Oracle Corp South Africa and the Dimension Data Group, two major players in the e-commerce space, have announced an alliance to offer true end-to-end e-business infrastructure and services.
In terms of this alliance Dimension Data has become an Oracle SA Alliance Partner and has access to Oracle`s e-business suite of applications.
"Although Oracle has a number of alliances with major organisations around the world, this partnership with a leading player is a first for us in South Africa." says Lenore Kerrigan, MD of Oracle SA.
"It is an exciting development for Oracle SA to be involved with a major organisation which has a significant business infrastructure, a strong presence in the telecommunications market, sales and service expertise, plus the capacity to provide a single point solution.
"These areas are key to providing building blocks for the Internet world.
In addition, these strong points position Dimension Data as a leading vendor of total customer solutions - a market most are aspiring to enter."
Lenore says Dimension Data will also broaden Oracle SA`s market reach and sphere of influence.
"The partnership is significant as it enables us to bring a world leading, best-of-breed e-business suite to market, and to combine it with the Group`s in-depth systems integration skills for an effective e-business offering," says Jean-Paul Renouprez of Dimension Data i-Commerce Software.
"Although Dimension Data has been involved with Oracle SA on the database and development side for the past two years, this extension gives us access to Oracle`s e-business software. Through this, we can now assist customers within the enterprise software, or ERP market, who want to go the e-business route with an end-to-end service and solutions partnership," he says.
Oracle`s e-business suite of applications consists of integrated, complete solutions designed to get companies moving at Internet speed.
"Business is moving at Internet speed today, and companies need to relentlessly drive for greater agility and cost-efficiency," says Kerrigan.
"Oracle`s e-business applications enable customers to respond to the speed imperative.
"In the old economy the big beat the small, now the fast beat the slow," she adds.
Renouprez says no company can possibly match the resulting applications by building its own in-house product. "This suite enables customers to become e-enabled quickly and effectively.
"At i-Commerce, we are now able to provide an off-the-shelf solution, and tailor it to reflect the customer`s way of doing business. And, through the Dimension Data Group, we can provide the entire solution from strategic up front e-Commerce strategy consulting through to the potential provision of managed or hosted services."
Oracle Corporation employs 5 000 full-time developers focused on improving a set of best of breed applications. The company`s e-business suite includes Internet Procurement, a Store Front solution, plus Electronic Payment, allowing companies to e-enable their businesses to access a wider community of buyers and sellers electronically, while improving the efficiency and flexibility of their processes.
"Benefits for customers include cost savings, for example in total procurement spend, increased process efficiencies, elimination of unnecessary paperwork, empowerment of their customers, faster time to market and access to global markets through the Internet," adds Renouprez.
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Oracle`s e-business suite
Oracle`s Internet Procurement (iProcurement) is a fully-automated Internet-based procurement solution that enables companies to reduce and control procurement costs, simplify and optimise purchasing, and promote and leverage supplier efficiencies. Companies can automate their entire purchasing lifecycle, from sourcing to procurement to payment; enabling savings of up to 20 percent on total purchasing costs. Current users of Oracle`s Internet Procurement Application include Boeing, AT&T, British Telecom, UPS and Sony.
Oracle`s Store Front (iStore) solution is an electronic commerce application that provides a web-based channel for unassisted selling of products direct to consumers. Using Store Front businesses can create powerful Internet store sites for selling products in a secure and personalised environment. With seamless integration to Oracle ERP applications, Store Front enables companies to bring products to the market faster and to provide unique customer care. Store Front also represents a framework for multiple payment systems, and has many open interfaces for business functions such as order and inventory management, tax, shipping and handling.
Oracle`s Electronic Payment (iPayment) is an application that facilitates credit card payments over the Internet.
Dimension Data
Dimension Data is a leading global network services and i-Commerce solutions provider, focused on enabling enterprises, telecommunications service providers and new economy companies to communicate and transact effectively in an e-enabled environment.
Dimension Data is listed on the London Stock Exchange and operates in over 30 countries on six continents. The Group has achieved a compound annual growth rate in US dollars of 78% in revenue and 38% in basic earnings per share over the past two years.