Newest Oracle Release To Focus On Vertical Markets

The new version of Oracle's E-Business Suite, available later this summer, will have a greater vertical focus. Speaking at an Analyst Day event last week, Oracle's executive vice president for application development Ron Wohl outlined industry-specific features in E-Business Suite 11i.10, due out by the end of this summer.

In addition to new applications tailored to the health care industry, Oracle E-Business Suite 11i.10 will include features specific to the aerospace, utilities and manufacturing industries. New modules will include procurement management functions, supply chain planning and transportation management software and support for RFID. With additional applications slated for a December release, companies will be able to manage complex pricing and create contracts.

The new functionality will not add up to greater complexity, however, as Oracle has gone to great pains to simplify its interface while increasing the amount of data available to users. Though E-Business Suite 11i.10 provides six new dashboards and has almost doubled the number of reports, the new interface will be able to present all of this data on fewer screens.

In a similar vein, Oracle plans upgrades to its CRM and business intelligence software later this year. These will provide more focused actionable competitive and customer interaction information.

In tandem with the software announcements, Oracle introduced its Supplier Network. This free service will allow Oracle E-Business Suite users to trade procurement information.