Enhancements in an upgrade to Microsoft Corp.s BizTalk Accelerator for RosettaNet address companies demands for speedier business-to-business trading software implementations, more flexible change management options and support for standards, Microsoft officials said.
BizTalk Accelerator for RosettaNet 2.0, which began shipping late last month, fulfills the demands by enabling users to develop, administer and test B2B software connections among trading partners that adhere to RosettaNet e-business communications standards, the officials said.
For rapid deployment, Microsoft added a wizard UI (user interface) to Version 2.0 that lets users quickly set up partner relationships and PIPs (partner interface processes) as defined by RosettaNet. If a customer or partner modifies a PIP, the user can deploy the changed PIP through the wizard-based UI, according to officials.
Microsoft, of Redmond, Wash., includes in Version 2.0 the companys SEED (Super Effective and Efficient Delivery) technology. With SEED, a large partner can define in one package how it communicates with other partners and syndicate that information to a large group.
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For more flexible change management, RosettaNet Console is included in Version 2.0. The console lets users manage trading partnerships, again using a wizard-based UI.
In response to suppliers needs for fuller support of B2B trading standards, Microsoft added support for the 77 PIPs defined by RosettaNet. It has also added support for the CIDX (Chemical Industry Data Exchange) and PIDX (Petroleum Industry Data Exchange) data description standards.
Analyst Kimberly Knickle of AMR Research Inc. said Microsoft is redefining the way companies collaborate with partners. "Platforms such as Microsofts provide the essential characteristics for rapid setup and dismantling of relationships: flexible, manageable, cost-effective, scalable—all on a rapidly deployable platform," said Knickle, in Boston.
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