Baan Co NV is finally making good on some of the promises it made to customers at its BaanWorld User group event in Berlin last August by revealing a plan to web- and internet-enable its manufacturing software, beginning with a Java-based web browser interface for all of its current applications. As already promised, the web makeover will be complete with the release of the Baan V product line later this year. It says the first deliverables will be web-enabled supply chain applications, including sales configuration software, based upon technology from its 1996 Antalsys acquisition. It will integrate push technology from an unspecified company into its resource planning suite which it says will enable companies within a supply chain to proactively distribute operational data. Using these mechanisms the company is going to create workflow-type applications to connect businesses with their customers, with their own employees and to other businesses, including suppliers, using the internet. Baan, which says it’s already offering web- based resource planning applications such as electronic commerce transactions with suppliers, order inquiries and shipment status, to its Microsoft NT BackOffice edition users, will offer the application on its Unix products later this year. It’s expected to offer an end-to-end order entry workflow module using push technology later in the year that will handle everything from catalog entry and order placement to credit check and product availability information. Baan says it will work with electronic documents interchange companies to enable manufacturers and suppliers to business more efficiently. It will provide customers with the ability to create virtual shopping malls and electronic storefronts for their businesses. It will also provide connections to Microsoft Merchant server for web-based commerce and use the Antalsys technology to enable customers to specify a product configuration and have pricing and availability verified. Push-enabled applications will also be offered for delivering HTML-based Baan reports to employees across organizations, once Baan HTML-enables its reporting applications that is. It is also using Hyperion Software Corp’s Spider-Man technology which provides users with access to data from desktops, pagers and fax. Spider-Man runs on NT. Purchase requisition will also be made available to employees via an additional workflow applications. Meantime the promised BackOffice release of the company’s application suite, IV.b, is now generally available
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