As Published In May/June 2009

Ventureforth Releases Solution for Distributed Maintenance Environments

Oracle partner Ventureforth has introduced Distributed Mi2K for Oracle Enterprise Asset Management, a distributed asset management solution for remote maintenance environments such as offshore drilling platforms, vessels, and remote refineries and plants. The new offering is tailored to industries with remote sites and network communications challenges. Distributed Mi2K for Oracle Enterprise Asset Management provides the equivalent of a mini-Oracle Enterprise Asset Management instance at each remote location, which allows users at the location to perform relevant maintenance and supply chain operations in real time, regardless of connectivity with the primary instance in the corporate data center.

The manager’s workbench feature in Distributed Mi2K for Oracle Enterprise Asset Management allows maintenance crew managers and supervisors at remote locations to generate reports, assign and reassign work orders, view global inventory levels, and approve purchase requests for spare parts while in disconnected mode. When connectivity is restored, Distributed Mi2K for Oracle Enterprise Asset Management updates Oracle E-Business Suite maintenance, inventory, purchasing, and human resources data at all locations.

ICS RF-SMART Integrated with JD Edwards World A9.1

Oracle Certified Advantage Partner ICS’ RF-SMART suite of wireless automatic data collection and mobile applications for supply chains has been integrated with Oracle’s JD Edwards World A9.1. The integration was validated through the Oracle PartnerNetwork Application Integration Architecture for Partners Initiative.

RF-SMART is written specifically for JD Edwards World and IBM Power System. RF-SMART system administrators can manage and change system security, radio frequency screens, transaction workflows, default data, radio frequency users, labeling functions, and other options through a point- and-click interface. RF-SMART was also recently validated for Oracle’s JD Edwards EnterpriseOne 8.12.

Helpstream Offers Community-Driven Services for Oracle CRM On Demand

The Helpstream Winter 2009 release from Oracle partner Helpstream contains more than 40 enhancements to help service organizations improve customer satisfaction and retention while reducing support costs. The new release features community-driven service functionality and integration of Helpstream’s Web customer service portal with the service desk capabilities of Oracle CRM On Demand.

When combined with Oracle CRM On Demand, Helpstream allows customers to create, manage, and publish user-generated content and share support knowledge, resulting in faster issue resolution. By deploying Helpstream, organizations can enable agents to focus on resolving complex service issues and building relationships with customers, making agents more proficient and productive.

Highlights of the Winter 2009 release include cross-channel interactions between community- and agent-assisted questions, cross-channel resolution monitoring for tracking channel effectiveness, improved branding and customization, improved content management and authoring, and Web portal and search engine optimization.

HumanConcepts Achieves Integration with Oracle E-Business Suite

OrgPlus Enterprise 3.3 workforce decision support software from Oracle Certified Partner HumanConcepts has achieved validated integration with Oracle Human Resources Management System 12 (part of Oracle E-Business Suite) through the Oracle PartnerNetwork Application Integration Architecture for Partners Initiative. Together, OrgPlus Enterprise and Oracle E-Business Suite enhance the ability to visualize workforce data, communicate organizational information, and manage workforce change.

When integrated with Oracle Human Resources Management System, OrgPlus Enterprise inherits roles, responsibilities, and field-level security as defined in Oracle E-Business Suite, ensuring that users have appropriate access rights to human resources data. OrgPlus Enterprise users can plan reorganizations and mergers, develop executive succession plans, and validate workforce data such as reporting relationships. OrgPlus is part of Oracle’s global application sales demonstration environment for organizational charting, modeling, and visualization.

Datawatch Integrates Business Document Server with Oracle Universal Records Management

Oracle partner Datawatch has integrated Oracle Universal Records Management with its Datawatch Business Document Server (BDS) enterprise content management product suite to provide a single environment for controlling records and retention policies for content stored in the Datawatch BDS archive. Datawatch BDS offers centralized document management for images, reports, customer correspondence, statements, and other documents, and features optional modules for document imaging, electronic notification and delivery of documents, and workflow management.

Oracle Universal Records Management enables consistent application of content retention policies. Content is automatically cataloged on an ongoing basis and retained as long as legal, regulatory, or business reasons require. It also allows compliance and legal teams to apply litigation or audit holds to content, preventing the accidental or intentional deletion of information in a legally defensible manner.

When integrated with Oracle Universal Records Management, Datawatch BDS offers records managers a single view into retention schedules, disposition actions, and audit histories. The combined product also facilitates the process of discovering and declaring records and helps to ensure that an enterprise conforms to regulatory mandates and internal corporate policies.

Promero Announces Hosted Predictive Dialer and Call Center Software

Oracle partner Promero has released Contact Center On Demand with Predictive Dialer, a hosted predictive dialer and call center software package that uses Oracle Contact Center Anywhere. The software-as-a-service (SaaS) package is targeted at small to midsize call centers with fewer than 200 agents and companies with annual revenues under US$100 million. The offering includes rapid setup and training and features low startup and monthly costs.

