Managing Automation - January 2008 - (Page 32) [JANUARY 2008] Transformation TechWatch Integration As enterprise vendors push aggressively into business process management waters, manufacturers face a decision: Go with pure-play providers or wait for BPM tools from the ERP vendors to mature. BY JEFF MOAD [ INTEGRATION ] FACT: The centerpiece of SAP AG’s recently upgraded NetWeaver 7.1 release, NetWeaver Process Integration server, significantly enhances NetWeaver’s business process management (BPM) capabilities. FACT: SAP, at its recent TechEd conference in Munich announced its acquisition of privately owned Yasu Technologies Inc., a maker of business rules management software. The Yasu technology will become another key piece of SAP’s BPM offering. At the same conference, SAP previewed a new business process modeling tool it is developing and plans to roll out in mid-2008. FACT: Oracle Corp. in October launched a bid for BEA Systems Inc., a maker of middleware software, including BPM tools. t should come as no surprise that major enterprise application providers SAP and Oracle are aggressively moving to beef up their BPM tools and market presence. BPM tools and methodologies will play a critical role in the transition of traditionally monolithic, rigid enterprise systems into more flexible, adaptable systems based on ser vice-oriented architecture (SOA) technologies. While SOA technologies provide a way for developers to decompose traditional applications into more modular pieces — or services — BPM tools are the key to recomposing those services into applications that suppor t and change with real-world business Trolling the BPM Waters ma January Industries 32 2008 Photo: Zefa RF
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