ATLANTA -  Jun 23, 2010

Infor, the leading provider of business software for mid-market companies, today launched Infor ION.  Infor ION services are designed to enable companies of all sizes to benefit from advanced yet simple application integration, business process management, and shared data reporting.  Traditionally these services involved complex and high-cost middleware implementations.  By automating the most difficult data sharing tasks, Infor ION gives mid-market companies the ability to more quickly and easily organize, analyze and collaborate on information from throughout their operations.  The services are planned for release in the fourth quarter of 2010.

News

• Infor launched Infor ION, a new suite of software services.
• The services use open data standards allowing them to seamlessly and securely integrate information from Infor and non-Infor applications.
• The company plans to make the following four Infor ION services generally available in the fourth quarter of this year: 
• Infor ION Desk - Intuitive, browser-based interface used to configure all Infor ION services.
• Infor ION Connect - Service responsible for document-based communication and secure sharing of data across all applications on-premise, in the cloud and in hybrid implementations.
• Infor ION Event Management - Business process management (BPM) service that automatically monitors status of tasks in relation to promised completion or established service level agreements (SLAs) and alerts users of exceptions so they can be proactively managed.
• Infor ION Workflow - Also included as part of the new Infor BPM offering, this service works in conjunction with Infor ION Event Management, enabling automated document routing and approvals via workflows that may involve multiple Infor and non-Infor applications.
• Infor ION provides support for standard web services and much more.  It uses a differentiated approach to data sharing the company calls Infor ION Document Exchange, which more closely aligns with the way businesses operate in the real world.
• Businesses function by exchanging documents such as sales orders or purchase orders.
• Infor ION applies this straightforward yet effective approach to business applications, exchanging complete electronic business documents that include all data associated with a particular business event.
• This is differentiated from traditional solutions that exchange information using numerous individual requests, each for a specific piece of data, from each application.
• By including all information needed to make decisions on an event in a single electronic document, Infor ION greatly reduces the number of interactions required between applications, dramatically reducing overall complexity.
• Infor ION also includes unique functionality designed to simplify and lower the cost of deployment and use, including:
• One Click Install - The ability to install all Infor ION services by clicking once within a unified installation wizard.
• Lightweight Design - Allowing the services to run on the same server as Infor applications, eliminating the need for additional hardware purchases.
• Intuitive Management - With Infor ION Desk, IT users as well as end-users can proactively monitor and manage their workflow status and document traffic, identify workflow exceptions, monitor key performance indicators, and gain visibility into overall business network efficiency.
• Infor ION is the next phase in the company's interoperability strategy, which began with the deployment of Infor Open SOA as the architectural foundation for integration of Infor applications.

What Nomaco Says

"We're excited to see Infor's ongoing commitment to simplifying application integration," said Richard Langen at Nomaco, Inc. "To maximize growth opportunities, we needed company-wide interoperability, without the high cost and complexity. Infor Open SOA was already successful in allowing us to integrate faster, more simply and more cost-effectively than with any other vendor's solution. We're looking forward to even greater benefits from Infor ION."

What Forrester Research Says About ERP Integration

Excerpted from It's Time to Tame the ERP Integration Beast, Published May 5, 2010, by Ken Vollmer, George Lawrie, and Mike Gilpin:

"Integration challenges are often the foremost obstacle to getting the full value from packaged enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions ... Integration with these systems has frequently led to significant complications because core ERP applications are often better at collecting information than at making it available in all the places it is required. Therefore, application development and delivery professionals should evaluate their ERP integration strategy and upgrade it to ensure that it rises to the level required today to support agile operations inside and outside the enterprise."

What We Say

"Infor ION brings the world of on-premise applications and cloud computing together," said Soma Somasundaram, senior vice president of Global Product Development at Infor. "Infor ION is designed to make it easier for every Infor customer to integrate and manage their data, no matter where the data resides and no matter what application created it. With this unprecedented simplicity of business document exchange, companies of all sizes will now have a better way to build and use business intelligence from across their entire operations, faster and more cost-effectively than ever before."

Additional Resources

• More information about Infor ION is available at www.infor.com/company/ION

At Infor, we work with a core belief. We believe in the customer. We believe that the customer is seeking a better, more collaborative relationship with its business software provider. And a new breed of business software: created for evolution, not revolution. Software that's simple to buy, easy to deploy and convenient to manage. Our 70,000 customers in more than 100 countries stand with us. We look forward to your sharing in the results of our belief. There is a better way. For additional information, visit www.infor.com.

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This announcement reflects the direction Infor may take with regard to the specific product(s) described herein, all of which is subject to change by Infor in its sole discretion, with or without notice to you.  This announcement is not a commitment to you in any way and you should not rely on this document or any of its content in making any decision.  Infor is not committing to develop or deliver any specified enhancement, upgrade, product or functionality, even if such is described in this announcement and even if such description is accompanied by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should," "will," and/or similar expressions.  Many factors can affect Infor's product development plans and the nature, content and timing of future product releases, all of which remain in the sole discretion of Infor.  This announcement, in whole or in part, may not be incorporated into any contractual agreement with Infor or its subsidiaries or affiliates.  Infor expressly disclaims any liability with respect to this announcement.