MELBOURNE, Fla. and
NEW YORK, July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --
Highlights:
- Harris signs agreement with Microsoft to develop advanced
agency platform
- Microsoft Dynamics AX, a comprehensive ERP solution, simplifies
the financial management needs of large marketing
organizations
- New Harris agency platform will streamline business management
for customers on a global level
Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS), an international communications
and information technology company, and Microsoft have signed an
agreement that enables Harris to develop an advanced advertising
agency platform that meets the accounting needs of global marketing
organizations.
The Harris agency platform, based on Microsoft Dynamics AX, an
enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, will address the
financial management requirements of large agencies and holding
companies. Beta testing is scheduled throughout the first
half of 2012, with general availability expected in the third
quarter of 2012.
Harris will utilize Microsoft Dynamics AX to address business
process and collaboration needs in the areas of finance and
production. The new solutions will support integration to the
Harris® Enterprise Agency Suite™ (EAS) for media
management, as well as leading third-party media-buying platforms.
Building on Harris' extensive advertising supply chain
expertise, the Harris agency platform will offer localized
financial compliance to agencies and holding companies with
multinational offices, easing global deployment and facilitating
business management across multiple geographies.
Those migrating to the new Harris advertising software platform
will also find tight interoperability with familiar Microsoft
technologies. This includes Microsoft Office applications
(Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft
PowerPoint), plus Microsoft Project and Microsoft SharePoint for
enhanced collaboration with colleagues, clients and suppliers.
"The ability for large agencies and global companies to embed
all of this functionality into their enterprise applications will
streamline and automate collaborative processes and information in
a way that no other agency software solution can match," said
Harris Morris, president, Harris
Broadcast Communications. "Harris advertising software
customers also will discover an open and cooperative solution that
enables simple integration into any media platform found globally
today — allowing agencies complete flexibility to best service
their clients."
The Harris agency management solution will offer full finance
functionality (accounting, time and employee expense management)
and provide functions rarely found in competing platforms,
including human resource and fixed asset management with integrated
reporting.
"By working with Microsoft Dynamics AX, Harris can offer large
organizations a single system that reduces implementation costs and
enables best practices," said Fred
Studer, general manager, Microsoft Dynamics ERP.
"Harris customers familiar with Microsoft applications will
also minimize internal IT costs associated with training,
maintenance and support, due to the familiar look, feel and
pervasive interoperability with Microsoft application platform
technologies like Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft SharePoint and
Microsoft Office."
To further reduce operating costs and enhance efficiencies for
its agency partners, Harris also plans to offer back-office
management services, such as vendor invoice processing and client
billing, and assist agencies that transition to the Harris platform
from other advertising software solutions. Harris offers an
innovative service delivery model that bundles BPO (Business
Process Outsourcing) services with a platform layer, simplifying
integration and customization, maintenance and hosting.
About Harris Corporation
Harris is an international communications and information
technology company serving government and commercial markets in
more than 150 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has
approximately $6 billion of annual
revenue and more than 16,000 employees — including nearly 7,000
engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing
best-in-class assured communications® products,
systems, and services. Additional information about Harris
Corporation is available at www.harris.com.
SOURCE Harris Corporation