OpenVision Technologies Inc is creating application-specific versions of its Axxion management and back-up, beginning with a version for SAP AG’s R/3. What began as a project to get Axxion’s back-up tools working with R/3 turned into a more comprehensive initiative as the companies realized R/3 users required much more than just application back-up, including database back-up, problem detection, security, recovery services, performance monitoring and analysis. As well as making R/3 sites more robust, OpenVision says the aim is to reduce cost of ownership, claiming that many first-time SAP customers overspend on their first purchase by trying to project too far into the future. Research house International Data Corp says the cost of ownership of an R/3 system is at least ten times its product price. OpenVision developed Axxion for SAP over at Bay Networks Inc, which went overboard on its SAP installation, and then had a nightmare trying to put the thing together and manage it. A range of security, authentication and encryption services can now be plugged into R/3 via the programming interfaces SAP is integrating on OpenVision’s advice. OpenVision has created a new module that for the R/3 version of Axxion, a console that enables administrators to monitor and manage components. It is in beta test now, and production shipments are set to start in April, priced from $175,000 for a database and three application servers. The price rises as application servers are added. OpenVision plans other custom Axxion suites for the other applications, such as those from Baan Co NV, Oracle Corp and PeopleSoft Inc.
