2004 reviews: Applications

20.12.2004
Von InfoWorld staff

CRM vendors keep revving their products, but the numbers don?t seem to add up. With the possible exception of SalesLogix, we haven?t seen a first-rate SFA or customer-service app since we reviewed Salesforce.com last December. We?ll see what our roundup of hosted CRM solutions brings in January. One product category that did heat up in 2004 was Web services management, with offerings from Actional Corp., Grand Central Communucations Inc., Infravio Inc., and others scoring high marks despite differing approaches.

On the collaboration software front, traditional platform powerhouses Lotus, Microsoft Corp., and Novell Inc. were mostly quiet, although we did test enterprise IM servers from these and other vendors. The best IM product we saw wasn?t a communications server but a security and management framework from IMlogic Inc. Other 2004 highlights included a refined Groove 3.0, a startlingly good BizTalk process orchestration server from Microsoft, and Plumtree Enterprise, which led a formidable field of seven enterprise portal suites in our May roundup.

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Application management

Endeavors Technology AppExpress 2.5

Endeavors Technology Inc.

Very Good, 7.6

Cost: US$25,000 per server for software; $65 per client seat

Bottom line: AppExpress is highly scalable and delivers streamed apps easily, offering administrators strong management and reporting capabilities. Database options, however, are limited to Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 and 2000, and the initial installation is complex and time-consuming.

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Mach5 Analyzer 4.0

Mach5 Enterprises LLC

Very Good, 8.5

Cost: Analyzer Free (supports small log files), free; Analyzer Regular, $99.95, with HyperLink TreeView, geographical reporting, and report printing; Analyzer Gold, $199.95, with site-stickiness reports, report exports to HTML, and additional features

Bottom line: Boasting exceptional speed, Analyzer is great for churning out log reports. Not as extensive as WebTrends? flagship offering, Analyzer still holds its own when it comes to creating useful reports from Web-server log data, especially when time is tight.

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ProactiveNet 6.0

ProactiveNet Inc.

Very Good, 8.1

Cost: Starts at $35,000; scales based on number and type of entities monitored; ProactiveNet SLA Performance, $10,000 per application (one app supports as many as 20 SLA sites)

Bottom line: ProactiveNet 6.0 is a serious application performance management solution for serious customers. Its Intelligent Thresholds architecture requires a leap of faith on the part of IT, but when implemented, it has the potential to significantly reduce administrators? workloads. The Solaris-on-Sparc back-end requirement should be addressed in early 2005.

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Shunra Software Shunra\Storm STX-100

Shunra Software Ltd.

Very Good, 8.0

Cost: $40,000 as tested; software-only ShunraCloud, $5,000

Bottom line: If cost is no object, Shunra\Storm STX-100 is hard to beat, despite its dependence on Microsoft Visio and its high price tag. Highly capable and easy to use and deploy, this box delivers best-of-breed functionality for IT organizations that require mission-critical network testing and emulation.

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Veritas i3 Version 6.5

Veritas Software Corp.

Good, 6.5

Cost: $20,000 as tested

Bottom line: A good solution for IT shops charged with managing complex, multitier applications, i3 allows administrators to gather performance intelligence at various execution stages. Mediocre integration of i3 agents and tools, however, can translate into a steep learning curve.

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Collaboration

Akonix L7 Enterprise 3.0, Enforcer 3.1, and Compliance Manager 3

Akonix Systems Inc.

Very Good, 7.6

Cost: $9,000 for 50 users, including L7 Enterprise Gateway, anti-virus option, Enforcer, and Compliance Manager

Bottom line: Akonix L7 Enterprise manages IM traffic, enforces access polices, and stops IM viruses. It scales well, integrates with popular firewalls, and supports both enterprise and consumer IM systems. Enforcer -- which blocks IM and p-to-p use at network perimeters -- and Compliance Manager round it out.

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FaceTime RTG500 and IM Auditor 5.0

FaceTime Communications

Very Good, 7.6

Cost: RTG500, $5,000; IM Auditor 5.0, approximately $25,000 for 500 users

Bottom line: FaceTime?s RTG500 network appliance acts as a security gateway for real-time communications. When coupled with IM Auditor, it becomes a centralized, Web-based solution for IM management, control, and policy enforcement, and it provides logging for regulatory compliance.

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Good Technology GoodLink 3.0.2

Good Technology Inc.

Very Good, 7.0

Cost: $330 annually per user

Bottom line: GoodLink offers device choice, solid Exchange synchronization capabilities, and a great interface. Its comparably poor handling of rich attachments and inability to access intranet content behind the firewall, however, detract from the simulated desktop experience.

