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Siebel Systems Releases UAN 2.0

Siebel Systems (Nasdaq: SEBL) has released the next version of Universal Application Network (UAN) with 50 new industry-specific integration applications. The new applications are tailored for the requirements of nine vertical industries: automotive, communications, media, energy, financial services, insurance, healthcare, high technology and manufacturing. Some of the specific business processes the applications address include Automotive Dealer Service Information Management, Communications Bill Adjustment Management and Financial Services Account Origination Management.

The UAN Integration Application Library now includes more than 100 horizontal and vertical integration applications, which run on the integration server vendor platforms.

In many IT shops, integration of disparate systems has become the single largest IT expenditure. In 2003, organizations are projected to spend over $90 billion on integration, including nearly $7 billion on integration software.

"Business process management and data integration across heterogeneous environments are among the biggest challenges now facing CIOs," said Steve Bonadio, Senior Program Director, META Group, Inc.

To address this market, Siebel Systems led the development of UAN with leading integration server vendors and systems integrators. First released in October 2002, UAN leverages the latest industry standards based on XML and Web Services. UAN is a suite of packaged integration applications that enables organizations to deploy end-to-end business processes spanning multiple applications. UAN integration server vendors and systems integration partners include Accenture, BEA Systems, BearingPoint, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, Deloitte Consulting, IBM, Microsoft, TIBCO, SeeBeyond, Vitria and webMethods.

Infonet Services Corporation, a provider of managed data communication services, uses UAN to configure and capture customer orders and to integrate multiple applications, including Siebel eBusiness Applications, ERP systems and custom-built billing and inventory systems.

"The integration applications provided by Siebel Systems will enable us to accomplish our business objectives of continually enhancing service quality, revenue generation and cost containment," said Jim deMin, Technical Manager of Infonet Services Corporation.

Siebel Systems and its partners are now working with more than 20 UAN charter customers in multiple industries in the United States and Europe.

TIBCO to Integrate Key Business Processes for AvestaPolarit

TIBCO Software (Nasdaq: TIBX) has been selected by one of the world's leading stainless steel manufacturers to provide a combined application integration platform and business process solution.

AvestaPolarit (SSE: AVPO.ST) was formed in January 2001 as a result of the merger between Avesta Sheffield and Outokumpu Steel. The company currently has 9,000 employees and production plants in Finland, Sweden and the UK and last year reported earnings of 3,002 billion euros.

"We turned to TIBCO because we needed a standard integration platform for our business applications and processes," said Johan Tommervik, CIO, AvestaPolarit. "TIBCO was also the only vendor that could demonstrate that its solution was truly scalable."

"Two or three years ago, it was all about technology such as adapters and interfaces," said Jimmy Skoldberg, regional director, TIBCO Software Nordic. "Now it is all about business processes."

AvestaPolarit is initially focusing on streamlining and improving the functionality of its order management system. The TIBCO solution will achieve these goals as well as provide a comprehensive view of all order management processes, such as checking orders against payment and delivery. Beyond order management, AvestaPolarit's vision is to use TIBCO's technology to enhance and develop such business processes as supply chain management, and integrate other vendors with the AvestaPolarit mainframe.

"It is very clear AvestaPolarit sees a number of business advantages in standardizing on our products," continued Skoldberg. "The company has, as we understand it, adopted an acquisition strategy and they will most likely continue to acquire more companies in the future. A TIBCO Integration infrastructure will enable AvestaPolarit to assimilate new acquisitions quickly, thereby achieving the hoped for business synergies."

Some analyst reports have identified TIBCO Software as the leading independent business integration software company in the world, based on market share. TIBCO has delivered what the company calls The Power of Now® to over 2,000 customers around the world and in a wide variety of industries. For more information, contact Jimmy Skoldberg at jskoldbe@tibco.com or +46 70 695 7022.

BEA and Siebel Systems Grow Alliance

Expanding their 1999 agreement, BEA Systems (Nasdaq: BEAS) and Siebel Systems (Nasdaq: SEBL), will jointly develop, sell and market integrated business solutions. The companies are committing dedicated engineers, technical architects, product managers and alliance managers to the project, as well as opening a joint testing lab and spending over $1 million in marketing funds.

"The IT world is no longer flat. It's round and revolves around solving business problems," said Morris Beton, Senior Vice President, Business Development, BEA Systems. "With Universal Application Network, Siebel Systems is taking a leadership position to define a model for business integration projects."

BEA has been upgraded to a strategic software and Universal Application Network (UAN) partner in the Siebel Alliance Program. The BEA WebLogic Integration has been designated as one of the strategic integration solutions for UAN, a standards-based approach to multiapplication integration based on best-practice business processes.

For its part, BEA plans to offer out-of-the-box support for UAN in upcoming versions of BEA WebLogic Integration and BEA WebLogic Platform.

BEA and Siebel Systems are collaborating around the emerging integration and process standards, namely Business Process Execution Language for Web Services (BPEL4WS), XML Schema, XML Query Language (XQuery), Extensible Stylesheet Transformation (XSLT) and the J2EE Connector Architecture, within BEA WebLogic Integration and UAN. In addition, BEA WebLogic Workshop will be designed to provide support for Siebel Application Service Interfaces (ASI) and Web Services.

According to a CIO Magazine 2002 survey, linking disparate business processes and applications is a CIO's top spending priority. The alliance between BEA and Siebel Systems squarely addresses this priority.

Corel Validates iGrafx FlowCharter 2003

Corel iGrafx FlowCharter 2003 has been validated with Siebel 7.5 and Corel Corporation (Nasdaq: CORL) has joined the Alliance Program as a software partner. In addition, Siebel Systems has selected the iGrafx product suite as the tool to document and distribute the Business Process Library of Universal Application Network (UAN).

"After reviewing the possible options to document our business processes, the Corel iGrafx solution was a clear choice," said Ken Pulverman, Product Line Manager of Siebel Systems' Business Process Solutions Team.

Using iGrafx software, Siebel Systems has developed and is distributing more than 800 business process diagrams. These diagrams map the steps taken to improve and manage relationships with customers, partners and employees, allowing corporations to better sell, market and serve customers across multiple channels and lines of business.

The iGrafx process management software used by Siebel Systems' customers will be supplied by Corel or Corel-approved resellers. Correction