Portal allows role-based access to IT systems

A server framework for self-guided, role-based access to integrated enterprise software satisfies the increased need for collaboration among consumers, suppliers, partners and employees.

Epicor Software Corporation, a leading provider of integrated enterprise software solutions for midmarket companies, today announced the availability of Epicor Portal, a server framework for self-guided, role-based access to Epicor applications that enables cross-enterprise collaboration, intuitive interfaces and an enhanced end-user experience.

Epicor Portal satisfies the increased need for collaboration among consumers, suppliers, partners and employees, while delivering better management of distributed information from a central, secure point of access.

* Introducing a truly collaborative portal environment - by utilizing Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services and Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003, Epicor Portal incorporates real-time collaborative capabilities for multiple audiences with workspaces that combine documents, business data queries, announcements, tasks, and more.

Epicor Portal can be used by departments, teams, or act as a means of communication for the entire organization to share information and drive productivity.

Collaboration can extend to customers, suppliers and the broader supply chain to increase communication, deliver far reaching visibility into shared processes, and support greater business transparency.

Epicor customer Kaleidescape, a privately held company founded in 2001 to offer home theater owners and content collectors a new home entertainment experience throughout the home with a combination of proprietary patent-pending hardware, software and services, is an early adopter of Epicor Portal and plans to use the solution in conjunction with the Epicor Vantage manufacturing solution.

Through Epicor Portal, Kaleidescape aims to provide its managers with key operational metrics on a real-time basis and eliminate the need for IT to gather the information and prepare reports.

"Epicor Portal will empower our managers to get business-critical information on their own so that they can make informed decisions based on hard data," said John Sykes, director, IT at Kaleidescape.

"Furthermore, Epicor's use of SharePoint technologies will allow us to rapidly implement Epicor Portal and enable our users to immediately leverage this solution using tools and technologies that are already familiar to them." In addition to enabling swift information exchange for employees, customers and suppliers, Epicor Portal Server combines rich functionality with an optimal out-of-the-box experience.

Epicor Portal installs quickly, and immediately end-users can begin creating their own personal view of the business through a simple step-by-step wizard process, accessing the information that is meaningful to them without needing to know where or how the data is formed.

Information is accessed through a functional site complete with search, topics, news, document management, and more.

Epicor Portal includes automatic integration with Microsoft Office 2003 for further cohesion to the information workers' existing business environment.

Creating an industry-specific portal - secure portal access to information across Epicor applications along with data discovery and data visualization via Epicor Portal is the first deliverable in Epicor's new portal offering.

User, role and industry-specific content packs, currently in development, differentiate Epicor Portal by encapsulating business processes, workflow, alerting and transactions into specialized Web parts making Epicor Portal an extension of the application.

"Current portal technology is helping midsized businesses shift their attention from internal access to content to externally connected processes and externally available business application functionality," said James Norwood, vice president of product marketing for Epicor.

"By providing a secure and collaborative environment, coupled with a rich user experience, Epicor Portal provides an ideal resource for connecting information workers within internal departments and across wider supply-chains, by empowering them to easily author content and access information that is the most meaningful to them." * Leveraging industry-leading technologies - as announced earlier this year (see 'Epicor and Microsoft Announce Portal Strategy', August 15, 2005), Epicor Portal delivers data exploration and collaboration using Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies.

The leading portal infrastructure with nearly 40 million seats sold to date, Microsoft SharePoint offers rapid deployment, can be implemented with limited or no support, and presents a competitive price point, all critical features for midmarket companies.

* Availability - available immediately, Epicor Portal Server is the first Epicor solution that will be leveraged across all Epicor product families - Enterprise, Manufacturing, and iScala.

This joining of Epicor's product families via the new portal solution demonstrates Epicor's continued commitment to support and enhance existing products, while leveraging opportunities for providing standard infrastructures and features.

* About Epicor Software Corporation - for 20 years, Epicor has been a recognized leader dedicated to providing integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM) software solutions to midmarket companies around the world.

With the acquisition of Scala, Epicor is a global leader in the midmarket serving over 20,000 customers in over 140 countries.

Epicor leverages innovative technologies like Web services in developing end-to-end, industry-specific solutions for manufacturing, distribution, services, and hospitality that enable companies to immediately drive efficiency throughout business operations and build competitive advantage.

With the scalability and flexibility to support long-term growth, Epicor's solutions are complemented by a full range of services, providing a single point of accountability to promote rapid return on investment and low total cost of ownership.

Epicor's worldwide headquarters are located in Irvine, California, USA, with offices and affiliates around the world.

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