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On the applications front
Dave Kearns, Wired Windows
 Business Layers' eProvision Employees not only sets a standard, it creates a whole new category of application - "eprovisionware."
But what is eprovisionware? Typically, the successful integration of new employees requires the completion of a wide variety of provisioning activities: equipment procurement, password allocation, security clearances, application setup, Internet access and much more.
Quick look
EProvison Employee
Business Layers
Pricing: $30,000, plus $30 per provisioning profile
Market status: Expected to ship in the first quarter 2000.
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| Traditionally, this is handled - or, more often, mishandled - by interminable memos, phone calls and ad hoc meetings in the hallway. Too often, a new employee shows up on the first day of work and is less than productive because of missing components in the provisioning activities. Eprovisionware automates most of these tasks.
EProvision Employees ties together an enterprise's directories, databases and "people-centric" applications, such as help desk, human resources, enterprise resource planning systems, network management systems and electronic software distribution systems, through a browser-based application centered on forms and forms processing. The forms are then tied directly to the directory service, the databases and the applications using standard interfaces (such as LDAP and XML) or through direct hooks to APIs. The software is modular, letting the enterprise centralize some parts of the provisioning process while decentralizing those that work best when distributed.
While eProvision Employee automates much of the provisioning process, enterprise network managers will still need to do a lot by hand (such as physically installing the hardware). Fortunately, the package comes with a built-in reporting tool that can be used to ensure that manual processes are being completed as needed. Business Layers' software doesn't stop being useful once the new employee starts, either. It's an ideal tool to handle individual or departmental moves quickly and efficiently.
And when the day comes that an employee leaves, eProvision Employee can be used to remove or disable accounts, find the keys, cell phones, laptops or other business accessories the employee has been using.
This package isn't cheap: at $30,000 plus $30 per provisioning profile, cost can add up quickly. But in today's fast-paced business world, with companies quickly merging and as quickly spinning off new divisions, subsidiaries and joint ventures, provisioning employees can cost in the millions of dollars each year. By automating much of this process, eProvision Employee can shave a huge percentage of that cost while at the same time getting the provisioning done more quickly and accurately.
Related links
Kearns is a freelance writer and consultant in Austin, Texas. He can be reached at wired@vquill.com.
Wired Windows archive
eProvision overview and downloadable demo from Business Layers
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