Lawson Software recently announced Lawson Release 9, which includes Lawson's new technology layer, enhanced business applications, strengthened business intelligence capabilities and enhanced business process management tools optimized on IBM's WebSphere, DB2 Universal Database and Tivoli software. Lawson Release 9 lays the Foundation for a service-oriented architecture (SOA) and prepares customers for Lawson's next-generation Landmark applications.

Lawson Release 9 is designed in response to customer and marketplace demands for less complexity. The release will unite a number of Lawson applications, technology and tools under one version number, simplifying purchasing pricing, packaging, maintenance contracts and support for customers.

This release also represents the fulfillment of Lawson's commitment to deliver its portfolio of business applications on IBM's marketplace-leading application deployment software and other IBM middleware; the commitment was announced last May during Lawson's CUE user conference.

"Buyers of enterprise software don't have to wait until 2008 or 2010 to start realizing the benefits of next-generation business applications and don't have to mortgage their organization's future to get them," said Dean Hager, Lawson executive vice president and chief product officer. "Less than 10 months after announcing our Landmark and IBM partnership plans, we're delivering real value - not hype - at a lower total cost of ownership for our customers."

"Lawson has delivered an impressive package to the market, giving customers like us a clear path to an SOA future," said Sonia Burgin, Project Manager for Buncombe County, NC, an early adopter of Lawson Release 9. "Lawson Release 9 helps us reduce IT complexity while giving us the flexibility we need to rapidly respond to changing needs."

World-Class Technology Provides SOA Foundation.

Path to SOA-Based Applications

Lawson Release 9 prepares customers for next-generation Landmark applications, which are designed to deploy in an SOA. The company has identified a four-step path toward SOA-based Landmark applications for its customers.

The first step is implementation of Lawson System Foundation Suite 9, which provides customers with Lawson's supporting technology foundation including IBM's middleware platform for SOA. Step two is implementing Lawson 9 Business Management Solutions as they become available. Step three is adding new Landmark-based application extensions as they become available. The first Landmark-based product is expected in the first half of 2006. The fourth and final step will be the ultimate conversion of customers' current Lawson business applications to Landmark-based applications as they become available.

Source: 1

Prashanth Rai

Tag(s):ERP, SOA, Lawson, IBM