It would appear that some vendors are proceeding undaunted by the challenges of the web-app architecture. It's not clear at this stage how successful this will turn out to be, but we have at least one healthcare client who uses Lawson presently. I should have a ringside seat on how well this transition unfolds.
"...Earlier in March, at its user group conference in San Diego, Lawson Software unveiled plans to re-brand its products and make them available only from third-party Application Service Providers (ASPs). Lawson will re-brand its traditional suites as e-business engines, Self-Evident Applications (SEAs), and extensions under the name 'lawson.insight'.
"Unlike our competitors, part of Lawson's plan is to drop its shrink-wrap software business altogether in favor of the hosted application model", said Paul Mockenhaupt, Lawson's vice president of Microsoft Business Practice. "Although Lawson will continue supporting existing client-server based customers, traditional Win32 applications will no longer be available by the end of the year", said Mockenhaupt. "There will be no more going to 2000 clients at a company's site and installing the software on each machine," he said.
Lawson will roll out a web-based interface for its enterprise software called eConsul, Mockenhaupt also said, and its ERP packages will be hosted by ASPs including USinternetworking Inc., Annapolis, Md. The move will give Lawson's channel partners new opportunities in a variety of vertical industries that will need customized solutions. The company has already started training channel partners to take advantage of new software models. "
TechnologyEvaluation.com May 18, 20000
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