PeopleSoft eCentre breaks new ground in ASP with Global 1000 customers

An announcement from eBusiness solutions provider, PeopleSoft, notes that the company is forging ahead as the Application Service Provider (ASP) of choice for Global 1000 companies. PeopleSoft eCentre, which has been designed from the ground up as an ASP for large organisations, as well as small and medium-sized businesses, will host and manage PeopleSoft eBusiness applications for Frank Russell Company as well as Tower Automotive.

According to Jan Coetzee, managing director of PeopleSoft SA, the agreements illustrate the scalability and reliability of PeopleSoft eCentre. "It is an example of how an ASP can expand beyond the middle market niche. PeopleSoft South Africa is in the process of setting up the local offering of the PeopleSoft eCentre. A number of potential partners have been identified and we are in final negotiation with them," he explains.

PeopleSoft eCentre`s penetration into the high-end market is significant for the ASP industry as a whole, says Clare Gillan, group VP, Applications and Information Access Research at IDC. The acceptance of the ASP model among larger companies is evidence that this is more than just a `small company` opportunity.

Frank Russell Company, creator of the Russell 2000 Index, selected PeopleSoft eCentre to host PeopleSoft Human Resources Management (HRMS). Russell`s 1,200 associates worldwide manage more than 60 billion dollars in assets and investments, and offer investment planning services and diversified funds to individual and institutional investors in 35 countries. Russell advises clients on the investment of more than one trillion dollars in assets, and serves over 1,300 organisations and millions of individuals through its investment management business.

Tower Automotive is a global manufacturer of automotive assemblies and modules for vehicle structure and suspension systems. Tower employs approximately 13,000 colleagues world wide to serve major OEMs, including Ford, DaimlerChrysler, GM, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Auto Alliance, Fiat, BMW and Volkswagen. Tower will also use PeopleSoft eCentre to take advantage of PeopleSoft HRMS.

"We chose PeopleSoft eCentre because we needed a scalable solution from a credible company," comments Gene Johanson, project leader at Frank Russell Company. "We were confident that PeopleSoft could deliver the customer experience vital to global organisations such as ourselves."

Adds Coetzee: "PeopleSoft eCentre is designed to deliver fast and high return on investment by offering rapid deployment and management of PeopleSoft`s best-in-class applications, including Customer Relationship Management, Supply Chain Management, Professional Services Automation, Human Resources Management, and Financials."

PeopleSoft eCentre also serves as a rapid on-ramp to PeopleSoft 8, PeopleSoft`s new generation of pure internet eBusiness applications.

"PeopleSoft eCentre is built for scalability," says Deepak Gupta, senior vice president and general manager of PeopleSoft eCentre. "It is designed to support global businesses with thousands of users, as well as smaller companies that require a flexible solution that can grow with them," he concludes.