BEA Systems is ramping up its
approach to service-oriented architecture by helping customers
plan distributed computing architectures in key vertical markets.
The new BEA Enterprise Solutions program includes software from the
company’s WebLogic Platform 8.1, sales and marketing and services to
address
financial services, manufacturing, retail, telecommunications,
logistics and
government markets.
Mark Atherton, vice president of the enterprise solutions group at BEA,
said
these are all key vertical markets BEA sees as positive growth areas
for
SOAs
components.
The San Jose, Calif., software maker has composed five frameworks to
deal
with the vertical segments, using its WebLogic Platform software as the
fulcrum to generate more sales.
The program addresses integration pain points by helping companies
corral
customer service processes across multiple channels and rendering them
through one scope. For example, Atherton said the program offers a
customized self-service portal where customers can manage service
requests,
check status and pay bills in real time.
With RFID
the nascent radio frequency technology.
Atherton said this package will use the real-time event integration and
business process automation perks from WebLogic to help retailers
increase
revenue by improving public safety through product recalls, reducing
out-of-stocks and improving margin through reduced product diversions.
In a logistics capacity, the employee service framework is designed to
improve the productivity of workers; it includes benefits
administration, performance review or employee status change, all enabled by WebLogic
and software from partners such as Hyperion and Documentum.
For telecommunications, the service delivery schema aims to help
companies
quickly offer digital and data services that can be tied to operations
support systems.
Financial firms may get a lift from the trade processing offering,
which
addresses securities firms requirements to integrate the trade process.
For
example, the package provides a model for institutional portals to
facilitate input and monitoring of block trades, research portals for
content-sensitive filtering and cross-product clearance and settlement
services.
Though still in a very early stage, companies like IBM , BEA
and a raft of smaller vendors such as Actional, Amberpoint and Digital
Evolution claim they are seeing steady growth in the demand for
new-wave
distributed computing. IDC estimates the Web services software market,
a
subset of the broad service-driven market, will be worth $3.2 billion
by
2008.
SOA Framed for Key Verticals
