REDMOND, Wash., July 26, 2001 — Today at the Financial Analyst Meeting, Microsoft Corp. announced that Ford Motor Co. has selected Microsoft (r) BizTalk(tm) Server 2000, XML and SOAP as its integration architecture and transport protocols for its global enterprise application integration (EAI) and business-to-business (B2B) integration project, called eHub. Ford’s historic project represents the largest BizTalk Server 2000 implementation to date and is one of the first Fortune 50 technology solutions to take full advantage of the power of XML and SOAP for global integration both within the enterprise and across the Internet.
“Ford’s decision to standardize its global internal and external integration initiative on XML and SOAP underscores its technology leadership and innovation within the automotive industry,”
said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft Corp.
“This solution is an industry milestone and will be the model companies move toward as the XML revolution takes hold. With their deep XML support, Microsoft .NET and BizTalk Server 2000 are quickly solidifying their position as the platform of choice for today’s Web-enabled enterprise.”
Ford’s eHub Is Live Today
As Ford Motor Co. strives to transform itself into the world’s leading consumer company for automotive products and services, it is clear that enterprise IT solutions are required to support this vision. Ford’s eHub is designed to enable the seamless, instantaneous flow of information within the company, and with suppliers and industry exchanges such as Covisint LLC.
Ford has made significant progress in using the eHub to support its order fulfillment strategy by piloting and launching real-time collaborative applications such as line-side replenishment, outbound logistics and constraint management. These real-time collaborative applications will provide Ford with an opportunity to streamline communications internally and externally with partners, customers, dealers and suppliers. This seamless communication capability will enable Ford to convert data into knowledge, allowing it to integrate its entire value chain to deliver the right products and services at the right time to the right customers.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
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