Latest News from SAP Business One Journal

SAP to Resurrect Business ByDesign This Summer

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:30:00 EDT

Taking their new act on the road, SAP’s new co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe – in their second public appearance since getting the job last month – told a press conference in Silicon Valley Monday that the company’s problem-beset, taken-off-the-market SaaS product Business ByDesign will be relaunched in July following a forced redesign. Its developers, now apparently invested with more personal authority, started using agile software techniques that cut the team by a third – and with fewer cooks stirring the pot – code quality has reportedly improved. It’s still taking longer to get to market than SAP planned. It’ll be a 2.5 version that wends its way to market. SAP means to update it every five weeks once it appears.

Greenlight RTA Design Studio and Adapters for Use With SAP(R) BusinessObjects(TM) GRC Solutions Are Now SAP-Endorsed Business Solutions

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:01:24 EDT

Greenlight Technologies, a leading provider of governance, risk and compliance (GRC) cross-platform technology solutions, announced today that its Greenlight Real Time Adapters (RTAs) and RTA Design Studio, both designed for use with SAP® BusinessObjects GRC solutions, are now SAP-endorsed business solutions. Greenlight's endorsed solutions together with SAP BusinessObjects GRC solutions deliver GRC solutions to manage business-process risks and issues proactively across a complex system landscape using one common process. As a result, customers can leverage their existing systems and data, thus benefiting from the highest value at the lowest TCO. In addition, prevention capabilities to eliminate or highlight issues can be initiated in multiple systems more easily using the endorsed solutions.

Capgemini Launches New EnergyPathTM Solution for the Drilling and Oil Field Services Industries

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:30:34 EDT

Capgemini today announced the availability of EnergyPath™, a new qualified SAP® Business All-in-One partner solution designed specifically for the oil field services and drilling industries. Capgemini’s EnergyPath solution will help companies develop and implement flexible enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems at an accelerated pace and reduced cost. The EnergyPath solution will assist prospective companies that are looking to streamline operations and gain greater visibility and control of core business processes, ultimately enabling better decision-making in response to industry challenges.

StreamServe Joins International Association for SAP Partners

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:13:47 EDT

StreamServe, a leading provider of business communication solutions for document efficiency and customer experience management, announced that it joined the International Association for SAP Partners e.V. (IA4SP).

SymSoft Releases ControlPanelGRC™ User and Role Change Analyzer

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:24:05 EDT

SymSoft Corporation, a provider of Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) solutions for SAP® environments, today announced the release of ControlPanelGRC User and Role Change Analyzer.

Murray Energy ‘Goes Live’ with LodeOne from Optimal Solutions

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:01:16 EDT

Optimal Solutions Integration, Inc., a consulting firm and SAP partner dedicated to driving business transformation for companies and public sector organizations of all sizes, today announced the successful implementation of its OPTIMIZE LodeOne for metals and mining solution for Murray Energy Corporation, one of the largest privately owned coal companies in the U.S.

Intel Launches Secure Data Center Processor

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:01:00 EDT

Combining security, performance and energy efficiency, Intel Corporation on Tuesday launched the Intel Xeon Processor 5600 series. The new processors deliver two new security features -- Intel Advanced Encryption Standard New Instructions (Intel AES-NI), and Intel Trusted Execution Technology (IntelTXT) -- that enable faster encryption and decryption performance for more secure transactions and virtualized environments, providing data centers with a stronger foundation for cloud security. These are also the first server and workstation chips based on the groundbreaking, new Intel 32nm logic technology, which uses Intel’s second-generation high-k metal gate transistors to increase speed and decrease energy consumption. The Intel Xeon Processor 5600 series supports up to six cores per processor and delivers up to 60 percent greater performance than the 45nm Intel Xeon processor 5500 series. In addition, data centers can replace 15 single-core servers with a single new one, and achieve a return on their investment in as little as 5 months.

Facebook, Red Hat and Tim O'Reilly to Keynote at Computerworld's Open Source Business Conference, March 17-18, 2010 in San Francisco

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:54:31 EDT

Computerworld's Open Source Business Conference (OSBC), taking place March 17-18, 2010 at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, CA announces the keynote speaker line-up for this year's industry conference.

