Companies to Watch 2003Intelligence | Integration | Infrastructure | Collaborative Commerce Collaborative Commerce
by Jeanette Burriesci Areas of IT that support collaborative commerce have outperformed many others. Anything that can squeeze more cost savings from operations is worth a price tag with a believable ROI potential. And just in case the CFO is incredulous, several c-commerce vendors are taking on the burden of risk by guaranteeing results. Agile Software Corp.Founded: 1995 Agile generated a buzz in 2002 with several important new product life cycle management (PLM) products, executive appointments, and awards. Customer satisfaction is high, and the volume of sales to existing customers has been healthy. Agile is also among the vanguard of vendors adopting a risk-sharing sales model, eliminating a major source of contract hesitation. Baan, a division of Invensys plcFounded: 1978 Baan announced OpenWorldX this year, which will "combine, enhance, and extend" its existing offerings including OpenWorld, DEM, B2B Server, Business Intelligence Server, and Enterprise Server. It simultaneously announced iBaan Value Apps, which will use OpenWorldX to enable specific business processes. Look for releases in early 2003. BEA Systems Inc.Founded: 1995 BEA exudes vibrancy: Java afficionados love the company, and it constantly delivers new enhancements and products that keep it in the technological forefront. BEA is poised to remain on top of the application server market and be a key player in the future of collaborative commerce-enabling Web services. Datasweep Inc.Founded: 1998 With its Advantage 5.0 product suite, Datasweep has expanded well beyond its core competency of manufacturing execution systems. Its capabilities now include include analysis, integration, and collaboration. The Datasweep Advantage Collaborate product line gives controlled visibility and distributed application functionality over the Web to all constituents. E.piphany Inc.Founded: 1996 E.piphany continues to garner critical acclaim for its analytic CRM software after the release of its E.piphany E.6 suite, and now it carries the endorsement of Big Blue: Its software will be optimized for and integrated with IBM's e-business middleware, hardware, and services. E.piphany's solid J2EE architecture is partially credited for its selection. Formation Systems Inc.Founded: 1995 Formation Systems is thriving in its fertile niche: the complicated world of PLM in process manufacturing. A Coca-Cola exec went on record to say that Formation's Optiva software reduced the product introduction cycle from four years to four months. It's also the only product we know that lets you rationalize purchasing by matching chemical formulations. J.D. Edwards & Co.Founded: 1977 J.D. Edwards' eXtended Process Integration middleware technology is a big-picture approach to collaborative commerce. It links business processes across and within enterprises, embracing even existing enterprise applications. ERP 8.0, released in 2002, contains several enhancements and new features that support collaborative commerce - within reach of the midsized enterprise. Optiant Inc.Founded: 2000 Optiant released 4.0 of PowerChain this year and won awards for its ability to optimize complex supply chain operations. PowerChain lets you model the effects of decisions such as inventory reductions or cycle time changes and yields projections in terms of financial metrics. SAP AGFounded: 1972 SAP supports collaborative commerce on multiple fronts. Most recently, it has begun investing in "collaborative adaptive solutions" - extending well beyond traditional ERP to integrate the shop floor into its supply chain management capabilities. SAP Collaborative Master Data Management is also on the horizon, with the goal of harmonizing data to support e-business scenarios. Sun Microsystems Inc.Founded: 1982 Sun is positioning itself to finally capitalize on the J2EE market it created. A long-delayed decision to join the Web Services Interoperability Organization and plans to release a free low-end version of its Sun ONE Application Server may help it rapidly pull respectable share away from BEA Systems, IBM, and Oracle. Tradec Inc.Founded: 1996 Privately held Tradec acquired competitor PowerMarket and secured additional venture capital in 2002. PowerMarket adds supply chain decision management capabilities to Tradec's cost management software, which includes supplier management functions. The new capital will fund development as well as expanded sales and marketing efforts. Viewlocity Inc./SynQuest Inc.Founded: 1988 Viewlocity, Formerly Frontec AB, moved to a focus on supply chain execution management in the late '90s, and from there began to specialize in enabling the adaptive supply chain. This market is volatile and highly competitive, but Viewlocity's leadership combined with its late 2002 merger with SynQuest holds much potential.
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