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Information Builders Announces WebFOCUS Support for IBM WebSphere
Intelligent Solutions Transform Businesses into Sophisticated eBusinesses

Information Builders' WebFOCUS business intelligence application now supports the IBM WebSphere application server, providing for greater scalability and deployment of WebFOCUS applications across all IBM eServers.

Equipped with WebFOCUS, organizations can build scalable Web applications for extranets, intranets, or the Internet that turn data into useful information and deliver it to customers, partners, or employees via browser or wireless device. By using the built-in resource management capabilities of WebSphere, WebFOCUS can process thousands of user requests more efficiently, which significantly improves the overall performance of WebFOCUS applications.

The combined capabilities of WebSphere and WebFOCUS provide customers with greater scalability and deployment for their real-time information delivery applications, says Daniel Ortolani, vice president of Information Builders' WebFOCUS Division. WebFOCUS leverages the full capabilities of IBM's WebSphere to process user requests.

WebFOCUS can integrate more than 80 databases across 35 platforms, including all IBM eServers. "IBM WebSphere provides the core functionality needed to deploy, integrate, and manage robust Web-based applications," says Scott Hebner, director of WebSphere Application Server and Application Development Tools for IBM. "By enabling WebFOCUS for IBM WebSphere, Information Builders is helping organizations transform their core business processes to become sophisticated e-businesses."

WebSphere is Internet infrastructure software also known as middleware, which enables companies to develop, deploy, and integrate next-generation e-business applications such as those for business-to-business e-commerce. WebSphere transforms the way businesses manage customer, partner, and employee relationships. The product supports business applications from simple Web publishing through enterprise-scale transaction processing.

For more information about the Web-Sphere software platform point your browser to http://www.ibm.com/websphere.

WebFOCUS, iWay Blow Their Horn at Auto-Tech 2001

WebFOCUS and iWay took center stage at the recent AIAG's Auto-Tech show in Detroit, Michigan, as Information Builders and iWay Software demonstrated their enhanced information delivery and integration solutions for the automotive industry.

Information Builders has established strong relationships in the automotive industry with the likes of General Motors, Ford, Toyota, ArvinMeritor (see related story in this issue), and Volkswagen.

Ford Motor Company, for example, uses Information Builders' WebFOCUS business intelligence solution to transform printed reports into easily readable, accurate, Web-based documents. This solution allows 30,000 users at 5,000 U.S. auto dealers and warranty specialists to quickly identify and resolve problems associated with warranty repair or claim trends.

"We are excited to provide our customers in the automotive industry with tailored technology solutions that validate our commitment to using the Internet to streamline and optimize business processes," said Information Builders President and CEO Gerald D. Cohen.

iWay Software, an Information Builders company and market leader in software that accelerates business integration, and XML Global Technologies, an XML middleware company, demonstrated their joint XML-based integration solution, eBIX (e-Business Integration Using XML) at the event.

"The automotive industry is embracing XML as a way of streamlining their supply chain and improving back-end efficiencies. With the eBIX Server and its ability to open up old legacy systems and new e-business applications to XML, our automotive industry clients will be able to create better integrated applications than ever before," said iWay President John Senor.

Peter Shandro, CEO of XML Global, believes that, "To stay ahead in e-business today firms must find transformation technologies that will cost-effectively breathe life into legacy databases and add value to a firm's information assets.

"The combined iWay/XML Global solution will give the automotive industry and its trading partners a one-stop solution to this problem, allowing them to leverage their information assets through a variety of Web-based applications, thereby reducing costs and improving supply chain efficiencies," Shandro concludes.

Auto-Tech is sponsored by The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), an association of approximately 1,600 manufacturers and suppliers in the North American automotive industry that attracts management-level or senior executive automotive industry decision-makers responsible for quality, information systems, finance, purchasing, materials management, production and operations. The AIAG was founded in 1982 by DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motors, and General Motors and is focused exclusively on resolving issues critical to the automotive supply chain.