Technology
| As important as CONNECT‘s functionality is its systems compatibility. CONNECT is platform and database independent. This means that today’s investment will continue its economic return regardless of future technology direction. And, it means that investment already made in technology systems is preserved.
For the manufacturer, the solution can run on Windows 2003, 2000, NT, AS/400, Linux, Unix or Mainframe. We can help you with the server sizing specifications. CONNECTcan reach into your system and work with virtually any database, ODBC, DB2, Oracle or Microsoft Access. The dealer needs only a connection to the Internet and a browser. CONNECT‘s engine is Lotus Notes, the premier groupware developed by Lotus Development Corporation. Using this as a repository for documents, databases, instant messaging and an infrastructure for routing data, manufacturers and dealers can work as a team to reduce expensive time-and-labor intense tasks, such as claims processing and warranty registration. The manufacturer purchases a server license that includes ten in-house users, two designers and unlimited Internet users which are assigned to dealers and are transferable. Required bandwidth depends on the manufacturer’s expectations for the solution. Most dial up connections today are 33.6K bps. This is certainly adequate to service an extranet, but as manufacturers add more dealers, more data, more graphics and want faster and faster connection, they upgrade-ISDN, DSL, Cable, Frame Relay, T1 or T3. |
