Octopus Extends Its Meta Applications Arm
Palo Alto, Calif.-based Octopus, which makes Meta Applications, Tuesday released the latest version of the customer relationship management (CRM) tool
Octopus 2.5 has a few more bells and whistles for business departments to gather info. But according the company, the biggest winners may be the IT managers who work with the platform.
Using standards such as XML and J2EE (Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition), the Meta Application grabs information from predetermined databases and news sources like internet.com (Nasdaq: INTM), Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO) and CNET Networks.
The interface lets users “drag-and-drop” into a view screen. Information is then repurposed with the latest data, graphs and news.
What's new this time around is an Element Definition Kit (EDK) that lets IT professionals create new information Elements and Element groups instead of relying on the preset sources. The EDK makes it even easier for IT to quickly integrate new data sources into Octopus' Meta Application platform.
“One of Octopus' key differentiators is the Element Catalog. Not only does it visually simplify and organize corporate information assets, but it also gives users the power to drag Elements from the Catalog and drop them as needed into the applications they use,” says Octopus CEO Steve Douty.
The new version also boasts better security protocols than previous version as well as a Single Sign-on feature. Version 2.5 also includes adapters for SAP and Siebel databases.
Douty says IT managers will also like the way they can add new data sources to their Octopus Applications, such as the new information assets brought forth by a corporate merger or powerful new Web services. Once the necessary adapters are installed, Octopus says business users are free to modify and create Meta Applications that precisely fit their requirements, without creating new projects for IT.
Reprinted from siliconvalley.internet.com.
Michael Singer is a career coach, podcast host, and author to help you step into a career you're excited about. Currently, He is a coach and trainer helping entrepreneurs and executives achieve business and leadership success. He is also an award-winning business journalist focused on the intersection of technology, Big Data, Cloud, SaaS, SAP, and other trending technology.
