Category Archives: Enterprise software

Run Act! CRM on Mac with Parallels Desktop

Here at Parallels, we love hearing from our incredible users about how Parallels® Desktop for Mac empowers their productivity at work. Business owners deserve to run the software they need on the devices they have. Whether our users are small independent businesses or large enterprise corporations, customer relationship management (CRM) software is a vital tool […]

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SpringBoard V5.5 Makes the Cloud More Efficient for Project Managers

LoadSpring Solutions, a provider of Project Management (PM) hosting and software, is introducing a new version of their SpringBoard cloud portal.

SpringBoard is a user-friendly control console that enables easy access to PM software and information that is hosted within LoadSpring’s cloud infrastructure. It connects project teams through any computer or mobile device worldwide.

The new SpringBoard 5.5 retains the same familiar look and feel as previous versions, but with improved tools and features that afford more functionality, speed and efficiency.

Launched on July 9th, these improvements will deliver broader enterprise access and greater data control, while helping users get more done in less time and with less effort.

According to Eric Leighton, LoadSpring’s founder and CEO, “Our enhanced control console will serve as a gateway to software resources and core LoadSpring services,” adding that, “The new features will further allow our enterprise-level customers to be more productive and efficient. SpringBoard 5.5 will even link users to our new LoadSpring Academy, transforming the way people are trained to maximize their use of new software.”

The upgraded portal is part of LoadSpring’s continuing pursuit of refinements that improve the customer experience and help them realize a quicker return on investment faster.

SpringBoard 5.5 is based on strengths that users value most in previous versions, such as:

  • Easy application and data access, anywhere, on any device
  • Software deployment in days, not weeks or months
  • Simple user scaling, both up and down
  • Fast global application upgrades and version changes
  • Safe, effortless migration of large amounts of data
  • Trouble-free, corporate-wide ID management
  • Disaster recovery with more Data Rescue options than ever
  • Enterprise-level security, support and service

 


Appcara Debuts Its AppStack Release 2 Platform, A Dynamic Application Layer Above the Cloud

Appcara, maker of cloud application lifecycle solutions, announced a major new version of its AppStack application and portability platform that helps enterprises and service providers accelerate complex applications into the cloud and deliver new application-based revenue sources. Incorporating a real time Dynamic Application Environment layer that eliminates the need for server templates or scripting, AppStack Release 2 changes the rules of cloud computing. With AppStack 2, enterprises and service providers gain exceptionally fast time-to-market for key business applications – maximizing time, knowledge and profitability.

While cloud deployments are common for simple web apps, the $385 billion enterprise application market remains the province of on-premises data centers, in large part because IT staffs lack the tools required to truly govern VMware, Citrix, or other private and hybrid applications running on Amazon Web Services, Citrix CloudStack or VMware vCloud. While cloud app management solutions exist, they require deep technical knowledge of application stacks, and a lot of manual, error-prone effort to use.

AppStack provides an advanced application layer above public and private clouds – to capture application components, configurations and dependencies in real-time in the industry’s only dynamic Configuration Repository – thereby automating all aspects of the application lifecycle. By decoupling apps from low-level dependencies such as operating systems and machine images into its uniquely visual, intuitive, real time environment, AppStack 2 enables total application portability, even across different public clouds – for instance, from Amazon to Rackspace – as well as from public to private clouds. AppStack allows cloud computing to expand beyond simple, predefined workloads, and into the realm of serious enterprise applications – with a single pane of glass management interface, and eliminating vendor lock-in.

“For a long time enterprises have been seeking to leverage cloud environments for more complex business applications and take advantage of the flexibility, faster time to market and markedly lower cost structures delivered by the cloud. AppStack’s ability to capture and assemble these application graphically, in real-time, is something that’s businesses can truly leverage for improved efficiency and faster time to market,” said William Fellows, analyst at 451 Research.

A major new capability in AppStack 2 is the App Marketplace functionality that connects application publishers and consumers and provides a platform to enable usage-based applications, so that:

  • Corporations have immediate access to business applications, enabling
    them to integrate applications without the need to purchase, install &
    configure apps as with packaged software.
  • ISV’s can readily publish business applications for usage-based
    consumption
  • Distributors can resell applications in a usage-based model in the
    cloud, and to move away from traditional box-based software sales.

