Although many business processes are being rapidly Web-enabled, the current integration of e-commerce and customer relationship management (CRM) solutions is a logical match with a potentially dramatic impact on the bottom line. CRM software needs to be integrated with the Web simply because that's where the customers are.
Over the years, volumes of legacy data has been generated by various groups within an enterprise. These enterprises risk becoming crippled with delays, bottlenecks, redundant effort and needless error while users lack timely access to accurate, consistent information. Penn State University's new eLion program takes a bite out of these problems by building robust applications for the Web that allow legacy and Web integration, without compromising accuracy and security.
Not too long ago, in the Dominican Republic - the second largest country in the Caribbean - manual reference checking, a process requiring several weeks, was the only way to verify credit. With a population of more than eight million people, a better system of generating reports was necessary. The Credit Information Center of the Americas (CICLA) was built around InterSystems' CACHE to help close the gap between credit inquiry and information delivery.
The path to unsucessful e-business implementations, like the proverbial road to Hades, is often strewn with good intentions. Implementations are derailed for a number of reasons, surprisingly few of which have to do with the failure of the technology to perform. A successful e-business implementation uses technology to positively impact the corporation's bottom line, and is timely, cost-effective and efficent.
To do business on the World Wide Web, companies can start from scratch with new applications, or find a way to leverage their existing programs. Neither approach is easy, but leveraging existing mainframe applications can be far more productive than many companies expect.
In today's OS/390 environment, hardware costs have declined substantially, while software costs are increasing dramatically to consume an ever-larger share of the IT budget. But, not all vendors price their products accordingly. A new tool for managing DB2 for OS/390 has entered the market, promising to save DB2 shops about $100,000 a year and allow for a more productive DB2 staff.
In today's "post-PC era," technological convergence is blurring the lines between embedded controls and desktop functions, and bringing the two together in ways that offer exciting business opportunities. Retail and finance are two sectors that are benefiting from the industry trend of widespread connectivity aimed at improving the everyday shopping experience for both customers and retailers.