News Briefs and Product Shorts

• Is Retek developing for OS/400? According to a recent AMR Research report, the Minneapolis developer of enterprise software for retail chains is working to have its software certified for use on iSeries servers. In his May 7 report "Retek Enters RRM Space With Plans To Own the Retail Business Process Layer," AMR analyst Greg Girard says Retek is developing a mid-tier retail application that will run on Linux, and that AMR expects the company to be certified on the iSeries. Although the company did announce plans to develop a Linux version of its software for the midmarket, it made no mention of the iSeries. If the rumor is true, Retek will bring increased competition to the OS/400 segment of the retail ERP space, which is dominated by JDA Software and includes several small players, including Island Pacific and others.

• OS/400 shops with limited technical expertise now can get "dial-in" consulting services to help with their malfunctioning ACOM Solutions software. ACOM's iSeries division announced a new program last week that lets an ACOM technical support representative dial directly into a customer's OS/400 server to find and fix a problem. This new service proved invaluable at Duke's Memorial Hospital in Peru, Indiana, where hospital IT staff were having trouble tracking down the source of an error occurring with the Automerge feature of the EZeDocs/400 application. The system kept running the same Automerge function multiple times after a certain value was changed. The hospital's IT director, Ron Ehmer, spent a day troubleshooting the error, but it wasn't until an ACOM representative dialed in to the OS/400 server and spent an hour and a half fiddling with settings that the problem was resolved. "We were very pleased with his work," Ehmer says. ACOM says the new service is ideal for small or down-sized OS/400 shops. Customers only pay for the time they use.
  
  
• As expected, IBM last week announced the general availability of Lotus Workplace Messaging 1.0, a new Web-based e-mail application that lets employees who don't have access to an e-mail client--like factory floor workers, retail clerks, construction workers, flight crews, and fleet drivers--to remain in the communication loop. IBM developed the no-frills client, which it is selling for $29 per user, because Lotus Notes and even IBM Lotus Domino Web Access (formerly IBM Lotus iNotes Web Access) provided too much functionality and proved too complicated for users requiring only basic e-mail services. The client/server application is compatible with the Lotus Notes and Microsoft Exchange directories (Active Directory support is in the works) supports e-mail standards such as SMTP, MIME, POP3, and IMAP, and its client runs inside of a Web browser. The server component of Workplace Messaging requires WebSphere Application Server and a DB2 database and supports the Windows 2000 and AIX operating systems. An IBM spokesperson said that the company is considering bringing the product to OS/400 when the next release of the product ships in the fourth quarter, but that this depends on user demand.
  
  
• Create!form International last week announced an updated output management product for J.D. Edwards. Create!form says users will see big performance gains with Create!form for J.D. Edwards 2.1, which starts at $10,000 and is available immediately. The new version is as much as 59 percent faster and can reduce file sizes by as much as 95 percent, compared with the previous release, called Create!form for JDE OneWorld 2.0. These performance enhancements are the result of a new direct-to-PostScript option for printed output. Those not selecting that option will still see up to a 35 percent increase in speed and up to an 82 percent reduction in file size. Create!form for J.D. Edwards 2.1 also has a new Forms Library, providing new users with pre-designed forms that can be customized to include company details. In other news, Create!form, based in Waltham, Massachusetts, says it has established an office on JDE's Denver corporate campus. Create!form formed an exclusive partnership with JDE in December whereby Create!form will be the only forms company that JDE will certify for use with future releases of its ERP system.
  
  
• Whirlpool Mexico, a subsidiary of the $11 billion American manufacturing giant, has signed a new software license and maintenance contract with SSA Global Technologies worth $800,000, the Chicago-based ERP software vendor announced last week. Whirlpool Mexico is located in Monterrey, where it manufactures household appliances. The company has used the BPCS application as a key component of its financial and manufacturing operations for years. SSA GT says the new contract covers expanded use of BPCS software modules and additional support.
  
  
• CSG Systems last week announced a new release of ICMS, the first release of the OS/400-based customer care and billing application for telecommunications providers since it bought it from IBM last year. Enhancements in this release include a comprehensive workflow management and flow-through provisioning system; improvements to its accounts hierarchy architecture, which allows operators greater flexibility in the way that they rate and bill customers with multiple accounts; support for wholesale billing of wireline, wireless, video, and Internet services; and new contract-related provisioning tools. CSG Systems, a Denver company that owns several other major enterprise application for telecommunications providers, says it currently has 35 ICMS users in 20 countries.
  
  

Sponsored By CMS MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

CMS Manufacturing Systems – Function, Value, Reliability CMS Manufacturing Systems offers a comprehensive, Internet-enabled ERP/Supply Chain Management solution, CMS/400 v5.0, for small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in tight supply chain relationships, typical of a wide range of industries, from automotive to consumer goods. CMS/400's fully integrated suite of modules is sold as a single comprehensive solution, without tier or user-based pricing. And CMS staff provides all post-sales support, including, implementation, training and ongoing education and support. CMS has installations in over 2,500 plants worldwide. CMS/400's functionality includes integrated EDI/Release Accounting, CRM, Real-Time Shop-Floor Reporting, Production Analysis Tool-Set, Event Monitor, Materials and Logistics Management, APS, Financial Management, MPE, Tooling and Maintenance Integration and is fully Internet enabled with the CMS Easy e-Business Suite. This enhanced e-business capability completes the picture, making CMS the one-stop, single-source, turnkey solution provider for small and midrange enterprises with ERP/Supply Chain Management system needs. And once a new customer has purchased CMS/400, CMS commits its planning, implementation and training resources to helping management and staff fully realize CMS/400's capabilities throughout the enterprise. To learn more about CMS/400, and to register for a no-obligation test-drive, go to sales@cms400.com or www.cms400.com, or call 888-426-7400.