Breaking News - Operating Systems
& Middleware:
Apptix's New TECOS Software Drives
Grid Computing
To enable more companies to benefit from on-demand applications, Apptix
introduced its next-generation service management software -- TECOS 4.0. The
new software is part of the Apptix solution that makes it easier for service
providers and resellers to cost effectively deliver software as a service to a
wider range of customers.
Building on its track record of automation, scalability and security, TECOS
4.0 dramatically increases the flexibility that service providers and
customers have in deploying on-demand applications, in a wide array of
scenarios. Whether hosted in a service provider data center or deployed on the
customer's premises, TECOS 4.0 provides the same level of automated management
and increased efficiency that are required to reap the benefits of delivering
software as a service.
Leveraging Apptix's solution, service providers and customers can now use
TECOS to deploy and manage multiple applications, including Microsoft
Exchange, Windows SharePoint Services, Microsoft CRM and Microsoft Office
System. Through a standards-based application programming interface (API),
TECOS also enables service providers and customers to integrate and customize
additional applications or Web services with Microsoft .NET technologies.
TECOS hides the complex nature of delivering software as an on-demand
service
through full technology automation, standardization and self- provisioning.
This enables service providers and resellers to quickly and easily deploy and
manage outsourced value-added applications and desktop services on top of
their core services. With TECOS, service providers can track usage, automate
billing integration, and deliver innovative services, pricing and packaging to
their customers.
"TECOS 4.0 was a key factor in our selection of Apptix as our partner for
deploying our next-generation Microsoft Exchange-based service," said Martha
Gilbertson, vice president of e-enablement solutions at Digex. "The Apptix
solution will enable Digex to offer customers a feature-rich messaging service
in a variety of flexible packages. For Digex, it demonstrates the continuation
of our strategy to offer new solutions that help our customers offload
difficult IT functions, accomplish more with less, and gain cost advantages
through effective outsourcing."
According to Analyst Amy Levy at Summit Strategies, "Apptix's 4.0 release
of
TECOS enables customers to easily manage and provision multiple Microsoft
applications across different hosting environments. TECOS 4.0 is an efficient
management platform that can be adapted to meet a broad range of customer
requirements -- from serving up Windows SharePoint Services in a shared
environment to an enterprise deployment of Microsoft Exchange in multiple,
geographically dispersed dedicated environments."
Coupled with Apptix's jump-start marketing programs and support, TECOS
enables
service providers to have Microsoft Exchange 2000 and other applications up
and running in as little as 30 days. The TECOS software platform is
successfully used today by multiple Apptix partners, including HP, XO and
Digex.
TECOS is built on a data-driven meta-schema that extends the Microsoft
Provisioning System (MPS) to encompass the complete application delivery
lifecycle -- from service provisioning and order management through trouble-
ticketing and customer care. The flexible meta-schema of TECOS 4.0 can be
customized to support customers' unique requirements without code
modifications.
"Apptix is a leader in the evolution of the industry with its latest
release
of TECOS. The strong ties with the Microsoft Provisioning System make TECOS
4.0 uniquely versatile and flexible in supporting multiple Microsoft
applications across multiple environments," said Pascal Martin, General
Manager, Platform and Application Hosting at Microsoft Corp. "As Microsoft
continues to add MPS support for new applications, TECOS will be perfectly
positioned to manage and deliver these applications as a software-based
service through all of Apptix's channels and partners."
TECOS 4.0 is available as part of Apptix's on-demand solutions for service
providers. In addition, TECOS is available under license agreements where
service providers, resellers and large enterprises can now use TECOS 4.0
independent of other Apptix services.
"We've worked closely with Apptix to ensure an optimized TECOS 4.0 solution
based on the latest HP OpenView, Insight Manager and ProLiant Essentials
management technologies, providing significant additional value to our
customers," said Ron Eller, vice president, Solutions division, HP Industry
Standard Servers. "Through our collaborative efforts, our customers will be
able to quickly deploy and scale managed applications such as Exchange on
Demand in any combination of shared or dedicated environments across the
industry-standard HP ProLiant server line, including our ProLiant BL line of
blade servers."