DiCentral CEO Thuy Q. Mai Named a 2010 Pro to Know by Supply & Demand Chain Executive

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:01:13 EDT

DiCentral Corporation™, a leading innovator in EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) and supply chain solutions, has received congratulations from Supply & Demand Chain Executive that its Chief Executive Officer Thuy Q. Mai has been named a 2010 Pro to Know.

Magic Software Signs Two New German iBOLT Partners

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:55:31 EDT

iBOLT business integration suite to be used to integrate enterprise applications for both Accantum and AZTEKA's customers

Orchestra Hits 20,000 Views on YouTube for SAP Business One

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:45:00 EST

As of March 10th, 2010 almost exactly one year after uploading our first how-to video, our videos are averaging 150 collective hits per day and have reached the 20,000 view milestone. Being the author of these videos, I am glad to see that people are benefiting from our content and really gaining some value from their SAP Business One systems. As we continue into 2010, our goals will be more heavily focused on the SAP Business One 8.8 release and how to utilize the new features in a more advanced fashion. We will, of course, continue covering the little tips and tricks as well.

Cloud Computing for Small Business

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 11:45:00 EST

Orchestra explains how we use Cloud Computing and how it can benefit many small businesses. Cloud computing allows us to lower our IT costs, keep out IT resources scalable, and provides greater security and stability than we can ourselves. Find out more about how cloud computing can benefit small business in this great article.

SAP Mobility Challenge, Part 6

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:43:00 EST

Would you use Linkedin if you had to make a phone call and ask each person individually if they were using Linkedin before connecting to them? What if you had to manually program each connection yourself according to the mobile operating system and version each friend or contact was using? What if the programming was different for every mobile device? What if you had to re-program the connection every time a friend changed smartphones or upgraded their OS? The system would quickly cease to be a benefit and start being a big burden wouldn't it? The value of Linkedin is that it automates and standardizes most processes and connection related issues. Everyone connects in standardized ways and uses pre-built processes to manage all of their connections, security, settings, etc. It is easy to view all of your contacts and manage these contacts from one screen. Enterprise mobility and the support of mobile devices needs these same kinds of concepts in place. Enterprise mobility, like most IT systems, need standards that include defined methodologies and processes in order to manage it effectively and efficiently. If your company or client has hundreds or thousands of smartphones, handheld computers or other mobile devices using mobile applications, thick and thin clients, MEAPs and micro-applications, there is an absolute requirement for mobile device management. If they don't, it will be a big challenge now that will only get bigger.

SAP Announces New Version of SAP Business One

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:48:40 EST

SAP announced the new version of SAP Business One last week, noting it's improved usability, faster time to value, and the benefits of the partner channel on the product. SAP Business One is now used by thousands of companies worldwide, helping to manage the entire business and foster future growth. The new version, SAP Business One 8.8, continues to bring strong value to small and midsize companies, especially with the new embedded Crystal Reports.

Interesting SAP Mobility Discussion Highlight

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:33:00 EST

In the comment section of the article SAP Mobility Challenge, Part 4 there is an interesting discussion that I wanted to highlight for those that may have missed it. I agree about the small custom mobile solutions for small number of users. Usually such projects have high ROIs based on the urgent business needs. However, this is what happened in the past 10 years in the absence of a successful SAP mobility strategy and solutions. Currently, companies look for company wide mobility strategy which covers most of the departments, or at least covers the main mobility requirements of the main business areas, which need it and prove to deliver high ROI. Based on different market researches and my own daily experiences, the trend is MEAP-based mobility solutions for mid and large size companies. Small companies still have the choice to continue using non-MEAP solutions like Sky Technologies.

Leading Canadian Supplier of Paint Products to Implement SAP® Business All-in-One™ Solution

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:34:54 EST

TORONTO – March 09, 2010 – SAP Canada Inc., a subsidiary of SAP AG (NYSE: SAP), today announced that Dynamic Paint Products Inc., Canada’s largest specialty manufacturer and distributor of Paintware®, has selected the SAP Business All-in-One solution to enable the company’s continued growth and expansion into international markets. By leveraging proven industry best practices [...]

Optimal Solutions Acquires SAP Consulting Firm Budgetec

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:00:58 EST

Optimal Solutions Integration, Inc., a leader in SAP^®-based business transformation, today announced it has acquired Budgetec, LLC, a Fort Lauderdale, FL-based SAP consulting firm. Budgetec has worked with more than 100 public sector organizations and was selected by SAP to design the SAP Public Budget Formulation (PBF) solution and serve as SAP’s premier implementation partner on early PBF deployments.

