Oblix Inc, the Mountain View, California-based provider of corporate services automation software, has announced a scaled-up version 3.5 of its CSA Solution, which addresses the specific requirements of very large companies. The new version, says Oblix, provides enhanced scalability, with improved caching algorithms now allowing for support of hundreds of thousands of users within distributed intranet and extranet environments. Previous versions were good for up to about 50,000 users but several large customers like Kinkos Inc have been looking for more out of the product.
Also new is an open ticketing process, through LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) support. Through this process, the product can now link to back-office applications including those from PeopleSoft, SAP, Baan and Oracle and Remedy to enable improved customized workflow through integration with existing business processes within the organization. The LDAP work also allows for support of Novell Directory Services version 8 (Novell is an investor in the company), something that will be demonstrated by Novell CEO Eric Schmidt this week at the BrainShare conference.
Other enhancements in 3.5 include several new searching and reporting features, including the ability to export report results and advanced search filters. The new release also increases the level of customization, allowing organizations to configure the system to their individual needs. For example, there is a message catalog through which all text messages can be changed and input text boxes can be pre-filled with default values.
Oblix CSA 3.5 will be available worldwide from the end of March through Oblix and its distribution partners, including Banyan, Navidec, OMNES and Intraware. List price in the US is $50 per user for the Oblix Corporate Service Center and the Oblix Corporate Directory. The software is available for Windows NT and Solaris and supports Netscape Directory Server and Novell Directory Services.
Several new support programs are available, as well with a silver package that includes support from 8am to 5pm for North American customers and free software updates. The gold program also includes a 24×7 paging support system for non-business hours, discounted update assistance, and regularly-scheduled account reviews. The company now has a fully-fledged professional services group under a newly-appointed VP. Although 100% of the company revenue last year came from licensing, about 10%-15% of 1999 revenues are expected to come from services, with an ultimate target of 30%-40%, the company says.
New customers for the company include True North Communications Inc and an unnamed large financial services company which have joined the likes of 3Com Corp, Kinkos and Knight-Ridder. The private company saw revenues last year topping $3m and is looking for about $7m-$10m this year. Oblix says it’s also seeing larger deals now, with the average sale this quarter ranging from $200,000 to $400,000, up from $40,000 to $50,000 as recently as last December.