"TECOS 4.0 extends Apptix's leadership by enabling customers to deploy
software as a service, efficiently and scalably," said Alex Hawkinson, Apptix
CEO. "With TECOS 4.0, Apptix is able to extend these benefits and meet the
needs of a wider range of customers by supporting multiple .NET applications
and Web services deployed across shared, dedicated, and customer premises
environments. Working closely with our partners, Apptix will continue to
innovate and lead the shift to on-demand computing."
About Apptix
Apptix is leading the shift to software on-demand with its service
management
software and solutions for the outsourced messaging and desktop services
market. Apptix provides its service provider and reseller partners with
software and turnkey solutions that include all the elements necessary for a
successful outsourced application offering. This includes the TECOS service
management software, a wide variety of ready-to-sell services, and a packaged
marketing and sales program to ensure a successful product launch. Apptix is a
Microsoft Gold Certified Partner for Hosting and Application Services and an
industry leader in delivering outsourced solutions to network service
providers. In 2002, the company was named by Microsoft as the Global Service
Provider of the Year for Hosting and Applications Services. Founded in 1997
and formerly a division of TeleComputing ASA, Apptix is one of the world's
most experienced application hosting companies. For more information about
Apptix, please visit www.apptix.com.
Apptix and TECOS are trademarks of Apptix. The names of actual companies
and
products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective
owners.
Tecos 4.0 Fact Sheet
Multiple Classes of Service -- From one integrated platform, providers can
cost-effectively deliver hosted applications to a small business of 50
employees as well as to a business of 5,000 users. Also, service providers can
deploy only those features or applications needed by different groups of users
within a company by creating and managing their own service plans and classes
of service.
Software Developers Kit (SDK) allows for fast deployment of custom modules
without impacting "core" software or database. Customizations can be applied
to individual customers/partners without impacting other
customers/partners.
Fully integrated with Microsoft Provisioning System (MPS) -- Microsoft's
investment in MPS has created a standardized "Element Management" layer for
configuring Microsoft-based service elements as part of service provisioning.
MPS provides a standard for service configuration that has not previously
existed, and the result is improved time-to-market for TECOS customers. TECOS
provides a service management solution layered on top of MPS that allows
providers to use TECOS as the sole service management solution for
applications.
Fully integrated with the Microsoft .NET Framework -- TECOS 4.0 is built
entirely on Microsoft .NET technologies, such as C#, ASP.NET, and ADO.NET.
This enables service providers to easily deliver and manage Microsoft
applications, such as the new Microsoft CRM solution. It facilitates a simpler
connection of disparate systems and enhances integration with external Web
services -- such as, in the case of Microsoft CRM, credit checking, analytics
and marketing automation services -- that extend the core functionality of
solutions.
Single Point of Management -- Through intuitive, Web-based management
portals,
both service providers and their customers can administer services, even
across multiple environments. With the TECOS 4.0 provisioning agent residing
in each environment and communicating to the TECOS core platform, services can
be managed securely from anywhere over the public network.
Integrated OSS/BSS Workflow -- TECOS delivers full back-office integration
with service providers' existing operations support systems and business
processes (OSS/BSS). Using SOAP and XML, TECOS provides Web services that
allow easy integration with service provider billing, order management and
customer care systems.
About TECOS
The TECOS software platform is partitioned in four functional components:
Web-
based management portals for streamlining provisioning and management
functions; Web-Services based interfaces to a service provider's back-office
systems, such as billing, trouble administration and performance management;
Business process rules that allow for automated provisioning and management of
services on specific software applications; and finally the TECOS meta-schema
that allows the platform to be quickly and easily extended to support new
software applications that a service provider wants to offer to its
customers.
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