In This Issue... Sybase Chases the Portal Wave

By now, almost all organizations have realized the value of doing business on the Internet and know they need to move their business to the Web as rapidly yet systematically as possible. Furthermore, regardless of whether a business is a "dot com" startup or a longstanding "brick and mortar" organization, the basic requirements for each are similar. Sybase Enterprise Portal initiative addresses these key requirements and allows companies to create e-Business solutions that work! If a site becomes popular, it may have thousands — millions — of users going to it, with little or no advance notice. This means all organizations moving to e-Business need the full enterprise capabilities that Sybase is known for, such as 24x7 availability, reliability and scalability.

Ultimately, the primary difference between a dot-com and a brick-and-mortar company in terms of development is that the former tends to require very little integration, because everything is new, whereas the latter have disparate applications and systems, developed over many years, which must be seamlessly integrated with their enterprise applications.

In response to these differing requirements, Sybase has established key initiatives to help companies in each category. For the more established "brick-and-mortar" companies, Sybase offers a solution — code-named project OpenDoor. For "dot coms," the SybaseStartup.com program is designed to help them quickly get their Web infrastructure up and running, in a manner that will robustly scale as their business grows.

Other relevant Sybase programs are designed to assist customers in-migrating to Enterprise Portals — for example, the Sybase e-Map to e-Business program. Starting with e-Map for PowerBuilder, this program is designed to help customers with investments in client/server applications quickly and easily integrate those applications into their e-Business infrastructure.

The rise of pervasive computing is another significant trend that is changing the nature of business. Mobile and embedded devices are already ubiquitous and their number is expected to multiply rapidly over the next few years. Sybase's e-Anywhere program will allow companies of all sizes and types to extend their applications to the pervasive devices employed by occasionally connected users ensuring access to e-Business computing anywhere, at any time.

In summary, studies show that software only accounts for 10% of the cost of a large e-Business project. Delivering superior technology is not enough. Our professional service consultants are experts at using information technology to solve e-Business problems. With over 1200 consultants worldwide, Sybase has the proven expertise to maximize your return on investment in information technology.

The attached GartnerGroup report goes into detail on how Sybase is gaining momentum by chasing the portal wave.

Source: Sybase

Sybase Web Letter is published by Sybase. Additional editorial material supplied by Gartner Group, Inc. © 1999. Editorial supplied by Sybase is independent of GartnerGroup analysis and in no way should this information be construed as a GartnerGroup endorsement of Sybase's products and services. Entire contents © 1999 by Gartner Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this publication in any form without prior written permission is forbidden. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. GartnerGroup disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of such information. GartnerGroup shall have no liability for errors, omissions or inadequacies in the information contained herein or for interpretations thereof. The reader assumes sole responsibility for the selection of these materials to achieve its intended results. The opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice.