automate-oracle-e-business-suite
It’s not too late to register for our free webinar on A/P Imaging for Oracle E-Business Suite.  The webinar will take place on Thursday, February 19 at 1:00 PM CST.  Please join us for a revealing look at how your system can be configured to do the data entry! You will hear from Oracle WebCenter expert Tim Brocker as he demonstrates the features and functions of this automated solution.  Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/300000000010778144

cloud-analytics
It’s good to see Cloud-based analytics taking off in the market place.  We’ve seen the overwhelming need for analytics and advanced reporting, with a common thread of “we needed it yesterday.” Cloud analytics give organizations an opportunity to quick-start projects, without concern for hardware procurement and installation, enabling a faster ROI than can be achieved with a traditional on-premise solutions.
Oracle’s cloud analytics offerings (BI cloud services (PaaS) or OTBI-E (SaaS)) give flexibility and choices for analytics.  Cloud analytics will not completely replace the need for on-premise, as large organizations with massive amounts of data may be deterred by the cost investment for an enterprise solution in the cloud.  However it’s definitely an option for smaller parts of an organization such as a Benefits Department that has specific union requirements, or public sector organizations that need insight into their grants accounting.  Regardless, there are some good options out there, and as more acceptance of the cloud takes hold, we’ll see analytics solutions trending upwards as well.
Twitter:  Cloud Analytics are trending!

ast-employee
Let’s congratulate Gilbert J. for becoming AST’s Employee of the Month for February 2015. He has been named because of his positive, “get-it-done” attitude. He is also being recognized for the many weekends and hours he has put in to resolve technical and functional issues with the product as well as the client environment.  Keep up the good work Gilbert!

bi-assessmentAssessments are a proven approach to develop, integrate and consolidate your Business Intelligence (BI) processes and objectives.  AST is an Oracle BI Pillar partner and we are Specialized in BI.  Our “BI Assessment and Roadmap” offering can quickly lay out your next steps to achieve a faster ROI.  Learn more here:

cloud-service-specialists
AST would like to recognize our employees who are newly specialized.  We had two advanced certifications this month: Congratulations to Mark H. for achieving his Database 11g Security Certified Implementation Specialization and to Erwin R. for earning his Hyperion DRM Certified Implementation Specialization.  In addition, our BI team has been busy with five new Business Intelligence Cloud Service Specialists: David B., Kevin N., Prabhu M. Gwen M. and Mohammad J.  Thank you for your hard work and diligence in pursuing these certifications!

linkedin-ast

Thank you to all of our customers, prospects, partners, employees, competitors, family and friends for helping us reach 1,000 followers on LinkedIn.  We are pleased to have so many great relationships in the Oracle community and we look forward to sharing more about AST and the industry in the coming years.

Don’t miss the upcoming Pittsburgh OAUG Meeting on Friday, February 20, 2015 at The Chadwick in Wexford, PA.  Oracle Application Users from the Pittsburgh area will gather to learn about new Oracle solutions and network with other users.   AST will present a session on WebCenter AP Automation for Oracle E-Business Suite at 2:00 PM.  Don’t miss this opportunity for FREE training and collaboration!  
Get more details @ http://pittoaug.oaug.org/

managed-services

Check out this detailed article on the success factors that define excellence in Managed Services arrangements. The author does a great job of explaining the realities of a Managed Services implementation, and highlights the strengths and advantages that organizations can achieve in return on their investment.

http://outsourcemagazine.co.uk/what-defines-a-successful-managed-service-part-1/

ast-souper-bowl-event
Today AST employees brought homemade soup to share with their co-workers to kick off Super Bowl weekend.  Power strips and crock pots covered the tables and delicious smells wafted through the entire AST Suite.  As usual, a many side dishes and desserts were also provided.
It may have been too cold outside for a pickup game, but we were still in the in the football spirit!
ast-souper-bowl-event

Learn how your organization can leverage Oracle’s proven, industry-leading solution – Planning and Budgeting Cloud Services (PBCS).  This free webinar shares the features and functionalities of PBCS and shows how to effectively integrate with your financial systems, centralize your planning data, easily roll up your data, compare scenarios and ‘what-ifs’ on-the-fly and deliver reports for all user types.
Take a few minutes to view this free webinar and discover how you can deploy this solution in weeks with a zero infrastructure footprint.