SAP Mobility Challenge, Part 5

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:28:00 EST

I have heard much discussion lately on the subject of mobile micro applications in the SAP ecosystem. These are described as light weight mobile applications that do simple things. There are literally hundreds of these micro-apps possible. The challenge is how does a SAP customer manage them? Does the mobile user really want 17 different little SAP micro-apps on their smartphone? I see these mobile micro-apps as short term innovations that will quickly consolidate into a mobile enterprise application platform (MEAP). The SAP user ultimately wants one icon on their mobile dashboard not 17. This icon launches a menu system that can include 17 menu options with mobilized business processes. More options can be added through an opt-in function. The MEAP vendors will rapidly create micro-apps and then quickly consolidate them on to their platforms. The big challenge for MEAP vendors is how to quickly create good MEAPs and get enough market exposure and success to be sustainable in the long run.

First National Technology Solutions Now an SAP-Certified Provider of Hosting Services

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:57:30 EST

First National Technology Solutions (FNTS), a subsidiary of First National of Nebraska, the largest privately owned U.S. banking company, has received certification from SAP AG of its ability to deliver high-quality hosting services in support of SAP® applications. The certification was achieved following an assessment of FNTS's delivery and operations, including infrastructure, procedures and technical staff. As an SAP-certified provider of hosting services, FNTS joins a select group of managed hosting providers in the United States that have been certified by SAP.

West Central Cooperative Prepares for Growth With SAP

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:44:58 EST

RALSTON, Iowa – March 08, 2010 – As the recession eases, 2010 offers opportunities for growth in the agricultural industry. To capitalize on this prospect, many companies are looking to identify ways to make their business processes more flexible and adaptable to change. SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) today announced that West Central Cooperative, the 15th [...]

T-Systems and SAP Announce Global Services Partnership

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:39:18 EST

-- Long-time collaboration made official in new partnership

'Intelligent' Approach Speeds Up Help When Catastrophe Strikes

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:13:56 EST

CeBIT 2010: TZS signs contract with SAP Living Lab

Extracting More Value from SAP Solutions via Mobility

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:15:00 EST

I was speaking to one of my friends at SAP this week who mentioned that only 5% of a typical SAP customers' workforce is "white collar." What is the significance? That same 5% also happens to be the SAP users in a company. SAP is looking for mobility partners to address the mobility needs of the 5%, but also to reach beyond to the 95% that are not currently SAP users. I also spoke with the former CEO of SAP North America, Greg Tomb last week about his new mobility focus. His new venture, Vivido Labs has a mobility offering called the Mowego Suite that will target both the 5% and the 95%.

Jive Software lance Jive Ideation - Donner libre cours aux idées

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:07:57 EST

Worksoft® Announces Acquisition of TestFactory

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:32:26 EST

Worksoft, an innovative provider of test and lifecycle automation solutions for use with SAP® applications, today announced the acquisition of TestFactory, a premier provider of performance and life cycle management solutions that optimize application quality, ensure business continuity, and lower the total cost of ownership for new ERP implementations, ongoing application upgrades, and new business application extensions including analytics and web-based services.

Symmetry to Showcase SymSoft’s ControlPanelGRC™ Suite at Upcoming GRC 2010 Conference in Orlando

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:15:32 EST

SymSoft Corporation, a provider of Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) solutions for SAP® environments, today announced demonstrations of its ControlPanelGRC suite at GRC 2010 – the Governance Risk & Compliance Conference to be held March 16-19 in Orlando, Fla.

News Brief: Micro-Apps by SEAL Consulting Expand Business Value of SAP(R) Solutions at Archean Group

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:00:15 EST

SAP Business One 8.8 Beckons New Era of Software for Small Businesses

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:39:29 EST

HANNOVER, Germany and DUBLIN, Calif. – March 02, 2010 - The analytical functionality in the new release of SAP Business One 8.8 enables customers to simplify reports with seamless integrated real-time analytics. SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) announced a new release of the SAP® Business One application that accelerates time-to-value, facilitates business adaptability and increases ease-of-use and affordability [...]

itelligence Named 2009 SAP(R) Business All-in-One Partner of the Year, U.S.

