Not counting the volumes of partner endorsements and general fawning it took Baan Co NV 20 around press releases to spit out the details of its new products and strategy from its BaanWorld showcase in Denver earlier this week, integration is the keyword. Baan estimates 30% of the cost of an ERP implementation is spent on integration with existing applications and systems. It’s chief product is BaanERP, the core offering in its Baan V suite. Baan has created a 60-person BaanConnect division to deliver integration solutions, and will offer open interfaces to integrate Baan with third party solutions and has a raft of new partnerships including a closer relationship with Microsoft Corp which clearly understands how big a deal Baan is now. BaanConnect will develop Microsoft COM/DCOM-based object interfaces that will enable third party specialist supply chain management, sales force automation, human resources management, warehouse management, financial and catalogue systems management applications to integrate and exchange data with Baan and its point solutions and partners in each area. It’s using Component Software Inc technology to help customers integrate Baan and third party applications. Making good on its promise to modularize its monolithic application suite (CI No 3,289), Baan’s creating a new Baan Supply Chain Solutions business under Amal Johnson with BaanSCS planner, demand planning, scheduling and execution modules. It will step up its campaign to wean users off what it now refers to as its legacy applications – Triton and Baan IV. Triton 3 to Baan IV migration costs $74,000; Triton 2 to Baan IV is $100,000. Baan IV to BaanERP migration will be available in June, no prices were given.
