7/16/97
12:06 PM
ARC's Automation Strategies Forum in Boston recently was host to more than 300 automation industry suppliers, end users and system integrators. Top industry executives spoke in sessions on technology, process control, discrete manufacturing control and automation solutions.
Topics of discussion included advances in technology, the future of the industry and the next century. Users appeared disappointed in the answers to their questions on Year 2000 compliance.
Most suppliers stated it was being handled on a customer-by-customer basis or that a committee had been formed to look into the problem. Even with the best efforts, vendors can only conduct unit testing on their products.
For more information about ARC, point your browser to http://www.arcweb.com
6/24/97
3:40 PM
Intelligent Environments, a provider of Web development tools and services, has announced that the LGS Group has joined the Intelligent Advantage Partner Program, a network of experienced value-added resellers (VARs) and systems integrators committed to helping IS organizations deliver business-critical, Web-based applications.
This partnership allows the LGS Group to offer Amazon, Intelligent Environments' Web development tool for building interactive, data-driven Internet, extranet and intranet applications, as a solution to its customers' needs for powerful, line-of-business Web applications that optimize legacy data access across the enterprise.
Intelligent Environments provides advanced software development tools and complementary training and consulting that empower information systems organizations to accelerate the delivery of business-critical applications that meet evolving users needs.
For more information about Intelligent Environments, point your browser to http://www.ieinc.com
5/20/97
12:33
MatriDigm Corporation, a software maintenance and Year 2000 conversion services company, announced the commercial availability of MatriDigm Advanced Process 2000 (MAP2000(SM)) Release 2.1, a highly automated factory conversion service. This release provides a windowing approach for modification of programs for customers requiring Year 2000 code conversion services. MAP2000 Release 2.1 supports COBOL 85 programs, including CICS and IMS. The windowing approach for program modification leaves year fields in a 2-digit format, but changes the computation performed to make the programs execute correctly after the year 2000. MAP2000 Release 2.1 supports two windowing techniques: fixed and sliding. By supporting both techniques, a broad range of applications can be converted. With these enhancements the MAP2000 factory service utilizes the same factory processes as before.
For more information, visit the website at
http://www.matridigmusa.com
5/20/97
12:32
Cambridge Technology Partners, a systems integrator known for rapid application deployment projects is piloting a pricing program that lets customers take 20 percent off fixed-priced projects if the project fails to come in on time and achieve business goals. The catch: if the projects are completed on time and meet customer expectations, the customer must reimburse Cambridge Technology the 20 percent discount. If the project exceeds expectations after a set evaluation period, the customer pays a performance bonus on a sliding scale up to an additional 20 percent. Cambridge Technology realizes the risk involved with the program and plans to test the pilot this year with five customers engaged in projects of under $2 million
5/20/97
12:21
"PinoY2K Initiative" is the Philippines' latest project, aimed at cashing in on year 2000 (Y2K) bug fixes for companies, schools, and software firms worldwide. The country's Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is putting 3 million (Philippine Pesos) into the training of some 100,000 Filipinos to beef up the country's supply of computer programmers who can be fielded to tackle Millennium Bug projects in the short-run and other information technology projects in the long-run. Officials hope their PinoY2K Initiative will earn the country $3-6 billion (US), about one percent of the estimated global market for Y2K projects. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant Secretary Edsel T. Custodio notes that the Millennium Bug problem has three major components: impact assessment or needs analysis, conversion work, and rigorous tests. DOST Secretary William Padolina said that the Y2K initiative is designed to make the Philippines more visible in the international IT community. In the long term, Padolina pointed out, the initiative should make the country as competitive as India and other top software suppliers.
Contact: Butch Pajarillo, Department of Trade and Industry; phone
(Philippines) +632 895-8133/ 895-3994; fax +632 890-4517
5/20/97
12:20
AnswerThink Consulting Group, a systems integration company headquartered in Miami, has been established by Ted Fernandez, Allan Frank and Ulysses Knotts. The founders project revenues of $500 million within the next three years. The company name is derived from the belief that there is a finite number of solutions which meet the individual needs and goals of a client's organization. The venture capital firms of Golder, Thoma, Cressey, Rauner Inc. and Miller Capital Management, Inc. have contributed in excess of $20 million in venture capital to AnswerThink. To build its business, AnswerThink plans on executing an aggressive strategy which includes recruiting talented and experienced professionals, targeting innovative companies for acquisition, and securing strategic relationships with leading technology vendors.
