Core Technology Deploys ERP System in Record Time; Systems Integrator First to Run Oracle's Business OnLine on a VPN

Business Wire, April 16, 1999

LOS GATOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 16, 1999--

Core Technology Group is a firm with a growing list of firsts. Last month, the California based systems integrator became the first firm to use a Virtual Private Network to support Oracle Corp.'s Business OnLine (BOL), a new hosted offering from the software supplier. Under BOL, Oracle personnel maintain a customer's daily business applications and associated hardware at the company's data center.

Core, which has 125 employees, made the change because its previous financial applications, which ran on Windows NT servers, were not well integrated and supported only rudimentary functions. The company works with multiple clients and wanted to examine financial information by project - a feature the previous system lacked.

Oracle applications were selected because they offer a great deal of flexibility and users could easily generate a variety of reports. The firm was interested in BOL because it eliminated the need to hire a database administrator to set up the database and a systems administrator to insure that the application server was operating. By handing those chores over to Oracle, Core cut its IT expenses by $15,000 and $20,000 per month.

With sensitive financial information flowing to Oracle, Core had to be sure security checks were in place. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection enabled the systems integrator to take advantage of the Internet's flexibility and ubiquity by encrypting information as it moves from place to place.

The decision to install the new system was made in March, and the systems integrator had the new system running the first week of April - a record implementation. "We were doing rapid implementations before the term became fashionable, but this one had to have set a new record," said Don Gootee, one of Core's co-founders. Because the Oracle applications (accounts payable, cash management, and general ledger) were full featured, the systems integrator's implementation required no customization.

Core's reliance on Oracle software will increase in the future. By July, the company plans to replace existing accounts receivable, project billing, project costing and possibly fixed assets applications with those from Oracle. "Because Oracle only charges a set fee for each user working with an application, we can easily expand our use of its applications," said Gootee.

Established in 1985, Core Technology Group specializes in bringing eSolutions utilizing foundation and web technologies to major companies with both local and global operations. Core has recently performed implementations at companies, such as Plantronics, Specialized Bike, Onsale, VISA, Aurora Biosciences, Cisco Systems, and Novell. Core's dedicated team of professionals has compiled a superior track record of quality service, timely responsiveness and teamwork for hundreds of customers.

For further information about Core Technology Group, please visit the web site at www.coretec.com or call 888-999-CORE.