Oracle Contact Center Anywhere can replace or work with existing PBXs. It offers skills-based routing; a universal queue for phone calls, e- mail, faxes, voice mail, voice-over-Web calls, and callbacks; and Web-based collaboration. In its new offering, Promero combines Oracle Contact Center Anywhere with ProStar Lead Manager, a software application developed by Promero that lets call center operators create Web forms, collect data online, and “hot transfer” prospect information from predictive dialing calls to sales professionals.

Unify Acquires CipherSoft

Oracle partner Unify has acquired CipherSoft, an Oracle partner that provides modernization and migration services for Oracle applications. The acquisition expands Unify’s portfolio of application migration solutions to work for organizations using Oracle Forms.

CipherSoft offers legacy Oracle Forms users two options: to upgrade from older versions of Oracle Forms to the latest supported version, Oracle Forms 10g, or to migrate from Oracle Forms to Java and Oracle Application Development Framework.

CipherSoft’s Exodus solution automatically converts Oracle Forms and PL/SQL code. Automatic conversion removes the risk of human error and produces standardized business applications that are maintainable and cost effective. Exodus is the only product on the market to be validated for Oracle Forms to Java and Java Platform, Enterprise Edition migration.

Web Locator Ventureforth ICS Helpstream HumanConcepts Datawatch Promero Unify Oracle Accelerate Partner Solutions Zanett Caliber Point Computer Sciences Corporation Data Systems International

Partners Expand Oracle Accelerate with Solutions for Midsize Organizations

Because midsize organizations continue to demand affordable, quick-to-deploy software applications, Oracle partners around the world are delivering new Oracle Accelerate solutions—prepackaged bundles that pair Oracle Applications with industry-specific functionality to deliver rapid, fixed-cost implementations. With 230 different offerings from 129 partners, Oracle Accelerate solutions span 53 industry segments in 19 industries and are available in 33 countries.

One of those 129 partners is Zanett, an Oracle Certified Advantage Partner that offers Oracle Accelerate solutions for aerospace and defense, complex electronic equipment, software, industrial products and components, consulting management services, medical devices, and life sciences.

“By using the tools and industry focus of Oracle Accelerate, we can improve our customers’ time to value and enable a quicker ROI [return on investment],” says Jeff Copper, managing director of JD Edwards applications at Zanett. “With Oracle Accelerate, we’ve seen as much as a 20 to 25 percent decrease in implementation time, which is a market differentiator for us in these economic times.”

Caliber Point Offers Oracle-Powered Human Resources Solutions

Oracle partner Caliber Point Business Solutions, a Hexaware Technologies subsidiary, is providing Oracle’s human capital management (HCM) applications in conjunction with its own human resources consulting and services under the BPO Powered by Oracle program. The integrated solution is designed on a “pay-as-you-use” model and includes a range of licensing, implementation, hosting, and IT support along with business process outsourcing (BPO) services.

Caliber Point’s multiprocess human resources solutions include workforce administration, payroll, and recruitment across multiple geographies. The scalable and open infrastructure of Oracle HCM applications allows customers to make changes to employee data in a globally distributed environment.

The combined offering meets the needs of large companies in North America and Western Europe, as well as the growing and unaddressed need for human resources services among midsize companies and underserved regions such as Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, and Asia Pacific.

CSC Offers SOA Services

Oracle Certified Advantage Partner Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) has announced SOAsure, an end-to-end approach to creating a service-oriented architecture featuring Oracle technology solutions. Oracle worked closely with CSC to develop this offering around Oracle Service Bus, Oracle Enterprise Repository, and Oracle Service Registry to allow customers to achieve SOA benefits more quickly and cost effectively.

Consisting of a set of services that address the entire SOA lifecycle, SOAsure uses tools, processes, methodologies, and accelerators to assure cost-effective development, maintenance, and support. The offering enables organizations to respond rapidly to market changes with new products and services.

Services under SOAsure include SOA to enterprise resource planning (ERP) integration, ERP upgrades to SOA-compliant versions, ERP extensions migration to SOA, process orchestration spanning intra- and extra-ERP services, ERP instance rationalization, migration to or integration with SaaS ERP, virtualization of the ERP platform, and application management of the SOA/ERP environment.

Oracle Certified Advantage Partner (CAP) Certified Advantage Partner (CAP) is Oracle PartnerNetwork’s highest membership level. CAPs consistently demonstrate superior product knowledge, technical expertise, and commitment to Oracle and receive advanced levels of service, training, benefits, and resources. To find a CAP, please visit solutions.oracle.com/CAP.

