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Vows to cut installation, integration and upgrade costs, but reveals few specifics
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PeopleSoft says it will port all of its software to Linux. Page 55
PeopleSoft Inc. last week outlined an initiative to reduce the cost of installing its business applications, simplify the process of integrating them with other systems and streamline user upgrades of the software.
At PeopleSoft's 2003 Leadership Summit conference here, the company said the plan also includes the development of technologies designed to further automate its software support operations and improve application quality and usability.
Craig Conway, People- Soft's president and CEO, said in his keynote speech that the Pleasanton, Calif.-- based software vendor plans to spend "hundreds of millions of dollars" on the effort over the next few years. Application projects and other IT operations remain too "people-intensive," he added.
PeopleSoft executives didn't disclose much in the way of specific product plans.
But their vow to make application maintenance and upgrades less of a chore struck a chord with Vicki Silvera, director of information systems at Vail Resorts Management Co. in Vail, Colo.
When Vail Resorts upgraded to Version 8.1 of PeopleSoft's human resources, payroll and other employee-- related applications two years ago, some of the software required monthly patch downloads, Silvera said. At times, patch management became "a maintenance nightmare," she added. Since then, Silvera has worked with PeopleSoft to address the patch issues and said she has seen "a concerted...