FAQ

A.  

Business process management refers to the automation of manual processes and the subsequent optimization of those processes. The goal of management is to improve the flow of business processes such that efficiencies are improved, risks are lessened and costs are lower.

Components of the Microsoft Business Process Management Solutions:

A.  

Early business process automation approaches were comprised of many independent technologies that separately met needs for business process management and integration, but together were expensive and hard to manage. The Microsoft strategy has been to align these technologies, enabling organizations to more readily automate and optimize processes, thereby improving efficiencies, decreasing costs and improving business value.

A.  

Microsoft BizTalk Server offers great economics in business process management technologies, enabling midsize companies to install, configure and customize their BPM solution easily and affordably. Developers who are familiar with Microsoft tools will quickly become productive. And by using a common set of reusable services, organizations can reduce the costs and time to value of business process automation, while at the same time simplifying management and maintenance costs. In addition, by using BizTalk Server to provide BPM within your organization and between your trading partners, you also benefit from the long list of partners that have helped to make Microsoft’s solution one of the most versatile in the industry. Thousands of systems and devices are supported on the Microsoft platform, as well as over 2500 applications. Microsoft’s strong relationships with leading global and regional systems integrators has allowed us to deliver tailored solutions for every industry in every geography.

A.  

A.  

Please visit BizTalk Business Process Management for more information.

A.  

SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) is guidelines and practices to enable the creation and ongoing management of a new breed of agile, service based applications. BizTalk Server takes a “real-world” approach that departs from the industry norm of applying a high-risk, heavy, “top-down” strategy to SOA implementations that starts with major enterprise-wide infrastructure investments that often fail to show results in a relevant timeframe or offer a compelling return on investment. Instead, the “real-world” approach to SOA advocated by Microsoft and practiced in successful customer SOA deployments relies on achieving rapid success around a focused business problem, which can result in broader SOA implementations.

A.  

The term Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) is widely used in the context of implementing the messaging capabilities of a service oriented infrastructure. An ESB is one of many building blocks that make up a comprehensive service oriented infrastructure. The messaging capabilities required in a service oriented infrastructure extend the functions of traditional Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) and Message Oriented Middleware (MOM) to include first class support for Web Service standards and integration with other service infrastructure components such as policy management, metadata registry, and operational and business monitoring frameworks. Given the heterogeneous nature of most enterprise infrastructures and the significant investments already made in EAI and MOM assets, it is also important that your ESB enhance your ability to leverage those existing assets in a service oriented world.

Microsoft provides a comprehensive ESB Toolkit that is built on top of BizTalk Server 2009. The Microsoft Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) Toolkit extends the capabilities of Microsoft BizTalk Server 2009 to support a loosely coupled messaging architecture. BizTalk Server includes a powerful publish/subscribe mechanism that works by creating and filling subscriptions. The ESB Toolkit provides an infrastructure that enables the flexible and secure reuse of infrastructure and business services and the ability to orchestrate existing services into new end-to-end business processes. At the core of this solution is BizTalk Server 2009 which provides a basis for common ESB capabilities including:

A.  

Microsoft helps customers to achieve goals in a fraction of the time at a fraction of the cost of our nearest competitor.

Microsoft is empowering people to bridge the world of structured and unstructured processes. The question is often asked – what do you get after you have an SOA? The rubber meets the road when you have consumption of the services – with our innovations in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server, .NET Framework and BizTalk Server; Microsoft is poised to empower the masses to bridge the transactional and the collaborative capabilities, empowering people to drive business success. Microsoft’s “real-world” approach to SOA was initiated more than seven years ago with the introduction of the .NET platform that continues to set the industry bar as the first native Web services-based platform built from the ground up. Further, the platform goes beyond service orientation to address capabilities such as federated data, identity and access, and integrated user experience across diverse applications.

A.  

Please visit BizTalk Server Services Oriented Architecture for more information.

A.  