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:29:15 EST

Chuck Phillips Was Supposed to Become CEO of CA

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST

Oracle co-president Charles Phillips was supposed to become CEO of CA - for all its muddied skirts still one of the world's largest software companies - and then those "soul mates forever" billboards popped up in New York, Atlanta and San Francisco, exposing his near decade-long bi-coastal double life with wife and son in the East and a live-in girlfriend in the West. Six days after Phillips was forced to admit that a picture of him and his ex-girlfriend canoodling was hanging over Times Square, CA named board member and executive chairman Bill McCracken CEO. He's the guy who's been running the company since John Swainson's reportedly forced retirement was announced in September. An ex-IBMer and an ex-Swainson pal, it was no secret he really wanted the job. That was the day after Oracle announced it had closed the Sun deal and Phillips led the victory parade filling in for Oracle's unexpectedly absent other co-president Safra Catz.

SAP Mobility Challenge, Part 2

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:52:00 EST

This article continues the discussion started in SAP Mobility Challenge, Part 1.

In the following excerpts from press

SEEBURGER Provides Data Transit Services for Importer Security Filings Upgrade to SAP(R) BusinessObjects(TM) Global Trade Services

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:11:16 EST

Collaborates with SAP to Support New Enforcement Deadline for U.S. Customs Rule

Coulomb Technologies – in Cooperation with SAP – Demonstrates Integrated Billing Services for Utilities and Drivers of Electric Vehicles at CeBIT Hannover

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:04:16 EST

Coulomb Technologies, the leader in electric vehicle charging station infrastructure, in cooperation with SAP AG, will demonstrate the features and capabilities of its ChargePoint® Network application services for utilities and drivers of electric vehicles at the CeBIT 2010 show opening today in Hannover, Germany. Coulomb Technologies is participating in one of SAP’s seven “Experience SAP” exhibits. In the life area entitled ”Move,” CeBIT visitors will see a demonstration of the following scenarios:

SAP Gains 3M as New Customer

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:43:23 EST

ST. PAUL, Minn. – March 01, 2010 – One of the world’s largest brands has selected SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) as its enterprise standard software provider to unify its global business processes. 3M is rolling out SAP® Business Suite 7 software as it phases out some of its legacy applications at sites around the world. Along [...]

SAP Makes Decisive Move in EDI

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST

It is not every day that BIG news comes out of the world of EDI and B2B. I think GXS acquiring Inovis was BIG and Tibco acquiring Foresight was interesting, but today SAP and Crossgate announced that SAP will be reselling and private labeling Crossgate's EDI, B2B and e-Invoicing services. In the world of SAP this is huge! Some of you may know that SAP is already a co-owner of Crossgate, and that Crossgate's EDI/B2B exchange is tightly integrated with SAP, but it was always sold as a separate service on Crossgate's paper. Now SAP's field sales teams can sell it directly from SAP's price list. I have a lot of experience working with SAP's sales teams and can tell you that making it to the SAP price list makes a BIG difference. The solution will be called the SAP Information Interchange. This appears to be a definitive move by SAP to compete directly against GXS, Sterling Commerce and WebMethods. Why would SAP want to compete with these companies? Because each of these legacy EDI vendors has chosen to enter direct competition with SAP. They have been adding more and more business processes to their cloud computing services and threatening to take business away from SAP. SAP is making a bold move now to eliminate the need for third party EDI and B2B service providers in favor of a simplified SAP supported environment.

SAP Helps Healthcare Organizations Heal Reporting Woes

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:30:06 EST

Business Intelligence Offering from SAP Delivers a Consolidated View of Patient Care Data, Helping Hospitals to Improve Processes, Reduce Risks and Comply With Reporting Mandates

SAP Gains 3M as New Customer

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:00:10 EST

SAP(R) Business Suite Applications to Replace Legacy Business Software at 3M Operations Around the World; SAP Enables Global Business Process Transformation at Innovation-Driven Company

SAP Press and Analyst Conferences at CeBIT

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:24:28 EST

CIBER Introduces Solution for Sophisticated Manufacturing Industry

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:00:21 EST

IM&C Solution Is a Qualified SAP(R) Business All-in-One Partner Solution

REALTECH Completes Successful SAP(R) Migration and Upgrade of a 3 Terabyte SAP ERP System for Hexion Specialty Chemicals

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:43:32 EST

REALTECH TransportManager also helps Hexion optimize SAP Change Management

SAP Netweaver B1iSN for SAP Business One

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:45:00 EST

SAP Netweaver B1iSN for SAP Business One is an enterprise level integration tool, built for small and midsize companies. Netweaver allows for seamless integration to dozens of systems using pre-built integration frameworks. Whether it is an E-commerce website, parent company running R/3, or an old Access database, Netweaver can integrate it into SAP Business One.

