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It can load sales and product models five times faster and only requires users to load 28 percent of the product model knowledge base to operate. If information is missing on the local hard drive, the configurator engine stores the information for synchronization later. The new release also has been optimized with multithreading to improve performance on machines with dual-core processors. And the new version now supports Microsoft’s Vista, making it easier for Selectica’s reseller partners to support their field sales staff using the latest Vista-enabled laptops.

The new release supports both dynamic and parallel loading of product model knowledge bases so field sales now can import model information as needed, and request loading a knowledge base using multiple threads asynchronously. This new capability enables sales representatives to tap the power of Selectica’s declarative constraint engine on their laptop, using stored attributes and constraints to create product and sales models in the field. Because field reps operate in “disconnected mode,” they now can make adjustments to product configurations and sales orders without a connection to the configurator server, loading specific models as required. This allows for real-time pricing and can accommodate configuration or parts changes on demand.

“Product options continue to become more complex and field sales reps are under increasing competitive pressures to satisfy the needs of their customers immediately,” said Stephan Sorger, Vice President, Product Marketing, Selectica Sales Configuration. “Access to relevant and viable product and sales options is critical to staying competitive. That’s why we’ve enhanced our sales configurator platform to allow it to function independently on a laptop. Now sales professionals can offer accurate and timely quotes for each customer’s unique product and service requirements.”

The Selectica Simplexity Configurator uses a declarative constraint engine, which provides a fast, efficient, and compact method of describing the most complex business processes. Where rules-based sales configuration engines must apply a linear process, which makes it difficult to accommodate changes in configurations, a declarative constraint engine allows users to model business logic directly. In this way, users can set parameters once and be assured that the business rules remain in force. For example, when modeling a complex blade server system with preset power requirements, any change to the parts list or bill of materials automatically validates the new part against the existing power specification. This eliminates problems in complex product orders and ensures that even the most complex orders will be right from sale to manufacture.

The Selectica Simplexity Configurator is ideally suited for configuring the most complex products and services. For example, a current customer uses the system to manage nearly 7 trillion product combinations without error.