RFID stands for radio frequency identification. At a simple level, it is a technology that involves tags that emit radio signals and devices called readers that pick up the signal.

A.  

BizTalk RFID is a robust and extensible set of capabilities with open APIs and tools to cost effectively build vertical asset tracking / supply chain visibility solutions and configure intelligent RFID-driven processes. BizTalk RFID will include rich data, device and event management. In the BizTalk RFID platform, Microsoft is focused on delivering:

A.  

By integrating RFID capability with the Microsoft Application Platform, Microsoft will be in a position to deliver industry-leading capabilities and reduced TCO to its customer base. For customers, this translates into several benefits that differentiate Microsoft from the competition:

A.  

Please visit BizTalk Server RFID for more information.

A.  

Several different ways—the Microsoft Office system uses the BizTalk Adapter Pack to connect to and surface data from line of business applications directly to end-users. In scenarios that include the automation of business processes spanning multiple back-end systems or trading partners, BizTalk Server provides customers with tools for the design, management, and monitoring of those processes through tight integration with Visio, Excel, SharePoint, InfoPath and Business Scorecard Manager.

BizTalk also connects transactional and structured processes with the collaborative document-centric workflows automated inside SharePoint. (via SharePoint adapter).

A.  

In combination with InfoPath, developers can design structured workflows including form-based information. BizTalk Server has native support for InfoPath enabling users to:

BizTalk also provide integration with custom workflow in SharePoint through Windows Communication Framework (WCF). Using WCF, human processed hosted in SharePoint and implemented in Windows Workflow (WF) to invoke BizTalk services to provides backend integration and system workflows. 

With BizTalk Server 2009, customers can tap into SharePoint Portal Server to share BAM reports, manage trading partner relationships, and enhance human-based workflow capabilities within specific business process automation scenarios.

A.  

Microsoft Dynamics - a line of integrated, adaptable business management solutions that automate and streamline financial, customer relationship, and supply chain processes -along with BizTalk Server provides agile integration and adaptive business process orchestration both within the four walls of the enterprise, and across organizational boundaries.

BizTalk Server is an integral part of the integration strategy of Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Dynamics GP, and Microsoft Dynamics NAV, enabling connectivity among the Microsoft Dynamics suite of products and with third party applications. BizTalk Server extends and enriches Microsoft Dynamics functionality in key areas like B2B, EDI, RFID, business process management and orchestration, and SOA - within the enterprise and across the entire supply chain.

BizTalk Server’s Adapters also enable and enhance industry specific solutions for Microsoft Dynamics customers in the financial services (SWIFT), healthcare (HL7 and HIPAA), and manufacturing (RosettaNet) industries.

Microsoft Dynamics AX: The Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 Adapter for BizTalk extends and enhances the capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics AX Application Integration Framework (AIF). The adapter imports Microsoft Dynamics AX metadata and document schema , allowing customers to extend business processes beyond the four walls to interact with trading partners using EDI, RosettaNet, HL7, SWIFT , RFID and other industry standards, and to manage, optimize and monitor those business processes.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM: BizTalk Server enables the Solution Accelerators which allow Microsoft Dynamics CRM to connect to Oracle, Siebel, PeopleSoft, and SAP, as well as the connectors from Microsoft Dynamics CRM to Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics GP, and Microsoft Dynamics NAV. BizTalk Server also supports and extends Microsoft Dynamics CRM’s platform capabilities in the areas of SOA and composite applications.

Microsoft Dynamics GP: The Microsoft Dynamics GP Adapter for BizTalk Server enables customers to connect systems, processes and people, both within the organization and across their extended value chains, optimizing processes in key areas like financial management, supply chain, and ecommerce. BizTalk Server can also enhance composite applications in service oriented architecture solutions developed with Microsoft Dynamics GP .Net technologies.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV: Microsoft Dynamics NAV integrates with Microsoft BizTalk Server to facilitate the electronic exchange of business documents between business partners. BizTalk Server is therefore also an integral part of Microsoft Dynamics NAV’s solution for integrating multi-site and international (MIO) organizations. The combination of BizTalk Server and Microsoft Dynamics NAV enables such customers to address the integration and operational scenarios most common – and most critical - for their businesses.

