database sales actually proving out a smaller increase than applications or middleware sales. The applications business saw a recovery in the fourth quarter. New license revenues were up nearly 52 percent for the quarter, to $350 million, […]

SAP announced in June the acquisition of Lighthammer Software Development, a company that develops manufacturing intelligence and collaboration software. Terms of the deal were undisclosed, but SAP officials said the acquisition is expected to be completed in July. Lighthammers employees are expected to remain in their Exton, Pa., headquarters and operate under the aegis of […]

Two product lifecycle management stalwarts are beefing up their respective suites to further widen the circle around product development—a crucial area for engineers and manufacturers as they look to get new products to market faster. UGS Corp. announced last week the latest iteration of its Teamcenter suite, which adds functionality for new product development and […]