Software AG SA, Datacentrix announce local partnership

Hot on the heels of an announcement between Software AG and IXOS internationally, the local representatives of the two European software giants have agreed to strengthen their relationship along similar lines.

IXOS Software AG (Munich) and Software AG (Darmstadt) recently signed a partnership agreement, enabling the companies to jointly offer Internet-based solutions for the optimisation of business processes.

Software AG South Africa general manager Joe Curran says Software AG South Africa and Datacentrix, sole local representative of IXOS, will work closely together to the benefit of local users.

"The new partnership is strategically important for both parties because there is a growing demand for Internet-based business processes, combined with a need for compliance with legal requirements," he says.

"The solution from IXOS and Software AG offers organisations secure, tamper-proof storage of e-business documents such as insurance applications and e-government forms completed online by customers."

These electronic documents have the same legal status as paper documents. All the information is available in XML format and can be simultaneously used independently of any application or system.

"Worldwide, including SA, there are increasingly more regulations requiring the secure archiving of electronic documents created by Internet transactions and banks, insurance companies, and government offices looking to platforms such as XML to make their existing systems efficiently Web-compatible," Curran says.

Rob Shaw, product marketing manager at Datacentrix, explains that the partnership is significant in terms of enabling local organisations to handle personalised transactions automatically via the Internet. "South African companies, which have a high volume of documents and a great need for efficient, secure solutions for the storage of these electronically created documents, specifically stand to benefit by using XML to make their existing systems Web-compatible."

Says Curran: "Our arrangement with Datacentrix will assist local organisations to comply with those regulations and legal requirements, thereby positioning themselves to exploit the potential of XML technology."