AnswerThink's leadership believes that their unique holistic approach to delivering IT consulting and integration services will quickly set them apart. "Our approach requires that our delivery teams contribute both business and technology skills. This teaming, coupled with our unique competency focus and our technology-enabled knowledge-sharing environment, allows us to execute end-to-end solutions more effectively," stated Frank.
"Because of the highly fragmented nature of the industry, and the never-ending supply of new technology, the demand for consulting and systems integration is overwhelming. There is a tremendous need for high quality, insightful, comprehensive service," explained Edmund Miller, Principal of Miller Capital Management, Inc., located in Coconut Grove, Florida.
5/1/97
15:04
Sun Data will assist in the analysis, development, procurement, implementation and maintenance of networked information systems for customers using networked computers in multi-protocol, multi-platform environments, including AS/400, UNIX, Windows NT, and Novell. As a Value Added Reseller of most major platforms and technologies, Sun Data offers a total solution that combines the best hardware and software with a fully trained and experienced services group. Another expanded service from Sun Data comes from its Support Services Group. System Engineers now provide technical support and maintenance service, regardless of where a company purchases its hardware and software. Sun Data plans to double the size of its support staff and is investing in a new parts and logistics center.
Sun Data, Inc. is an independent business and technology solutions provider in Norcross, GA that delivers consultation, customized systems integration, technical support, product delivery and lease/finance services. Visit Sun Data's World Wide Web site at http://www.sundata.com
5/1/97
15:06
Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group/ICS, a leading provider of business transformation and software implementation services, today announced the opening of a technical development center in Chicago to support clients who are implementing SAP's R/3 business application solutions. The technical development center will provide custom development in SAP's ABAP/4 programming language, interface management, and data migration services. Owens Corning, a world leader in advanced glass and composite materials, is one of the first clients to benefit from the new services. Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group/ICS provided Owens Corning with a total SAP implementation consulting solution that included data migration, interface development for real time access to external systems, and ABAP/4 custom development for added R/3 functionality.
Information on Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group/ICS is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.icsdeloitte.com.
4/29/97
17:54
Hitachi will initiate a wholesale reengineering of its personal computer manufacturing organization, including purchasing, production, inventory and distribution processes, to reduce total costs by cutting the new product delivery cycle and reducing the ratio of inventory to sales. A project team headed by vice president Kazuo Morita will lead the effort, which plans to shift to the new production system by this summer. Hitachi will use SAP R/3, a general business application, as the basis on which to build a uniquely tailored production management system that incorporates workers' suggestions. The new product cycle in the PC industry today is a short 2-3 months, and products have highly varied specifications and yet are generally produced in small lots, and Hitachi says the most efficient way to operate under these conditions is to handle PCs as if they were food products subject to spoilage if not kept fresh. Hitachi says knowledge gained through its reengineering experience in its PC business, said to be the most difficult to succeed in, might be applied further to its other electric appliance businesses.
4/29/97
17:53
IONA Technologies announced that Chevron Petroleum Technology Company (CPTC) has decided to deploy IONA's leading object request broker, Orbix in a systems integration project. Chevron, like most major oil companies uses a mix of purchased applications from a variety of Independent Software Vendors as well as applications developed in-house. This approach has resulted in a diversity of incompatible data formats and applications. To solve this problem, CPTC has developed a series of data object servers that abstract the proprietary datastore formats. These data object servers utilize IONA's Orbix and are intended to be deployed worldwide to over 600 UNIX workstations (incorporating Sun, Silicon Graphics and IBM) and Windows desktops. Along with data object servers, CPTC is also constructing a catalog to manage the diverse datastores, an event gateway to broker vendor proprietary interprocess events/messages, and other applications services. These all constitute a distributed object data framework which CPTC has entitled "OIL" (Object Integration Layer).
For further information please visit
http://www.iona.com
4/29/97
17:52
Digital Equipment Corporation and Matsushita Semiconductor Corporation of America announced a multi-million dollar systems integration contract for Matsushita's second fabrication plant in Puyallup, Washington. The new 300,000 square-foot world-class facility, FAB D, will allow Matsushita to increase production and produce the next generation of 16-bit microprocessors. The agreement calls for Digital to manage the large-scale systems integration project, as well as develop and implement Matsushita's computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) solution. The customized solution will automate fab equipment with Matsushita's INCYTE manufacturing execution system. The project will utilize Digital's Program Methodology, widely regarded as a premier approach to the understanding of application requirements and the development of appropriate systems to support customer needs. This structured methodology provides consistent processes for planning deliverables, managing change, assuring quality, and coordinating training activities.
For more information, visit the web site at http://www.Digital.com