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Oracle issues PeopleSoft updates

Alorie Gilbert CNET News

Published: 06 Oct 2005 10:40 BST

Oracle delivered on Wednesday one of the first fruits of its merger with PeopleSoft, releasing new versions of the accounting and supply chain applications it gained in the January acquisition.

The updated products — PeopleSoft Enterprise Financial Management 8.9, PeopleSoft Enterprise Supplier Relationship Management 8.9 and PeopleSoft Enterprise Supply Chain Management 8.9 — are part of a massive effort, called Project Fusion, to combine Oracle's programs with those of its former competitor, the company said.

The updates are Oracle's "launching pad" for migrating PeopleSoft customers to Project Fusion technology, Oracle said. They're also proof, Oracle said, that it's making good on its promise to support and further develop PeopleSoft's programs after a protracted takeover struggle — one that demonised Oracle in the eyes of many PeopleSoft customers.

The new version of PeopleSoft Enterprise Financial Management supports the financial transparency and accountability requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other new accounting regulations, Oracle said. The program also includes new project management, risk mitigation and asset tracking features, the company said.

The updated supply chain software features new programs for negotiating contracts with suppliers, Oracle said. The company did not release pricing information for the products.

With Project Fusion, Oracle is undertaking an extensive overhaul of its largest product line after database software: business applications for accounting, processing orders, purchasing, customer service and other corporate tasks. The effort is central to Oracle's strategy for catching up to SAP, its prime competitor in that market, after gobbling up about half a dozen shared rivals over the last nine months.