Renee Boucher Ferguson

NetSuite is going beyond verticalization and industry-specific capabilities to customize its software by business type. The on-demand ERP (enterprise resource planning) company announced its new NetSuite Software Company Edition on March 14. The Software Edition has 15 different role-based AJAX (Asynchronous Java and XML) dashboards geared specifically toward software development companies. The goal: to better […]

Business-to-business integration provider GXS announced a partnership March 13 with China Enterprise Communications Limited, a Beijing-based telecommunications provider, to bring process sharing capabilities to Chinese automotive manufacturers. China Enterprise Communications, or China Entercom as its known colloquially, is launching with GXS the China e-Auto Hub. The service harkens back to the early days of B2B […]

On the surface, all is well at the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association—College Retirement Equities Fund, better known as TIAA-CREF. Despite recent issues that denied thousands of pensioners access to their funds—in some cases for months, while others received overpayments amounting to thousands of dollars— customers contacted by eWEEK March 5 said that, by and […]

At the annual, and huge, CeBIT trade show for information and telecommunications technology held in Hannover, Germany, the week of March 6, SAP announced a slew of upgraded technologies. SAP, based in Walldorf, Germany, announced on March 8 an upgraded supply chain management suite that builds in more functionality for collaboration with partners and adds […]

ERP software provider SSA Global Technologies announced Feb. 7 the acquisition of Provia Software for an undisclosed sum. Provia develops order-to-delivery supply chain execution software that helps companies with heavy distribution arms manage the planning and execution of delivering goods. What Provia brings to the table in terms of technology is a suite of third-party […]

With Oracle in an acquisition frenzy, acquiring more than a dozen companies in as many months, the market for third-party support is rife with opportunity, according to at least one such provider, NetCustomer. NetCustomer announced March 7 direct support and services for PeopleSoft and JD Edwards customers—a group that had no choice but to play […]

Savi Technology, which develops RFID hardware and software for supply chains, is tackling harsh conditions with its latest active tag. Washington, D.C.-based Savi announced March 7 the low-profile version of its Savi Tag ST-656 that is actually split between the outside of a container and the inside to protect the more delicate RFID electronics. The […]

The bottom line for suppliers at last weeks RFID World conference in Dallas: Implementing RFID is a necessary evil, but it doesnt come cheap. Consumer products companies that have already jumped into the fray with radio-frequency identification pilot projects to comply with Wal-Mart Stores and the Department of Defense mandates say cost is still the […]

There were two evident truths at the RFID World conference in Dallas: Wal-Mart Stores is the impetus behind the technologys recent popularity; and RFID for Wal-Mart is a long-term journey. One thats only just begun. The biggest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart currently has 300 suppliers sending products to 500 RFID-enabled Wal-Mart and Sams Club […]

DALLAS—At this weeks RFID World conference here, theres no question that Generation 2, the UHF (ultra high frequency) air protocol for tags and readers, is garnering major acceptance. The specification, ratified by standards forming body EPCglobal Inc. in 2004, is being adopted on a wide scale by customers and hardware manufacturers. Early RFID adopters like […]