HITACHI : News Release : 2/2

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February 2, 2000

Reinforced Web workflow facilities of Groupmax Enterprise Version 5
- Support of the Digital Dashboard for improving operability -

To improve workflow operability in a Web environment, we have added the Digital Dashboard¹ support facility to the integrated groupware Groupmax Enterprise Version 5. On the market since February 4, this product has the application linkage facility reinforced with XML (eXtensible Markup Language) and supports i-mode linkage for mail and schedulers.

In recent years, companies are urgently trying to effectively use information resources, make business management more efficient and improve productivity. To accomplish this, companies need to flexibly connect their existing systems to SFA, ERP, SCM and other applications to link with communication systems including groupware. Workflow technology is attracting attention for linking multiple systems in a company or across companies. The demand is rapidly growing for a workflow solution that adopts the Web and XML technologies for use in the Internet environment.

Since 1994, we have sold Groupmax as software for promoting Business Process Reengineering (BPR). Our robust system configurations including workflows are given good evaluations and over 2,000 companies are using Groupmax. Also, Hitachi, in partnership with Microsoft Corporation and other corporations is promoting development and marketing of company-targeted open solutions featuring workflow products.

The newly released lineup of Groupmax Enterprise Version 5 includes Groupmax Web Workflow Set Version 5 for Digital Dashboard. This workflow set supports the Digital Dashboard of Outlook 2000, which integrates the business applications of a company. With the new version of Groupmax, you can integrate a workflow window and business application window on the Digital Dashboard and perform multiple tasks in a unified Web environment. This vastly improves the efficiency of your work.
The need for using XML for data exchange among applications is increasing in the Internet environment. In response to this need, Groupmax Data Access Library Version 5 for XML can now convert workflow data to XML and save it on existing databases such as HiRDB. In addition, Groupmax provides for the conventional inter-workflow data exchange using XML. This lets you easily extend your application system because you can link business applications that use existing databases with the workflow in a seamless manner without changing the applications. In addition, the new lineup includes Groupmax Mobile Option Version 5 for i-mode, which is a new product for i-mode linkage to reinforce mobile uses. This lets you use e-mail and schedulers from cellular phones supporting i-mode.

We have the following plans for the future:

To add Windows 2000 to the platforms for Groupmax at the end of March.
To provide better workflow solutions including General Affairs Workflow for Groupmax, which supports jobs for making applications related to General Affairs
To reinforce support for mobile environments by supporting the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)²

1:: Mechanism for providing information needed to perform tasks, and providing an interface for operation on Microsoft Outlook 2000
2:: Name of the communication protocol for using the Internet from small mobile terminals for wireless communication, such as cellular phones

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E-mail:WWW-mk@soft.hitachi.co.jp