Supported Software, the infrastructure optimising company in the JSE-listed Datacentrix group, has announced the release of Sterling Commerce`s CONNECT:Enterprise.
CONNECT:Enterprise automates and manages the movement of information, securely and reliably, between a company`s business applications and those of its e-business communities, while accommodating diverse application, platform and network environments, says Robyn Miller, Sterling Commerce product manager at Supported Software.
"CONNECT:Enterprise has been designed for companies which are implementing e-business initiatives, and which struggle with the challenges of exchanging information between their customers, suppliers and partners over the Internet," says Miller. "CONNECT:Enterprise simplifies the complexities of managed data delivery while seamlessly linking information flow with back-end systems."
As companies use the Internet to extend their business reach, they soon realise that free, "built-in" Internet communication protocols, such as FTP and HTTP, are just that - communication protocols, adds Miller.
"These protocols, alone, do not provide the automation, management, security and auditing capabilities companies require when moving and managing information critical to the success of their business. Adding those value-add features, for ensuring `business-quality` communication, requires a company to assemble a technical team and manually code those capabilities into the application - typically resulting in a much larger-than-expected project and an obligation for ongoing support."
The CONNECT:Enterprise communication infrastructure allows companies to leverage the Internet for business information exchange without imposing standards or sacrificing quality of service as information moves between business processes.
"IT executives are challenged with the complexities caused by the diverse needs of exchanging e-business information with other companies. As a result, this is forcing companies to evolve their existing communication infrastructure to a common, adaptable foundation for moving and managing information," adds Miller.
CONNECT:Enterprise provides secure, reliable, end-to-end information exchange between multiple business applications, while accommodating the evolving communication requirements of complex e-business communities. The new product also offers management capabilities to ease system administration, and end-to-end transmission security and common reporting capabilities for tracking and logging communication transactions as they traverse over multiple communication channels and networks throughout the business process.
CONNECT:Enterprise features:
Supports multiple Internet communication channels, including FTP, HTTP and CONNECT:Direct, as well as standard dial-up async communications -accommodating the varied needs of e-business communities while enabling the exchange of information between applications using like or disparate communication channels.
Provides a Java-based GUI configuration interface for setting up new, or modifying existing, business partner profiles - allowing companies to adapt to changes in business process, as well as help reduce the time it takes to implement e-business relationships.
Supports industry standard security technologies, including SSL (secure socket layer) for FTP (file transfer protocol) and elliptic curve technology for CONNECT:Direct Secure, as well as firewall navigation - ensuring an organisation`s critical business information is protected from malicious activity while being transmitted between applications over the Internet and other networks.
Offers scheduling and event-triggered automation services - providing the ability to coordinate information exchange based on the needs of the business, often with little or no human intervention.
Provides common reporting through its tracking and logging functions as information moves between multiple applications, platforms, transport channels and networks within a business process - providing system administrators a single audit trail required when managing "business quality" communication over public and private networks. CONNECT:Enterprise Release 1.0 is available for the IBM RISC System, Hewlett-Packard 9000 and Sun Microsystems platforms.
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