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Working hard to garner further industry support for RosettaNet, Microsoft Corp., with the Gartner Group, a research firm out of Boston, Mass., surveyed 18,000 suppliers to find out what some of their basic needs are in moving forward with a RosettaNet implementation.
The results are wrapped into Microsofts BizTalk Accelerator for RosettaNet 2.0, to be released tomorrow.
Three main design goals emerged from the survey. It turns out suppliers are looking for speed in implementing a standards-based solution, flexibility of change management, and complete support for the standard – in this case RosettaNet – according to Microsoft officials.
In regard to rapid deployment, Microsoft added a Wizard user interface that allows users to quickly set up new partner relationships and PIPs [partner interface processes] as defined by RosettaNet. Likewise, if a customer or partner modifies or customizes a PIP, the user can deploy the new PIP through the wizard-based UI, according to officials.
Microsoft, of Redmond, Wash., also included its SEED technology in this version of BizTalk Accelerator for RosettaNet. With that, large partners can define in one package how to communicate with partners and syndicate that information to a large group.
For more flexible change management, a RosettaNet Console is included in the second iteration, which allows a user to manage trading partnerships, again using a Wizard-based UI.
In response to the suppliers need for fuller support of the standard, Microsoft now supports each of the 77 PIPs defined by RosettaNet. It also added support for CIDX [Chemical Industry Data Exchange] and PIDX, the petroleum industry data exchange.
Both industries are working hard to utilize RosettaNet in their business-to-business transactions. However, like others in the high-tech manufacturing space for which RosettaNet was originally formed, getting partners to use the XML-based business process standard proves often to be an expensive and difficult undertaking.
“Through our supplier enablement program many of the large companies are adopting RosettaNet and telling their trading partners, this is what you need to do [to onboard with RosettaNet],” said Robert Hylton, lead product manager for BizTalk Accelerator for RosettaNet. “What they are missing is the this is whats in it for you message.”
In response, says Hylton, in Redmond, Wash., Microsoft is offering an education component to its BizTalk Accelerator that offers collateral materials and publications from Microsoft.
The BizTalk Accelerator for RosettaNet 2.0 is available now. Pricing starts at $4,999 for the Standard and Developer editions (which offer limited integration and connectivity) and $19,999 for the Enterprise edition.
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