Managing Automation - November 2008 - (Page 38)

[ INTEGRATION ] Transformation Integration TechWatch approach to B2B integration, including easy, by SaaS applications, such as NetSuite and salesself-service setup as well as a subscription pricforce.com, to which Business Objects has creing model, says Rick Nucci, chief technology ated integrations. And external partners, such as officer and co-founder of Boomi, an emerging suppliers and distributors, can access the reprovider of SaaS-based integration, including ports and data by using analytical tools, such B2B integration. as Business Objects’ Crystal Reports. Some SaaS application vendors are beginning NON-TRADITIONAL APPROACH to address customers’ B2B integration requirements, mainly by partnering with SaaS-based The approach that Business Objects is taking is integration providers, such as Boomi and certainly different from traditional B2B integraSPS Commerce. tion, which tends to be transaction-based and to SmartTurn, a provider of SaaS-based invenfocus on document exchange. But, experts pretory and warehouse management systems, for dict, SaaS applications may make such new apexample, has partnered with Boomi, which has integrated its SaaS B2B integration service “We can treat this more like an appliwith SmartTurn’s on-demand applications uscation integration problem and directly ing Web services. Manufacturers are using that integration to share sales and purchase or- connect applications to achieve [B2B] der and fulfillment information with customers integration.” — Boomi’s Rick Nucci and suppliers, says Richard Yim, SmartTurn’s vice president of product proaches to B2B integration common in the marketing. SmartTurn has future. Because SaaS applications, in effect, opmanagingautomation.com also developed native EDI erate in the Internet cloud, it may be feasible, and flat-file integration supwith the proper security, to directly integrate RELATED ARTICLES: Software Delivery: ERP SaaS May Finally Be port in its Inventory Grid SaaS applications used by business partners in Ready for Prime Time SaaS offering, which allows much the same way that enterprise applications www.managingautomation.com/erpsaas manufacturers to manage are integrated inside a company’s firewall today. Taking Off the Blindfold multiple warehouses from “We can treat this more like an application inwww.managingautomation.com/blindfold a single system. tegration problem and directly connect applicaThe Year of SaaS, Finally Similarly, NetSuite has tions to achieve business-to-business integration,” www.managingautomation.com/notes35 partnered with SPS ComBoomi’s Nucci says. “That would let us finally On-Demand, SaaS Get Real merce, which, in addition eliminate all the EDI, X12, EDIFACT infrastrucwww.managingautomation.com/notes34 to developing an integrature and expense.” Nucci says Boomi is working tion from its B2B service on an on-demand product that would do just that. COMPANIES MENTIONED: to NetSuite’s SaaS applicaBetter-established vendors of B2B integration 3PL Central Inc. tions, has integrated with software, however, have been slower to target www.managingautomation.com/3pl 1,300 retail organizations, SaaS applications. Boomi creating mappings that B2B software stalwarts Sterling Commerce www.managingautomation.com/boomi conver t documents into and Seeburger Inc., for example, have yet to reCoreSense Inc. the format required by lease standard, easily configurable SaaS versions www.managingautomation.com/coresense each specific retailer. of their B2B gateway systems, preferring to offer NetSuite At the same time, some their products on-demand on a case-by-case basis. www.managingautomation.com/netsuite vendors of SaaS business And both companies say they only now are dePlexus Systems intelligence systems have veloping standard integrations with popular SaaS www.managingautomation.com/plexus taken steps to make data applications. Bill Reeves, until recently vice presQAD available via secure B2B ident for strategy and marketing at Seeburger, for www.managingautomation.com/qad integration. SAP’s Busiexample, says the company has been in “active SAP ness Objects unit, for exdiscussions” with SAP about providing B2B inwww.managingautomation.com/sap3 ample, has developed a tegration for SAP’s Business ByDesign service. Seeburger Web-based por tal for its www.managingautomation.com/seeburger5 While Seeburger sees the demand for B2B Business Objects On Deintegration from users of SaaS applications as relSmartTurn Inc. www.managingautomation.com/smartturn mand service that allows atively rare today, the company has little doubt it manufacturers to post inwill grow in importance over the next few years. SPS Commerce www.managingautomation.com/sps formation and repor ts “We see SaaS as a trend that will grow massdealing with things such ively over the next five years,” Reeves says. “So Sterling Commerce www.managingautomation.com/sterlingcommerce as sales and pipeline staall B2B software companies, Seeburger included, tus. The portal can be fed are developing products for this market.” ■ maonline ma November 38 2008 Industries http://www.salesforce.com http://www.salesforce.com http://www.managingautomation.com http://www.managingautomation.com/erpsaas http://www.managingautomation.com/blindfold http://www.managingautomation.com/notes35 http://www.managingautomation.com/notes34 http://www.managingautomation.com/3pl http://www.managingautomation.com/boomi http://www.managingautomation.com/coresense http://www.managingautomation.com/netsuite http://www.managingautomation.com/plexus http://www.managingautomation.com/qad http://www.managingautomation.com/sap3 http://www.managingautomation.com/seeburger5 http://www.managingautomation.com/smartturn http://www.managingautomation.com/sps http://www.managingautomation.com/sterlingcommerce

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Managing Automation - November 2008

Managing Automation - November 2008 Contents Take 1 At One-Year Mark, Wonderware President Focuses on Empowering Plant Operators Oracle Demos Fusio Apps, Reveals Delays Baan Founder Says BPM Will Replace ERP Emerson Talks Wireless at Annual User Group Event Merger Complete, Intercim Focuses on Collaboration Notes Cover Story: The New Supply Chain Reality Special Report: Keep Out Integration: The On-Demand Interchange Industries: Ending the Endless Waves of Paper Product Scan Advertiser Index Next

Managing Automation - November 2008

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