- IT strategy for large corporation

by Andrew Karasev

Microsoft Business Solutions products: Great Plains, MS CRM, Navision, Axapta, MS RMS
integration with UNIX/Java based platforms & non-Microsoft applications: Oracle, Lotus
Notes/Domino, DBII, PeopleSoft, SAP The history of software application development
indicates that global trends to unification might be reversed in the future. If you take
a look at C programming language, intended as cross platform solution (which resolves
graphical interface cross platform migration). Later on java was invented to encapsulate
the application within java virtual machine, and at the same time we see thin client
conception development, which can not be done in C, due to the nature of the internet
browser. So, inevitably - large corporation, where system life cycle should last at
least a decade, should consider multiple platform adoption: Unix, Microsoft, Linux, MS
SQL Server, Oracle, DB2, Lotus Notes/Domino, Microsoft Exchange, etc. •Microsoft
Business Solutions products integration. Project Green will lead to Microsoft suites:
Microsoft Financials, Microsoft Distribution/Supply Chain Management, Microsoft Human
Resources. The interesting part is - which product will be the base for the specific
suite. At this point we don’t know the answer •Customization Tool evolution. If we look
back to the history of Microsoft Great Plains - Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise - it
had native programming language / IDE Great Plains Dexterity. Today - Dexterity is
concurring with such customization and integration tools as eConnect - the set of stored
procedures, this is definitely the trend emphasizing SQL coding and developing •Cross
Platform ODBC/JDBC calls. If we look at MS SQL Server or Oracle Transparent Gateways and
Generic Connectivity - we will see that Database tools support cross platform
heterogeneous SQL requests and updates. The proof of the co-existence trend - isn’t it?
•Java versus C#. The appearance of C# confirmed the fact, that pure Java conception with
its virtual machine and isolation doesn’t satisfy Microsoft .Net development
requirements. .Net objects could not be isolated the same way as Java/EJB/J2EE. This is
where we again have to admit coexistence of two Worlds: Microsoft Windows and Java •The
Stakes. Probably the mixture - and considering the fact that cross-platform integration
is addressed from both sides - different platforms should be just integrated. Good
balance would be relatively inexpensive Microsoft Business Solutions ERP application:
Great Plains (USA, Canada, Latin America, Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, UK),
Navision (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Japan, Russia and the rest of
continental Europe), Axapta - if you need rich ERP functionality - then your business
specific application: Freight Forwarding database, Lease tracking, Consignment, etc.
should be placed into Oracle/DB2/Unix/Linux. Microsoft CRM - this is the temptation and
we do recommend it - it could be integrated with Java applications •Reporting. If you
plan to deploy them from Windows side: use Crystal Reports upon heterogeneous SQL views,
in the case of Java - it depends on the vendor: Oracle, PeopleSoft, SAP, IBM Lotus Notes
Domino, Siebel, etc. We encourage you to analyze your alternatives. You can always
appeal to our help, give us a call: 1-866-528-0577 or 1-630-961-5918,
help@albaspectrum.com

::About the Author::

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies (
http://www.albaspectrum.com ), serving Microsoft Great Plains, CRM, Navision to mid-size
and large clients in California, Illinois, New York, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Arizona,
Washington, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan and internationally.

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