Boomi On-Demand Goes GA

Published: January 22, 2008

by Alex Woodie

One of the challenges of deploying software as a service (SaaS) applications is the need to integrate SaaS-based data with other applications, including applications running on in-house computers and those living on the Net. Boomi, an established developer of EDI and integration software, claims to have solved this challenge with Boomi On-Demand, which recently completed beta testing and is now generally available.

Boomi introduced its On-Demand offering last year as a way to make it easier for companies to keep a handle on their data, whether it resides on their own computers or on their service providers' servers. The key difference separating the new offering from Boomi's existing integration tools is the inclusion of a browser-based interface that allows users to create integration points in a visual, drag-and-drop manner.

Boomi says no coding is required with its new on demand offering. Instead, the software generates runtime components called Atoms that include everything needed to execute an integration process, including connectors, transformation rules, decision handling, and processing logic. Atoms are either hosted by a service provider for moving data among SaaS applications, or they can be loaded onto the customers' Windows servers for integrating on-premise applications with SaaS applications. (Customers integrating two on-premise applications would have no need for Boomi On-Demand; they could use the company's regular software.)

Now, following seven months of beta tests with more than 100 customers, Boomi On-Demand is ready, the company announced last week. Supported applications include major SaaS offerings, such as Salesforce.com's hosted CRM offering, NetSuite's hosted ERP offering, SmartTurn's hosted WMS offering, and Intacct's hosted accounting software. On-premise applications supported include all major databases, including DB2/400; Microsoft's Dynamics GP and NAV ERP offerings; Oracle's E-Business Suite; SAP's R/3; PeachTree and MAS 90, 200, and 500 accounting software from Sage, Intuit's QuickBooks; and HTTP, FTP, and e-mail servers. Boomi says it's willing to work with customers to support other on-premise applications.

Good things were said about Boomi On-Demand by partners, including Salesforce.com and NetSuite. "We are excited that Boomi has brought the on-demand model to integration," says Andrew Leigh, director of integration product marketing at Salesforce.com. "Just as software-as-a-service and platform-as-a-service transformed enterprise applications and development platforms, the Boomi On Demand integration solution is changing the game for integration customers."

"Boomi On Demand provides our customer base with the ability to tie NetSuite to peripheral applications with an affordable, easy-to-use integration solution that allows data transfer into NetSuite, letting the customer gain critical insight into their business to make better, faster decisions," says Mini Peiris, vice president of product management for NetSuite.

"This is an idea whose time has come," says Bob Moul, president and CEO of Boomi. "As businesses make the transition to on demand, it's only logical that they also want to integrate on demand without the burden of installing and maintaining software or appliances on premise."

Monthly subscriptions for Boomi On-Demand start at $65 per month. Customers running Atom components for on-premise applications will pay closer to $200 per application per month, and there is also a monthly fee for connecting trading partners to Boomi On-Demand. For more information, visit www.boomi.com.

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