A.  

Visual Studio and BizTalk Server are very complimentary technologies. Visual Studio is the premiere development environment for building XML Web Services and BizTalk Server 2009 is the premiere development environment for orchestrating Web Services into business processes and providing messaging and connectivity services. With BizTalk Server 2009, customers will find tight integration with Visual Studio 2008, giving developers a familiar, unified development environment. The combination of Visual Studio and BizTalk Server will give developers a significant advantage as they build application integration and business process management solutions.

Developer & Team Productivity Application Life-Cycle Management (ALM)

BizTalk Server 2009 support Microsoft Visual Studio Team System 2008 and Team Foundation Server, to provide a whole Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) solution for individual developers of for development teams including project manager, architects, developers testers and IT Professionals.

Includes in this ALM solutions are the following capabilities:

A.  

BizTalk Server 2009 introduces enhancements and new featured in four main areas:

Please refer to What’s New in BizTalk 2009 for further details.

A.  

Building on our best in class setup and configuration capabilities and maintaining the core architecture of BizTalk Server 2006, BizTalk Server 2009 provides a seamless upgrade path for current BizTalk Server 2004 and 2006/2006 R2 customers.

A.  

Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008, .NET Framework 3.5. In addition, BizTalk Server offers 64-bit run time support. BizTalk Server also supports interoperability with non-Microsoft platforms, and with its robust adapter framework, BizTalk can quickly connect to proprietary systems.

A.  

Microsoft offers a range of support options, whether you require on-site or phone-based support. New to Microsoft are technology centers which provide the facility and resources to determine whether the BizTalk integration solution will work for you. For ongoing information, join the BizTalk Community to share great new ideas. For more information on support and services, go to BizTalk Support.

A.  

BizTalk Server adapters provide customers with native connectivity to key applications and transport protocols. These adapters require no code to connect BizTalk Server to these key applications, such as SAP, Siebel, Oracle eBusiness Suite and Peoplesoft, and key protocols. Customers use these adapters to connect these applications and automate processes that may span applications or organizational boundaries.

A.  

BizTalk adapters extend the functionality of BizTalk Server, enabling it to connect to other servers, applications and Web services. Specifically, they remove the need to develop infrastructure components such as network protocol support and translation, data conversion, data transformation, in the development of business process automation solutions. BizTalk Server adapters are "no-code" connectivity solutions, and are provided in-box with BizTalk Server 2009.

BizTalk accelerators provide developers with tools, data schemas, and processes to help significantly reduce the time required to develop a custom business solution in specific industries, such as health care, financial services, and supply-chain management and are provided in-box with BizTalk Server 2009. If you are required to comply with specific industry standards, you will likely require an accelerator.

A.  

BizTalk Server 2009 provides businesses with flexibility, choice and agility through new editions and offerings.

Branch Edition (New): This edition enables a true “hub and spoke” scenario when paired with the Enterprise Edition; Branch Edition will help organizations make new intra-organizational and departmental connections for intelligent data and process sharing.

Enterprise Edition: This edition is ideal for enterprise customers and large organizations looking for an advanced BPM and SOA platform with unlimited scalability. It now includes BizTalk adapters and accelerators, Host Integration Server (HIS), RFID and EDI in the box.

Standard Edition: This edition is a comprehensive BPM and SOA solution for midsize businesses or departmental solutions. It also includes BizTalk adapters and accelerators, HIS, RFID and EDI in the box.

Developer Edition: Limited to designing, developing and testing solutions, Developer Edition is the ideal solution for application development in pre-production environments.

A.  

Please visit BizTalk Server Pricing and Licensing for more information.