Renee Boucher Ferguson

The business solutions division of Microsoft Corp. has released its fourth iteration of Navision—the software suites first major upgrade since Microsoft acquired the company two years ago. This latest version of Navision, geared toward SMBs (small and midsized businesses), has a new user interface that is modeled, not surprisingly, on the companys widely disseminated Outlook […]

PeopleSoft Inc. appears to be openly considering moves to give up its independence. After dismissing CEO Craig Conway and letting a costly customer assurance program lapse earlier this month, a board member indicated last week publicly for the first time that the company is willing to talk to suitors. Last week in a trial that […]

Microsoft Corp.s Business Solutions division is enhancing one of its lesser-known business software suites with capabilities that should help users better manage projects through a more unified environment. Solomon 6.0, which was announced last week and is geared toward the smaller end of the SMB (small and midsize business) sector, integrates a number of standard […]

SAN DIEGO—SAP AG is readying new capabilities for developers that use the enterprise software companys NetWeaver integration platform with the goal of easing worries in several key areas, including Java development, radio-frequency identification, logistics integration and analytics. A centerpiece of the SAP TechEd developer conference here this week was the unveiling of SAPs Java virtual […]

Reviewing its technology needs options three years ago, Grupo Financiero Uno suspected there was a better way to conduct business. As the largest issuer of Visa credit cards in Central America, the company found that inefficient operations and decentralized business processes were cutting into its profit margins. Grupo Uno took 15 days to approve a […]

SAP AG will work hard at its TechEd conference in San Diego this week to extol the virtues of its NetWeaver application integration stack, unveiling fresh capabilities such as new search functionality. While the NetWeaver technology stack is fairly complete, according to industry experts, SAPs message is not. The companys job at the conference will […]

In the wake of a 15-month-long battle for its life, PeopleSoft Inc.s board of directors fired CEO Craig Conway Friday morning. The board cited “a loss of confidence” in Conways ability to guide the company. The companys founder and chairman, Dave Duffield, will replace Conway as CEO. Kevin Parker and Phil Wilmington will act as […]

Shoring up its fourth-quarter applications revenues—and its small and midmarket business strategy—Oracle Corp. announced Monday the North American version of its E-Business Suite Special Edition. Oracles E-Business Suite Special Edition is not new. The company announced the offering more than a year ago and has been “testing” it in its AMEA (Africa, Middle East and […]

Customers of PeopleSoft Inc. last week said the companys sweeping $1 billion, multiyear partnership with IBM gives the embattled software developer a much-needed application integration component as well as a strong partner. The deal, announced last week at PeopleSofts Connect user conference here, will eventually enable PeopleSoft customers to create composite applications using IBM middleware. […]

PeopleSoft Inc. and IBM are pounding out the details of the $1 billion alliance announced last week, a deal that calls for joint development of composite applications, as well as the integration of IBMs WebSphere middleware into PeopleSofts applications. The alliance will enable PeopleSoft to finally claim its own infrastructure, or composite application integration framework […]