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Groove Virtual Office 3.0

Groove Networks Inc.

Excellent, 8.6

Cost: Professional Edition, $179; Project Edition, $229

Bottom line: Groove 3.0 helps workers communicate, plan projects, hold online meetings, and share files securely. It brings on-demand collaboration to virtual teams without increasing IT infrastructure. A more intuitive interface, easier navigation, and new end-user development functions enhance virtual work.

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IBM Lotus Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing 3.1

IBM Corp.

Very Good, 7.6

Cost: $47.59 per user; Enhanced Collaboration Bundle (includes Lotus Team Workplace), $71.36 per user

Bottom line: With Lotus IM, users can include text, audio, and video in their communications and can share applications in online meetings. Administrative tools are robust, and the IM Gateway secures communication with other collaborative communities.

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IMlogic IM Manager 6.0

IMlogic

Excellent, 8.8

Cost: Starts at $25 per user

Bottom line: IM Manager 6.0 stands out in three important areas: usability, flexibility, and scalability ? a potent mix that gives it a significant advantage in larger enterprises. Easy deployment makes IM Manager appropriate for smaller organizations as well.

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Jabber XCP 2.7

Jabber

Very Good, 7.6

Cost: Starts at $30 per user for perpetual license; $18 per user on annual basis

Bottom line: Jabber?s straightforward default interface and easy-to-use commands provide solid messaging with minimal user training. Jabber delivers a flexible, manageable alternative for organizations that value maximum interoperability.

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Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2003

Microsoft

Very Good, 7.2

Cost: $733 per server; $25 per client-access license

Bottom line: If you?re already using Microsoft applications, LCS is the obvious choice for IM. It leads the pack in media options and integrates almost instantly with other Microsoft server apps. If you?re not running Active Directory, however, setting up LCS requires significant effort.

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Novell GroupWise Messenger 1.0

Novell

Good, 6.8

Cost: Sold as part of GroupWise; GroupWise Web/wireless license required at $30 per user, with volume discounts available

Bottom line: GroupWise Messenger is a relatively inexpensive choice for organizations that already run NetWare or NDS and GroupWise. Those who have not yet settled on GroupWise Manager might want to wait for the next version, which will include bolstered client functionality.

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RIM BlackBerry Enterprise Server Version 3.6

Research In Motion Ltd.

Excellent, 8.7

Cost: $4,999 for 20 client licenses; $80 per additional license

Bottom line: BlackBerry?s client technology is powerful and extensible (through Java), and RIM handhelds are optimized for fleet deployment and strong central control. BES is focused on full, efficient remote access to corporate resources, including intranets and large PDF and Office documents.

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Serena Software TeamTrack 6.1

Serena Software Inc.

Very Good, 8.0

Cost: $8,995, 10 named users; $16,995, 10 concurrent users

Bottom line: TeamTrack brings the power of role-based business process management tools to the Web browser, simplifying dynamic process changes and keeping projects on track. Its overall design lends itself nicely to distributed project teams working in multiple physical locations.

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Venali Total Desktop Fax Solution

Venali Inc.

Excellent, 8.6

Cost: Base price, $9.95 per user; discounts available based on user count, fax volume

Bottom line: Venali?s Total Desktop Fax Solution may not represent a true Fax-over-IP implementation, but it is a highly reliable, scalable network fax solution. It?s also significantly less expensive in most situations than either traditional fax or competing network fax solutions.

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CRM

ACCPAC CRM 5.6

ACCPAC International Inc.

Good, 6.1

Cost: Starts at $1,995 for fewer than 20 users; $9,995, unlimited users and three-seat DB2 license; end-user licensing starts at $995, plus 18 percent first-year mandatory maintenance fee

Bottom line: ACCPAC CRM?s browser-based interface is well-designed and easy to use, providing good graphical insight into time lines and status. Strong user access and customization capabilities ease implementation and enhance productivity.

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Best Software SalesLogix Advanced v6.2

Best Software Inc.

Very Good, 7.1

Cost: Advanced starts at $2,195 per server, $995 per user; Standard starts at $1,795 per server, $795 per user

Bottom line: Despite minor shortcomings in its marketing engine and support capabilities, SalesLogix has solid sales and contact management. Minimal training and administration effort is required to deploy basic installations. Cross-discipline data sharing and support are good for most general uses.

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Epicor Clientele CRM.Net Suite 8.2

Epicor Software Corp.

