Salesforce.com Unveils Integration Tools For Back-Office Systems

ApexConnect is a line of technologies that extend the company's Apex platform into subscribers' IT systems. "Think of ApexConnect as a family of technologies that address our customers' diverse integration needs," said Ariel Kelman, senior director of platform product marketing at the San Francisco company.

Among the latest capabilities in ApexConnect is ConnectOut, an application-programming interface for outbound messaging. Rather than have subscribers' enterprise resource planning systems constantly ping the on-demand platform for changes, customers can define a business process event in Salesforce.com that will send the change to an ERP application, or trigger an integration hub to update connected systems.

ConnectOut is expected to ship in January at no additional charge as part of Saleforce.com's annual winter upgrade.

Salesforce.com plans in early 2007 to ship a pre-built, two-way connector for synchronizing customer account information between Oracle 11i databases and the CRM system. Salesforce.com last summer released similar software for SAP applications. ConnectOracle is expected to cost $12,000 per year for subscribers to the enterprise and unlimited editions of Salesforce.com.

Finally, Salesforce.com on Monday released integration software to connect ApexConnect with technology from 25 partners, including AboveAll, Business Objects, Bluewolf Group, Bridgewerx, Cast Iron, Composite Software, Data Backbone, Dynamic Ventures, forceAMP.com, Ilink, Informatica, Integration Technologies, InvisibleCRM, Ipedo, Jitterbit, OpenAccess Software, Okere, Pervasive, Tibco, Salescentrix, Scribe, Sesame Software, SGC Software, Synergex, and TwoConnect.

Salesforce.com's focus on integration with back-office systems is important for the company to increase sales in the enterprise market. The CRM vendor's Apex platform, launched in October, is expected to provide subscribers with more flexibility in customizing the service by building and deploying their own applications. An Apex programming language for building custom software is set for release in the first half of next year.