BI for The Rest Of Us: SAP Brings Together SaaS Business Intelligence Offerings Into One Complete, Integrated BI Toolset For The Casual User

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:16:55 EST

WALLDORF, Germany – February 24, 2010 – Meeting a growing demand from companies of all sizes for software-as-a-service (SaaS) business intelligence (BI) tools that are easy to use, SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) today announced the SAP® BusinessObjects™ BI OnDemand solution. Targeted at casual BI users currently underserved by products on the market, the solution will [...]

Oco CEO Bill Copacino Recognized by Leading Industry Publication as a Top Supply and Demand Chain Industry Professional

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:40:21 EST

Oco, Inc., a leading Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider of business analytics solutions, announced today that its CEO, William (Bill) Copacino, has been honored as one of the top supply chain executives in the 2010 Provider Pros to Know by Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine. The tenth annual listing identifies executives from software firms, service providers, consultancies, and analyst or research firms who have personally helped clients address the challenges of the recession and prepare for the recovery ahead. Copacino was recognized for his key leadership role in educating executives on how they can apply best practices and innovative technologies to overcome important supply chain challenges.

BI for the Rest of Us: SAP Brings Together SaaS Business Intelligence Offerings Into One Complete, Integrated BI Toolset for the Casual User

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:30:22 EST

SAP(R) BusinessObjects(TM) BI OnDemand Solution Features SAP(R) BusinessObjects(TM) Explorer Software Technology, Enabling People to Instantly Access, Explore, Report, Visualize and Share All Data

Worksoft® Releases Impact Analysis Solution for Lifecycle Management

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:14:45 EST

Worksoft, an innovative provider of test and lifecycle automation solutions for use with SAP® applications, today announced the general availability of Certify Live Analyzer™, a solution that performs automated impact analysis and business process validation for use with SAP applications. Certify Live Analyzer provides companies using SAP applications with the confidence and assurance required to quickly deploy business and technical changes on a regular and timely basis with a high level of quality.

Wipro Certified Globally by SAP as a Provider of Application Management Services

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:42:30 EST

Wipro Technologies, the global IT services business of Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT), today announced that it has been certified by SAP AG as a global provider of application management services.

Wipro Certified Globally by SAP as a Provider of Application Management Services

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:42:30 EST

Wipro Technologies, the global IT services business of Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT), today announced that it has been certified by SAP AG as a global provider of application management services.

Crossgate Announces Global Reseller Agreement with SAP; Relationship Encompasses Next-generation B2B Strategy

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:00:56 EST

Crossgate Inc., the global expert in business-to-business integration (B2B), has announced a global reseller agreement with SAP AG, through which SAP will resell Crossgate’s B2B engine and associated partner profiles under the name SAP® Information Interchange application by Crossgate. The solution, available today, allows customers to streamline business-to-business (B2B) processes and enables a business-ready network, and also demonstrates SAP’s continued commitment to delivering additional choice and flexibility to customers through collaboration with partners.

SAP Releases Cloud Computing Beta

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST

SAP has made its 12sprints collaborative decision-making project available via public beta and has formed a strategic research partnership with The 2.0 Adoption Council – a peer forum of IT and business leaders and thinkers who are discovering new ways of working in modern organizations. Both of these moves demonstrate SAP’s commitment to helping companies bring the power of Web 2.0 technologies and trusted information into their business processes. 12sprints, the codename for a new collaborative decision-making application, is the first and only software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that brings together people, information and methods to drive swift, informed decision-making.

SAP Wants CA To Give It More Toys

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:15:00 EST

If Phillips had moved from Oracle to CA, he might have been richer - although that's hard to believe - but not necessarily happier considering McCracken reportedly wanted him to execute on McCracken's strategy, which is reportedly focused on the cloud. In that case, note that CA Thursday joined the Cloud Security Alliance as a corporate member to help establish and promote best practices for security in cloud computing, meaning to kick in its identity and access management expertise. It said it is "working with enterprise customers and cloud service providers to securely adopt and deliver cloud services." SAP could sure use a bit of that.