E-gov allies tap legacy systems

In an attempt to provide state and local governments with e-government solutions tied to legacy databases, TekInsight.com and iWay Software announced a strategic alliance Aug. 28 that will combine their strengths to meet those needs.

TekInsight.com is an e-government services provider, and iWay Software — an Information Builders company — provides middleware that integrates back-office systems. Their combined solutions will offer state and local governments Web-based transaction applications, such as licensing and permitting, as well as the tools to create an infrastructure that can tap legacy systems.

TekInsight's ePluribus suite of Web-enabled applications provides public access to government functions, including paying parking tickets, accessing deeds or registering for a business license. The suite includes a customizable Java-based application library, which eliminates the need to build application software from scratch because 65 percent to 90 percent of the functionality is pre-built, requiring only customization and branding for individual government customers.

The Enterprise Integration Suite from iWay Software offers access to more than 120 data sources on any computer platform and works with all security systems and network architectures. The suite includes components of IBM Corp.'s WebSphere e-business platform.

Steve Robichaud, state and local government national sales manager for Information Builders, said the companies' e-government strategies were similar. Furthermore, while iWay is developing its own applications, "We decided to team up with TekInsight because we found their ePluribus applications to be equally impressive," he said.

Robichaud said iWay will offer TekInsight's solutions "to our customers with the same assurance as if we had written them ourselves."