Franz Lobo

DESCI 4463

SUMMARY

While many companies have announced their portal strategies in the last year, Oracle Corporation recently announced its solution: Oracle Framework. Integral to the Oracle Framework are "Porlets", a set of Java classes. The classes wrap the application code, providing programming interfaces that a developer could map to an Oracle database or mainframe application. Porlets are assembled into custom views using Web DB 3.0. A "portal" provides a customized user interface for employees, customers, suppliers, and salespeople. Regardless of the underlying applications and platforms, users see a seamless, integrated user interface featuring single-point sign-on, workflow and collaboration tools, and powerful search features. WebDB 3.0 is scheduled for beta release in November 1999.

REACTION

While the portal strategy offers companies a way to protect their investment in the applications they use, I hope it is not used by some companies to perpetuate hardware and software that is very, very old.

AGREEMENT OR DISAGREEMENT

I agree with the author regarding the growing need for tools that seamlessly integrate information from many applications running on many platforms into a single user interface. In addition to Oracle, several other companies have started marketing "portal" products and it is difficult to predict what product or strategy may eventually dominate.

RELEVANCE

This relates to Intranets in chapter 14. Portals can work as an information interface for any company. An organization can use the Intranet web to enhance management-employee communication and to provide job-related information easily and quickly.