Renee Boucher Ferguson

In an effort to extend its on demand and grid computing efforts, IBM is modernizing its tools to give mainframe applications interfaces to 21st-century technologies such as componentized software. The Somers, N.Y., company is beta testing a feature that provides direct Web services connectivity into CICS (Customer Information Control System), a transaction manager widely used […]

At the National Manufacturing Week conference and expo in Chicago, enterprise software companies introduced new manufacturing products, services and architectures. PeopleSoft Inc. on Monday outlined its vision for the demand-driven enterprise, which includes methodology and new software products designed to help manufacturers better utilize their capacity. At the same time SAP AG announced new offerings […]

Its election time and the heat is on. For some software shareholders, that is. PeopleSoft Inc. announced on Monday that it had completed its proxy-card mailing to shareholders for its upcoming annual Board of Directors stockholder meeting. PeopleSoft is in the midst of a fierce struggle to remain independent from an unwanted suitor, Oracle Corp. […]

Oracle Corp. announced late last night that its CEO Larry Ellison and Chairman and interim CFO Jeff Henley sent yet another letter to PeopleSoft Inc. shareholders urging them to tender their shares to Oracle and vote against PeopleSoft in its upcoming annual shareholders meeting. PeopleSoft is in the midst of an increasingly viscous battle to […]

Following on the heels of the U.S. Department of Justices moves last week to bring to a head its antitrust investigation into Oracle Corp.s proposed $9.4 billion takeover of PeopleSoft Inc., the European Commission said yesterday it will reach a decision by May 11. PeopleSoft has been fending off an acquisition attempt from Oracle since […]

As mortgage rates sank to an all-time low last year, 11-year-old Accredited Home Lenders Inc., which services an aggregate customer base of about 40,000 mortgage brokers, found itself a victim of its own success. The unprecedented expansion the company was experiencing revealed a rickety technical foundation—one riddled with unreliable point-to-point interfaces, a heavy reliance on […]

When lax inventory controls and a shoddy electronic communications system caused the maker of a popular medicinal skin cream to chafe, it turned to a systems integrator for back-end integration and a new ERP system. Blue Stuff Inc., maker of the medicinal Emu oil-based skin cream of the same name, is a relatively young company […]

Consumer packaged goods manufacturers facing Wal-Mart Stores Inc.s increasing demands to plan and replenish inventory on a near-daily basis can look to a new company for assistance. JRG Software Inc., which makes build-to-consumption production scheduling software, will announce its company, which has been in stealth mode since 2001, and its namesake Performance Manager and Factory […]

Popkin Software & Systems Inc. is prepping new tools to help enterprises share IT architecture information with technical and business users. Popkins newest System Architect tool kit, Version 9.2, released last week, offers visualization, analysis and Web publishing capabilities. The idea with the latest tool set is to provide the functionality that enables users to […]

The U.S. Department of Justices Antitrust Division opposes Oracle Corp.s $9.4 billion takeover bid of PeopleSoft Inc. and has recommended to senior officials of the Justice Department that they follow suit, according to a statement by PeopleSoft. While the DOJ has not officially confirmed that the Antitrust Divisions staff is against the deal, PeopleSoft said […]