Good, 5.6

Cost: Starts at $1,500 per user; Enterprise Portal Server, $13,000; Portal Content Pack starts at $5,000; yearly maintenance fee, 20 percent of purchase price

Bottom line: Clientele?s pricey suite focuses on customer support and case management resolution; its self-serve portal is a must for reducing incident costs. More attention must be paid to enhancing the interface and automated workflow, but its Web services underpinnings portend future extensibility.

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Maximizer Enterprise 8

Maximizer Software Inc.

Good, 5.6

Cost: $489 per user for CRM; $699 per user for eCRM, including employee portal; first-year mandatory maintenance fee, 20 percent of purchase price; Customization Suite for eCRM, $1,995

Bottom line: Maximizer Enterprise?s benefits may be overshadowed by a cumbersome interface. Benefits include database synchronization among satellite offices, a customer portal that makes implementing customer self-service a snap, and prebuilt workflow objects that provide out-of-the-box automation.

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RightNow 6.0, Proactive Multi-Channel Customer Service Version

RightNow Technologies Inc.

Good, 6.3

Cost: Starts at $79,000 for 15 seats, hosted or licensed

Bottom line: RightNow?s self-serve opportunities and automated response handling allow agents to focus on priority incidents. But integration with other systems is limited, and BI features are lackluster.

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Talisma v6.0

Talisma Corp.

Good, 6.6

Cost: Hosted QuickStart starts at $15,000; full-version ASP (20 seats) starts at $48,000; OnSite version plus yearly maintenance fee starts at $80,000

Bottom line: Talisma presents the opportunity for tracking and automating sales and customer relationship processes. It?s powerful and provides strong workflow automation, but the interface is lackluster and void of graphical insight. Platform lock-in and lack of integration must be considered in evaluating its long-term ROI.

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Integration and Web services

Actional Looking Glass 5.0

Actional

Very Good, 8.5

Cost: $75,000 per CPU

Bottom line: With exceptional root-cause analysis capabilities, Actional Looking Glass provides for the end-to-end management of service-oriented architectures. Self-configuration makes network discovery easy, and its self-healing features are effective.

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AmberPoint Service Level Manager 2004, Release 1

AmberPoint Inc.

Very Good, 8.4

Cost: Starts at $50,000 for one to two CPUs

Bottom line: AmberPoint SLM?s agreement-based management provides sophisticated, granular control of service performance and availability. The business calendar-based service management is a plus for mirroring SLAs in the monitoring tool.

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Commerce One Conductor 6.5.0.2

Commerce One Inc.

Very Good, 8.1

Cost: $250,000 for typical installation

Bottom line: Conductor provides a well-integrated but complex suite of tools for using Web services to automate complex business processes. Its graphical language tools are easy to use, but this product will take time and effort to understand and master.

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Flamenco Networks WSM Enterprise Edition

Flamenco Networks Inc.

Very Good, 8.5

Cost: Starts at approximately $100,000

Bottom line: Flamenco WSM provides a convenient, easy-to-use tool for creating private Web services management networks that can serve thousands of separate partners with a minimum of administrative effort.

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Grand Central Communications Business Services Network 4.0

Grand Central Communications

Excellent, 8.6

Cost: $25,000 to $500,000 annually, depending on level, data volume, and number of relationships; developer accounts (as much as 25MB per month), free

Bottom line: Grand Central provides a rock-solid hosted solution for building virtual applications from network services orchestrated on the BSN platform. Support for BPEL sets this solution apart. As an online service, BSN 4.0 delivers hassle-free setup and guiltless pilots.

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IBM WebSphere Business Integration Server Foundation 5.1

IBM

Very Good, 8.0

Cost: $49,000 per CPU; WebSphere Studio Application Developer Integration Edition 5.1, $7,279; both prices include one year of maintenance

Bottom line: IBM brings tight integration of BPEL into its app-server architecture and envelops a wealth of orchestration opportunity through Web services and traditional adaptors. Although slightly buggy, the development tool offers developers effective abstraction.

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Infravio Ensemble 4.1

Infravio Inc.

Very Good, 8.4

Cost: Starts at $50,000

Bottom line: Ensemble is exceedingly easy to set up and configure. Its contract metaphor is a conceptually simple way to configure and manage services, but it may not match the expectations of operations groups accustomed to traditional management tools.

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KnowNow 3 Enterprise Edition

KnowNow Inc.