“Many of our clients come from the Life Sciences industry where they have very sophisticated, mission critical applications running on their servers. Making a move to the cloud wasn’t an option worth considering until the AppStack solution came along,” said Tim Caulfield, chief executive officer at American Internet Services (AIS). “The idea that AppStack can do the heavy lifting on the back-end and provide the user with a very clean, single-pane-of-glass interface, is quite appealing and fits nicely with our BusinessCloud1 offering.”

AppStack 2 builds upon existing AppStack patent-pending components that have been in use by service providers and enterprise customers, including:

  • Dynamic Application Engine – which
    captures user-defined app environments, settings and relationships in
    real-time, construct data models and insert into Configuration
    Repository. It automates provisioning, lifecycle management, and
    portability.
  • Configuration Repository – which stores
    application settings, dependencies and change records for all
    application workloads. This enables speedy provisioning of application
    workloads as well as the ability to de-couple lower level components
    such as operating systems for portability across cloud vendors.
  • Cloud Target Optimizer – which maps
    provisioning elements and instructions to vendor specific API’s and
    available capabilities.

“Enterprises need to get critical apps to market with the least effort and cost possible, and the solutions on the market today help with only simple, static environments,” said John Yung, founder and CEO of Appcara. “AppStack keeps it simple, fast, and visual to deploy and manage even complex applications in the cloud, so customers and service providers can lower their IT costs – even with enterprise applications – and focus on scaling their business.”

AppStack Release 2 will ship in July 2012. Appcara is showcasing its latest version of AppStack at Cloud Computing Expo New York, in its booth #257.


New Release of Mendix App Platform Brings Mobile to the Enterprise

Mendix, the app platform company for the enterprise, announced today the availability of the Spring 2012 release of its App Platform, further extending its capabilities, and advancing the way companies build, integrate and deploy web and mobile enterprise apps.

“Our goal with this release was to further advance the state of the market with the most socially collaborative and productive app platform that truly empowers the mobile enterprise user,” said Derek Roos, CEO of Mendix. “We wanted to enable companies to build, integrate and deploy enterprise scale apps faster and easier than ever, regardless of device.”

With this new release companies are able to more quickly and efficiently launch mobile enterprise apps and take advantage of the newly updated app platform that now combines visual business modeling, social productivity, enterprise integration, an app store, and secure cloud deployment. This helps organizations build apps with less effort, automate inefficient processes, and extend existing systems with new apps, while accelerating time-to-market and reducing traditional IT costs.

Rob Boomsma, Division Manager at Capgemini, participated in the beta program of this release and noted: “Mendix set the bar higher yet again with this release and has delivered highly productive social collaboration, mobile and enterprise integration features. I couldn’t believe how easy it now is with the Mendix App Platform to extend an existing system with a mobile app. This is IT and business innovation at its best, providing immediate value to any company.”

The Spring 2012 Release Highlights:

  • Enterprise Mobile – Companies are now
    able to quickly and efficiently launch mobile enterprise apps
    providing the best experience for their users while ensuring the
    necessary back-end system and process integration.
  • One Complete App Platform for the Enterprise
    – This release brings together all app platform components under one
    roof and user interface. As a result, companies are able to seamlessly
    plan projects, design and build apps, collaborate, integrate with
    existing systems and instantly deploy them in the cloud.
  • Enterprise Integration and App Mash-Up –
    Companies now have additional integration options and can quickly
    incorporate other enterprise applications via Enterprise Mash-Ups.
    This results in improved performance and simplifies integration with
    external systems.
  • Social Productivity – The Mendix App
    Platform now includes built-in social collaboration features such as
    activity streams, online chat, groups, and project planning that make
    it easier to fully engage all stakeholders throughout an app
    development project. This produces better results and happier users as
    it includes stakeholders from the IT and business side but also
    captures feedback from end users. Users are now more than consumers of
    an application, they are part of the project team and an integral part
    of a successful project.