Swedish midmarket enterprise resource planning software
maker Intentia International is to standardise its offerings around
IBM's middleware software.
Intentia will integrate its Java-based Movex applications
applications with IBM's WebSphere Application Server, WebSphere
Portal Express and DB2 Universal Database. Both companies will
market Intentia's applications, which Intentia will encourage its
customers to run on IBM hardware.
The arrangement deepens an existing alliance between the two
companies, and echoes a deal IBM struck last year with JD Edwards,
which also chose to incorporate IBM's middleware technology into
its own software stack as the foundation for its applications.
IBM's deal with Intentia comes as it campaigns for deeper
relationships with its application-developer partners, particularly
those targeting the midmarket.
"The majority of independent software vendors will, over the
next few years, make a decision about what infrastructure to
choose," said Scott Hebner, IBM's vice president of strategy and
marketing for developer relations.
"We're targeting several hundred top ISVs to encourage a
commitment to IBM's infrastructure. We want them to lead with IBM
for a majority of their business."
Stacy Cowley writes for IDG News Service