Very Good, 8.0

Cost: Priced per session or per node; approximately $25,000 for proof of concept; enterprise deployments range from $100,000 to $500,000

Bottom line: KnowNow provides a standards-based, real-time event messaging system for integrating applications across multiple platforms. The loosely coupled architecture offers real flexibility. KnowNow?s conceptual simplicity and integration capacity make for a powerful engine, but the high cost may be a deal breaker.

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Microsoft BizTalk Server 2004

Microsoft

Excellent, 8.7

Cost: Standard Edition, $7,000 per CPU; Enterprise Edition, $25,000 per CPU

Bottom line: Now entirely managed code, BizTalk allows business analysts to participate in the design of business rules, and it provides them a rich engine capable of monitoring orchestrations and business activity in real time.

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Oracle BPEL Process Manager 2.0

Oracle Corp.

Very Good, 8.2

Cost: $30,000 per CPU, with Oracle AS Enterprise Edition license; $10,000, as add-on

Bottom line: Oracle has picked up a solid BPEL engine in its acquisition of Collaxa. Although light on enterprise adapters and minimally integrated with the Oracle stack, Process Manager makes BPEL a reality both in terms of development and execution.

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Systinet Server for Java 5.0

Systinet Corp.

Very Good, 8.3

Cost: Free for single-CPU deployment; $2,000 per additional CPU

Bottom line: Systinet Server for Java 5.0 provides a platform for deploying and managing Java-based Web services. Combining an enterprise-class management console and support for WS-Reliable Messaging, Systinet Server is ready for mission-critical applications.

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Portals

BEA WebLogic Platform 8.1

BEA Systems Inc.

Very Good, 8.1

Cost: $57,000 per CPU, with WebLogic Portal, WebLogic Server, and WebLogic Workshop; $90,000 per CPU, adds WebLogic Integration

Bottom line: BEA?s unified infrastructure allows developers to work with BEA WebLogic Workshop 8.1 for advanced portal and portlet creation, and general portal administration can be distributed to others. The platform?s strong developer tools and lifecycle application management stand out.

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IBM WebSphere Portal for Multiplatforms Version 5.0

IBM

Very Good, 7.6

Cost: Portal Extend, $87,000 per processor; Portal Express starts at $85 per user or $33,000 per processor

Bottom line: WebSphere Portal 5.0 integrates disparate corporate apps and information, giving users a personalized view of data. Employees can collaborate in real time, and they can create, publish, search, and share information, although inline document editing could be improved. Portlet builders and a large catalog of third-party portlets significantly reduce development time.

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Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server 2003

Microsoft

Very Good, 7.9

Cost: $3,999 plus $71 per client license

Bottom line: SharePoint Portal Server 2003 focuses on information and document sharing, making it a top choice for team collaboration. It is easy to set up and customize, although you get maximum benefit when it?s coupled with Office 2003 and other Microsoft back-office applications.

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OracleAS Portal 10g

Oracle

Very Good, 7.6

Cost: Standard Edition, $10,000 per CPU or $200 per user; Enterprise Edition, $20,000 per CPU or $400 per user

Bottom line: Part of Oracle Application Server 10g, this portal is an inclusive solution for creating portal Web interfaces, publishing data, and delivering personalized content to users. Users with less technical experience can handle the bulk of setup and administration; developers can concentrate on J2EE portlet application work.

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Plumtree Enterprise Web Suite

Plumtree Software Inc.

Excellent, 8.7

Cost: $125,000 for 250 users, includes startup professional services and training

Bottom line: The components of this suite work together seamlessly, giving users centralized security and administration of Web apps on various systems in one portal environment. This outstanding approach makes for a fine portal experience for users and reduces costs for organizations.

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Sun Java System Portal Server 6.2

Sun Microsystems Inc.

Very Good, 8.1

Cost: $57,000 to $95,000 per CPU, per application server; or $100 per employee for entire enterprise suite

Bottom line: Based on Java Web services, Sun?s portal is a top-to-bottom solution that includes identity, application, directory, and Web servers. It?s one of the more developer-friendly portals -- especially for mobile devices, JSR 168 portlets, and Web services -- and has a unique VPN-on-demand.

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Vignette Application Portal 7.0

Vignette Corp.

Very Good, 8.2

Cost: Starts at $75,000 per CPU; per-user pricing available

Bottom line: Using supplied portlets, Vignette Application Portal allows you to create an initial portal site and then rapidly tie in enterprise apps using industry-standard portlet programming interfaces. It has strong administration features and broad platform support, which can potentially reduce the TCO of a multiple-portal environment.