webMethods B2B for R/3 Now Available, Integrates XML With SAP R/3; Enables "Inter-Enterprise" Application Integration and Streamlines Business Processes Between Supply Chain Partners

Business Wire, Oct 13, 1998

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 13, 1998--Gartner Symposium/ITxpo, Booth No. 4007 - webMethods, Inc., the leading provider of XML-based solutions for business-to-business e-commerce, today announced immediate availability of webMethods B2B for R/3(TM), an XML-based solution that facilitates inter-enterprise application integration between SAP R/3 and other ERP systems over the Internet. Using XML and standard Internet protocols, webMethods B2B for R/3 allows companies to integrate SAP's R/3 system with other information system networks of trading partners. Companies can now achieve faster, more cost-effective management of supply chain relationships by enabling bi-directional real-time access to and from R/3 and other applications over the Internet.

"The challenge to create effective inter-operation of diverse business systems -- internally or across the supply chain -- has been a holy grail of supply chain management for many years," said David Alschuler, Managing Director, E-Commerce, Enterprise Business Applications at Aberdeen Group. "This integration challenge is particularly daunting when the two systems are from different software vendors. For example, making an SAP R/3 Materials Management system talk directly to a supply partner's PeopleSoft Order Entry or Available-to-Promise system opens up significant opportunity to optimize MRP and DRP activities and to compress the time cycles which characterize that supply chain. webMethods B2B for R/3 provides an innovative and exceptionally promising technology which directly attacks this problem."

Prior to webMethods, companies had to deal with heterogeneous technology infrastructures to link their customers, partners and suppliers' systems and business processes with their own. webMethods B2B for R/3 overcomes this by providing an integrated solution that strengthens supply chain relationships based on open standards and communication protocols. Using webMethods B2B for R/3, companies can tightly integrate SAP R/3 with trading partners running ERP and legacy applications, including PeopleSoft, Baan and Oracle. Companies can also immediately connect their SAP R/3 applications to Web-hosted e-commerce systems without requiring any actions or changes to the supplier side.

"A successful business-to-business e-commerce strategy is dependent upon a company's ability to extend its ERP system to customers, suppliers and distributors," says Phillip Merrick, President and CEO of webMethods, Inc. "webMethods B2B for R/3 provides tight integration between disparate trading networks beyond the corporate firewall. As a result, companies can manage supply chain relationships over the Web and automate business processes such as vendor managed inventory, procurement and shipping and logistics."

Prior to general availability, webMethods B2B for R/3 was available in limited beta to select Global 2000 customers for applications such as supply chain integration, automated procurement, order processing and logistics support. Several FORTUNE 500 corporations have already developed and deployed applications with webMethods XML-based products exchanging mission critical business data and automating inter-enterprise transaction processes across the supply chain.

Enabling Inter-Enterprise Application Integration

webMethods B2B for R/3 is first to market with its ability to enable "inter-enterprise" application integration based on XML and standard Internet protocols. webMethods B2B for R/3 leverages the Internet as an integration platform and does not require that each business partner install and/or integrate additional software. Companies can extend integration beyond the corporate firewall and automate the process of exchanging information between ERP systems, legacy applications, databases and Web sites.

Existing application integration solutions merely focus on integrating various applications and networks within the enterprise. Corporations implementing inter-enterprise integration are facing issues concerning software or protocols that do not operate reliably through all corporate firewalls. webMethods B2B for R/3 links businesses with open standards like XML and provides a secure, transactional foundation for real-time communication among trading partners, allowing them to leverage their investments in existing e-commerce Web sites and ERP systems.

Connecting SAP R/3 to Web hosted E-Commerce Systems

webMethods B2B for R/3 allows a direct connection between SAP R/3 and E-Commerce Web sites, including financial and logistics processing sites. Based on the tight integration to SAP R/3 webMethods B2B for R/3 provides a rapid development environment to achieve the business benefits of automated supplier integration, which include cost efficiency and time to market.

Exposing ERP Services Using XML

webMethods B2B for R/3 uses XML as an open message format for inter-application communication, enabling direct integration with SAP R/3. All SAP functionality accessible via the SAP Business Application Programming Interfaces (BAPIs) can be made available to business partners over the Internet as secure XML services; server extensions map the BAPIs to and from XML document formats. A single SAP function call can instantly invoke application services published by the B2B Integration Server, which is bundled with webMethods B2B for R/3, which in turn can be mapped to other applications or to an XML or HTML Web site.