By ADAM GIFFORD
The Telecom-EDS-Microsoft "esolutions" alliance was finally unveiled yesterday in a grand presentation a bit like a political rally.
There was a lot of talk about "a vision where we expect to revolutionise the capabilities of New Zealand businesses" and video contributions from the chairmen of the three organisations - Microsoft's Bill Gates, Telecom's Roderick Deane and Dick Brown from EDS - but in the end promises were for products just around the corner.
Esolutions general manager Jane Freeman said the ASB Bank would pilot one of those products, the Microsoft Office suite of applications delivered over the internet using Microsoft's Terminal Server technology.
The product, called eOffice, will allow firms to rent applications such as Office or get esolutions to house their own software applications.
Microsoft NZ chief executive Geoff Lawrie said rentals still had to be decided. Esolutions is one of 12 companies globally with permission to offer Office for rent.
Esolutions has set up a data centre at Telecom's Mayoral Drive facility to serve as a physically and virtually safe online communications platform to host applications.
It promises that safecom's security framework will provide confidentiality of information transfer, prevent malicious hacker and virus attacks and provide enhanced communications capability.
The alliance will offer a suite of products Ms Freeman called Assured Communication offering network-level security.
Esolutions is developing the system for the Health Information Service's health intranet, which will give authorised health professionals access to patient records online.
Another suite of products on offer is the esolutions Business Exchange, an online marketplace or procurement facility. It is working with Air New Zealand to develop a site that will allow the airline to sell travel directly to large customers.
While that site uses software developed in-house by Air New Zealand, esolutions has rights to technology from Ariba, a major innovator in online procurement, which will be used to develop other procurement sites and online trading communities.
Taking procurement online will supposedly lower transaction costs and provide opportunities to rationalise the supply chain.
Because AAPT has also licensed the Ariba software, Business Exchanges can be created on both sides of the Tasman.
The Business Builder application, which has been offered by Telecom's Xtra division as a way to create e-commerce storefronts on the web, has been brought under the esolutions umbrella.
Under the alliance model, esolutions is staffed by people from the three companies, Telecom, EDS and Microsoft.
According to Ms Freeman, part of its power is that it is a non-exclusive arrangement, meaning customers can choose to work with other vendors of system integrators if they desire.
Telecom chief executive Theresa Gattung said the alliance spanned the market.
"EDS' skills globally are very much at the corporate end. Telecom does not have the expertise to become a systems integrator, nor does it want to.
"Microsoft's capability and focus is very much at the small and middle business market, so with Telecom across the board, EDS at the top end and Microsoft at the small and middle business, we see opportunities at the top end with customised solutions and with packages for the smaller business market."
The alliance partners said revenues would be shared among the companies according to their contributions, but refused to make any income projections.
Esolutions' big three pledge data security
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