Domino & WebSphere: Solutions at Work
This is the second of a three-part series on WebSphere, the Web
application server at the core of IBM's e-business strategy. Today we look at
some companies who have enhanced or just begun their own e-marketplace strategies with WebSphere.
The case studies outlined below are of companies who have marshalled their
B2B, B2C and intranet forces by implementing and deploying WebSphere, Domino
and a host of other technologies. They've been able to leverage their existing
legacy data - perhaps a subscriber database, a collection of vendor catalogs or
a help desk - and push it out into the e-marketplace.
Whether you're an existing Web site that needs more e- commerce muscle or
one who chose to wait for the dot-com smoke to clear before entering the fray,
the Web application server market is crowded with players, and it can be
daunting. Major players such as Sun Microsystems, Microsoft, Silverstream and
BroadVision, to name a few, all have e-commerce solutions to offer as well.
WebSphere may not be the answer for every Domino installation's e-commerce
needs. Notes.net recently published an article entitled "Anatomy of a
Domino e- commerce Web site" that should be required reading for all. Part
1 of this three-part series can be viewed at: www.notes.net/today.nsf/lookup/e-commerce_1.
Whether you go with IBM or another company, solutions for sites needing to
meld legacy data and high-volume transational processing with a 24x7 presence
are rarely cheap. Flashline.com (www.flashline.com/components/appservermatrix.jsp) publishes
an up-to-date "matrix" of application server providers with product
specs and pricing. Also, UpsideToday's July, 2000 article, "Competitors
Stack Up in Web Application Server Market," provides a good overview at www.upside.com/texis/mvm/story?id=3958f7c90.
That being said, a WebSphere/Domino solution has provided the answer for
many companies. A global community -- from banking, retail, insurance,
government and educational sectors - born of WebSphere is emerging. You may
find mirrored in the case studies below the needs that your own company is
struggling with or get started thinking about how to make your existing Web
site into something bigger and better.
WEBSPHERE/DOMINO CASE STUDIES
Goodyear North American Tire
IBM Net.Commerce and a Domino publishing system serve as the backbone of
Goodyear's order-management platform for its dealers. This has reduced costs,
made improvements across the supply chain and given dealers more flexibility
with inventory management.
SciQuest.com, Inc.
SciQuest created its e-solution for customer procurement of laboratory supplies
and equipment with the IBM WebSphere Commerce Suite and DB2 Universal Database
for AIX. Consolidating information on more than one million items and hundreds
of vendors and storing it in DB2 eased its customers' procurement procedures
and cut transaction times. Recently the company launched an online auction
powered by Domino and Notes for those looking for used and refurbished lab
equipment.
e-Business Exchange Pte. Ltd.
e-Business Exchange's flagship e-BX, a suite of online billing and payment
systems, handles invoices, receives payments and creates B2B catalog purchasing
and intra-organization workflow applications. A fascinating glimpse at how
things initially got off the ground with CEO Chan Hong Saik wanting to
transition his traditional printing firm, based in Penang, Malaysia, from hard
copy to electronic billing in order to reduce costs. This case study is touted
as using the largest mix of IBM and Lotus software in a single integrated
solution.
Warrantynet.com
Over 1,000 sellers and service providers can manage and analyze their
warranty and service contracts through WarrantyNet, a Web-based service powered
by IBM's WebSphere Application Server, Advanced Edition and Lotus Domino.
Subscription.com
Subscription.com, operates a subscription-management service so companies
can spend more time drumming up sales than the time consuming but important
order processing and fulfillment tasks. Subscribers get to view subscription
offerings, and publishers and information providers get exposure to the
subscriber base. Giving publishers and providers access to its Web-based
subscription application without them undertaking the costs of developing and
maintaining the applications, lowers the publisher's subscription management
costs as well.
Farm Credit Services
With less and less of the countryside to go around these days Farm Credit
Services, knew it had to have a solid model to keep the agricultural community
coming to it for its borrowing and financial needs instead of a larger, more
well-known financial institution. Domino is a key component of the FCS solution
and its customers are able to access a custom call-center built around Lotus
Domino.
National Chengchi University
National Chengchi University in Taiwan has launched 100 online classes since
starting its distance-learning push two years ago and created an environment
that can handle 20,000 transactions per hour during busy registration periods.
The virtual environment hinges on two applications. The first is creating
in-house courses with Lotus' LearningSpace that runs on Domino, and the second
is implementing the courses easily on the Web with an application built around
IBM's VisualAge for Java and IBM WebSphere Application Server, Standard
Edition.
Electrolux
Electrolux needed to involve its hundreds of supply chain partners earlier
in early stages of its manufacturing process. WebSphere was tapped to handle
the voluminous data, the rapid access, and transaction volume while Domino was
used to handle the workflow.
ADDITIONAL LINKS
IBM e-business case studies
IBM e-business Home Page
IBM WebSphere case studies
Domino & WebSphere Together (Redbook)