Oracle Validates dcLINK Integration with Oracle E-Business Suite 12

Oracle Certified Advantage Partner Data Systems International (DSI) has achieved validated integration for its dcLINK 5.0 automated data collection solution with Oracle E-Business Suite 12 through the Oracle PartnerNetwork Application Integration Architecture for Partners Initiative.

DSI’s dcLINK tracks inventory, assets, and time on the shop floor, in the warehouse, and in the field. It supports RFID, bar code, voice, mobile application, and automated machine interface technology on a single platform. These capabilities are now integrated with Oracle E-Business Suite 12. DSI also provides implementation services for Oracle Mobile Supply Chain Applications, project planning and implementation, and radio frequency infrastructure and devices from leading manufacturers.

In addition to Oracle E-Business Suite validation, DSI’s dcLINK has achieved validated, real-time integration with Oracle’s JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and JD Edwards World products.

Book Beat Oracle SOA Suite Developer’s Guide By Antony Reynolds and Matt Wright Packt Publishing ISBN: 9781847193551 This book is for developers and architects using Oracle’s comprehensive service-oriented architecture (SOA) offering, Oracle SOA Suite—whether they’re working on integration projects, building composite applications, or specializing in implementations of Oracle Applications. Oracle SOA Suite Developer’s Guide explains how to best harness and apply this technology, and offers insight on using Oracle SOA Suite to solve real-world problems—enabling readers to quickly learn and master the technology and its applications. The initial section provides a detailed tutorial on the core components of Oracle SOA Suite: Oracle Service Bus, Oracle BPEL Process Manager, Oracle Business Rules, and Oracle Business Activity Monitoring. From there, the authors discuss the best way to combine these components to implement a real-world SOA solution. Using a working example of a fictional online auction site (oBay), they lead you through key SOA design considerations in implementing a robust solution. In the final section, the authors address nonfunctional considerations and cover the packaging, deployment, and testing of SOA applications. They also detail how to use Oracle Web Services Manager to secure and administer SOA applications. Coauthor Antony Reynolds is a middleware solutions director and SOA evangelist at Oracle. Matt Wright is director of product management for Oracle Fusion Middleware in Asia Pacific and has worked with early adopters of BPEL since its inception. Oracle Database 11g: The Complete Reference By Kevin Loney Oracle Press ISBN: 9780071598750 This fully updated guide provides all the details on the powerful features of Oracle Database 11g. Oracle Database 11g: The Complete Reference explains how to use the new features and tools, execute SQL queries, construct PL/SQL and SQL*Plus statements, and work with large objects and object-relational databases. Part one of the book covers critical database concepts, including installing Oracle Database 11g or upgrading from an earlier version, and creating database tables, sequences, indexes, views, and user accounts. Part two covers SQL and SQL*Plus, including how to construct SQL statements, procedures, queries, and subqueries. From there, the author goes beyond the basics and covers optimizing security using virtual private databases and transparent data encryption; importing and exporting data using SQL*Loader and Oracle Data Pump; and using SQL replay, change management, and result caching. The author also discusses avoiding human errors using flashback and automatic undo management; building and tuning PL/SQL triggers, functions, and packages; developing database applications using Java, JDBC, and XML; and optimizing availability and scalability with Oracle Real Application Clusters. The book includes a helpful cross-referenced appendix containing Oracle commands, keywords, features, and functions. Author Kevin Loney has been an Oracle developer and DBA since 1987. He is a frequent presenter at Oracle user conferences and is the author of many Oracle Press books, including Oracle Database 11g DBA Handbook. Processing XML Documents with Oracle JDeveloper 11g By Deepak Vohra Packt Publishing ISBN: 97818471966681 This hands-on tutorial guides newcomers and intermediate users through Oracle JDeveloper 11g and XML document development. It offers up-to-date information on working with the latest version of Oracle JDeveloper, and brand-new information on JAXB 2.0 support in Oracle JDeveloper 11g. Filled with illustrations, explanatory tables, and comprehensive instructions, this book walks the reader through the wide assortment of Oracle JDeveloper’s capabilities. Readers will gain experience with Oracle JDeveloper through self-contained tutorials that provide clear instruction on the key XML tasks that Oracle JDeveloper can accomplish. With practical information and illustrated examples, this book shows the reader how to create, parse, and store XML documents quickly, and provides step-by-step instructions on how to construct an XML schema and use the schema to validate an XML document. The book also provides detailed coverage of Oracle XML Developer’s Kit. Later chapters discuss using XPath; transforming XML with XSLT; using the JSTL XML Tag Library; and using the JAXB 2.0 API to bind, marshal, and unmarshal XML documents. Author Deepak Vohra is a consultant and a principal member of the NuBean software company. He is the author of JDBC 4.0 and Oracle JDeveloper for J2EE Development (Packt Publishing, 2008). Look for Oracle books at otn.oracle.com/bookstore.