Enterprise portal functions

One of the greatest values of SOA is that it reduces the need for re-writing specific functionality. Once developed, an object can be re-used across the enterprise. SOA also makes it easy to connect a component on the server or client side, facilitating communication with SOA providers from the user and low-level application interfaces. KANA has been at the forefront of this technology from more than eight years with its open-standards architecture. KANA objects are easily linked to external SOA providers, allowing additional functionality to be seamlessly integrated into KANA solutions. On the client side, SOA functionality can be plugged into KANA Web portals to configure and customize the users experience.KANA181 Constitution Drive Menlo Park, CA 94025 Phone: 1.800.737.8738 E-mail: sales@kana.com Web:www.kana.com

An interesting article on Windows Account Management about the need for 3rd-party support for provisioning and managing new users in Windows SharePoint Services confirms our speculation in the Enterprise Portals Report that Microsoft will contine to rely on third-party suppliers for what we consider basic functionality. While this plug-in may only require $200 and 15 minutes of work, it unfortunately sounds all too familiar to current SharePoint 2003 users, many of whom struggle to maintain multiple plug-ins from multiple vendors. When the new SharePoint 2007 comes out late this month, it will surely make an impact in the market, and one of the strengths of the platform is its plethora of 3rd-party suppliers (and bloggers). Buyers should remember, though, that true enterprise portals may require more than what SharePoint offers out of the box.

By Brian McDonough The enterprise information portal (EIP) software market is still experiencing growth during an economic downturn as companies seek to improve the productivity of their employees. The market is small and the need to educate users about EIP software is still paramount for vendors seeking to spur further growth in the market. With confusion surrounding this software category, it’s necessary for IT buyers and management to understand what EIP software can do. Enterprise information portals integrate access to data, information and applications, and present it to the business user in a useful format. The portals are used by the business user, but include IT administration tools, and have some level of the following functionality native to them: role-based or rule-based administration,;

It seems that the world is almost slowing down a bit as Microsoft readies a final version of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server ("MOSS") 2007, the quite substantial upgrade to a nearly ubiquitous SharePoint 2003. SharePoint is many things to many people, but customers typically deploy it as a lightweight collaboration portal. With this latest version, Microsoft is trying to extend the product's reach. Our research (see the latest Enterprise Portals Report) indicates that Microsoft has certainly broadened SharePoint functionally, but sometimes "enterprise" means depth as well as breadth, and some of the old shortcomings (e.g., performance, administration) persist. It's worth testing MOSS, but don't count on an early, enterprisewide roll-out until Microsoft and its all-important channel work out more of the kinks. Our latest press advisory has more.

Sun ONE Portal Server 6.0 from Sun Microsystems represents the first example I’ve discussed of a comprehensive portal platform strategy targeted at constructing an enterprise computing system. In this strategy, the portal is viewed as the delivery mechanism for a much more comprehensive system I call a Distributed Information Management System (DIMS). A DIMS strategy is the weapon of choice of larger vendors against the smaller companies whose entry into the portal space was more timely, but more focused on specific functionality in the decision processing, content management or collaborative areas. I’ve explained previously that Plumtree Software and Computer Associates, early entrants in the space, have been moving toward the DIMS vision themselves. Sun began with the vision of an integrative system for enterprise computing. Its approach to its portal product has been to locate it within a comprehensive architecture, rather than to evolve an architecture out of its product

"I'm sure there must be a big rule written somewhere, that I can't seem to locate, that states that all enterprise software must have a less-than-optimal user experience, especially the interface." So concedes John Loicano, Sun's EVP of Software, who adds, "Features and functions don't have to be ugly." [Via Tim Bray.] Our forthcoming Enterprise Portals Report points out that Sun is doing some interesting things with its portal product, but portal usability across the industry still leaves much to be desired...

Today we released an alternate, "Open Source Edition" of the just-updated Enterprise Portals Report. No, the report itself isn't open source....but it is a lower-cost version that just covers the 5 open-source portal software platforms reviewed in the complete report. More than any of the other technology segments that we cover, open source portal solutions are gaining real traction -- proof, perhaps that portals are first and foremost development platforms. In an accompanying press release, we point out that prospective portal customers are increasingly considering open source solutions, but often finding them coming up short in terms of functional breadth, especially with respect to more complex, process-oriented scenarios. So our question for you is: what scenarios are you targeting with your portal technology?

Ending months of speculation, Linux distributor RedHat will acquire the open source Java company JBoss. As Enterprise Portal Report readers know, JBoss Portal runs on almost any operating system, but only with the JBoss application server. With JBoss Portal potentially bundled with Red Hat in the future, many customers will ask if JBoss will suffice for their portal use-cases, instead of an additional investment in another product such as IBM WebSphere Portal. However, our research found JBoss Portal coming up a bit short in functionality. As a side note: JBoss executive Mark Fleury had previously ridiculed Red Hat in an intemperate blog entry, but apparently this was nicely cleaned up before the acquisition.

Vignette will now let you download and try out its Vignette Application Portal (VAP) for free. We think this speaks volumes about the difference between the CMS and Portal marketplaces at the enterprise tier. Vignette is banking that you can install VAP with minimal help and develop at least lightweight portal functionality before your two-month trial period runs out. Not so with Vignette V7 or -- to be fair -- any other enterprise-tier CMS, none of which can be sampled on a trial basis, to our knowledge. Vignette should be lauded for its approach here, but the move may also represent a subtle shift in the company to lead with its Portal (an easier sale at a lower price point), then try later to get you to buy its content management capabilities as well...