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Dear [[-FullName-]],
Welcome to Linc-in-Sync, the quarterly information update from LINC SOFTWARE. From a broad perspective, the mood seems to be picking up... IT investments are convincingly moving northwards, especially in the Enterprise sector. It may take some more time for clear pattern to emerge, though.
Talking about patterns, we have an insightful article on how identifying patterns in Enterprise integration can help architects and developers to design and implement solutions rapidly.
This issue is themed on LINC SOFTWARE's competencies in LANSA technologies. You'll also get an idea of how LINC fits in the overall Enterprise solutions scenario.
We look forward to your feedback. If you have any enquiries or suggestions, write to us at team@lincsoftware.soft.net.
Regards, Linc-in-Sync team
| Integration: the learned approach |
When Simple Won't Do
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Application integration is difficult and complex, typically requiring in-depth requirements gathering and a group of complex technologies applied in specific ways to create the proper solution.
However, many people still hope to find that magic bullet that will meet all their application integration needs, forcing a single solution pattern, technology, or enabling standard as a cure-all.
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One can make better sense of your requirements by understanding the common integration patterns or approaches that are applicable. This article suggests the method to break these patterns into basic categories: information-oriented, service-oriented, and process-oriented integration, as well as hybrids leveraging two or more approaches.
Read the full article | David S. Linthicum from Intelligent Enterprise
| Pattern Study: a novel solution |
Enterprise Integration Patterns: Accepted solutions to recurring problems
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Patterns are a useful way to convey experience that usually only lives in architects' heads. Patterns are accepted solutions to recurring problems within a given context. They are abstract enough to apply to most integration technologies, but specific enough to provide hands-on guidance to designers and architects.
This book excerpt presents a coherent collection of relevant patterns that form an integration pattern language.
| By Gregor Hohpe & Bobby Woolf from Enterprise Integration Patterns
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| The Client: |  |
Issues and challenges
Alba had certain specific needs and the products available didn't address these - some of them critical - processes and business needs. Over the years, extensive customisation had been carried out on the existing RPG system to meet the growing requirements - add on modules, interfaces, new modules and user interfaces have been developed around the application.
Solution
Electrical and electronic goods trader Alba has outsourced part of its software development requirements to Bangalore-based LINC SOFTWARE.
LINC specializes in fixed priced development projects, ongoing support and maintenance services to customers across the world, handling projects of all sizes from global to local.
With offices and subsidiaries across Europe and Asia, Alba's products are sold to distributors, who, in turn, sell to the dealer and retail network. Alba was unable to find an off-the-shelf software package that fully matched its business needs.
LINC has developed and integrated a number of systems for Alba, including a web portal providing online shipment tracking, invoice tracking and real-time order information for customers, and a web-enabled transport and logistics system.
LINC also carries out software maintenance work for Alba. The necessary 'fixes' are communicated to LINC via a Virtual Private Network, and are generally up and running by the next workday morning.
Apart from its low costs, LINC offered scarce skills in the LANSA development environment that Alba uses.
The project is managed without face-to-face contact or the presence of onsite coordinators. "To be sure, there was a learning curve, in that we had to devise templates," explains LINC SOFTWARE director Rajan Narayanan.
"All that the customer was required to do was to plug in his requirements, send them across to us and after a quick briefing at our end to the team, it would be farmed out to the various members and executed well within the time-frames. And all without the need for extensive conference calls and the typical flurry of e-mails with queries and clarifications going back and forth."
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LANSA is a development environment and suite of e-business solutions that organizations use to rapidly implement business systems that make effective use of new technologies.
LANSA has evolved into a powerful family of products and solutions that support IBM iSeries (AS/400), Windows, UNIX and Linux platforms. It's four main business solution offerings are:
Application Development
e-Business Solutions
Technology Integration
Data Access
LANSA supports 6500 customers in more than 67 countries and over 300 Business Partners worldwide.
For more information on LANSA, click here.
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| LANSA Practice at LINC SOFTWARE |
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LINC SOFTWARE is LANSA's exclusive distributor in India for over 10 years, and was the recipient of the 'LANSA Business Partner of the Year' (for Asia Pacific, excluding Japan) 2002.
LINC SOFTWARE has enabled premier corporates in India to build and adapt mission critical business applications using the LANSA family of products and tools. This includes host-based iSeries systems, client/server, data warehousing and Internet applications. The partial list of clients include:
Philips
Clariant
TATA AIG
Johnson & Johnson
Infosys
Alfa Laval
BILT
LANSA consultants at LINC are specialised in areas of systems integration, project management, application development, data & process modelling, programming and education.
Some of LINC's success stories with LANSA are:
Merchants Insurance Group, USA
Insurance portal for self-service and agents
A web-based claims, policy, billing inquiry and commercial lines policy quoting solution using LANSA for the Web.
Rent-A-Wreck, USA
Car rental and maintenance application
A B2B & B2C site for car rentals. Allows visitors to search for the closest rental location, reserve a rental vehicle or submit an enquiry to a particular location with specific questions on pricing and model availability. Allows customisation.
Jotun Powder Coatings, Norway
Web front-end & integration to BPCS
Customised LANSA SMARTweb and built a web portal over their BPCS ERP to enable customers and internal users conduct tasks such as Sales Order Entry & Enquiry, Item Availability, Price checks, Accounts Enquiry, Invoice Aging Reports over the web.
QUOTED
"LINC SOFTWARE's level of commitment and determination resulted in strong sales and the well deserved title of LANSA Business Partner of the Year for 2002."
Paul Gandell
General Manager, LANSA Asia Pacific
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