Item Field Conversion

[Former Member]

Hi,

can any body give me a brief introduction about Item Field Conversion.. When we need to go for this.. and how can we do this.. please suggest me..

Thanks

babu

[aashish_sinha]

Hi,

Itemfield Conversion :

Adds functions to SAP NetWeaver for converting data to and from XML. It can process unstructured, semi-structured, and structured data. The Conversion Agent can be called using an adapter module in the Adapter Framework of SAP Exchange Infrastructure.

You can find SAP Conversion Agent by Itemfield in the SAP Software Distribution Center on SAP Service Marketplace at service.sap.com/swdc.

A partnership with Itemfield aims to introduce complex data transformation capabilities to SAP's offering. But the partners will face significant integration and support challenges.

On 5 December 2005, Itemfield, a provider of data transformation software, announced a partnership agreement with SAP. Under the terms of the agreement, SAP will embed the Itemfield Conversion Agent for SAP NetWeaver in its NetWeaver suite. This is an adaptation of Itemfield’s ContentMaster technology that is designed to plug into the latest release of NetWeaver Exchange Infrastructure (XI), SAP’s application integration platform.

The addition of SAP to the list of Itemfield partners — which includes IBM, Informatica, Oracle, Microsoft, webMethods and Software AG — moves the company much closer to its goal of positioning ContentMaster as the de facto standard for independent data transformation technology. SAP's NetWeaver XI is achieving growing adoption, with 1,600 installed customers to date, but has somewhat limited transformation features. This combination of factors gives Itemfield an opportunity to substantially boost its own customer base. However, success will require a robust marketing effort, and the ability to scale up quickly to support a growing number of global customers.

The partnership will also help SAP make up for the lack of complex data transformation capabilities in XI — a limitation that SAP customers have had to work around, either by developing custom code or by stretching the use of the XI business process management facility. The Itemfield Conversion Agent for SAP NetWeaver provides XI users with a proven and powerful option to address even the most complex unstructured, semistructured and structured data transformation issues. However, SAP will face a major challenge in effectively supporting, and keeping in a coherent state of integration, the growing number of third-party products in the XI platform (which include iWay and Seeburger adapters, IDS Scheer process-modeling tools, and now Itemfield's technology).

XI customers with complex data transformation requirements: Evaluate whether the Itemfield Conversion Agent for SAP NetWeaver meets your technological and financial needs. Demand contractual guarantees of adequate long-term support from SAP (which offers full support for the product) before making a commitment.

XI customers adopting XI in conjunction with other Itemfield partners' platforms: Consider using Itemfield as a "unified" transformation utility across multiple integration products (but remember that the Itemfield Conversion Agent for SAP NetWeaver is an additional-cost item, subject to the controversial XI volume-based pricing schema).

I hope this will clarify you.

Regards

Aashish Sinha

PS : reward points if helpful

[Former Member]

Hi babu,

With XI 3.0 SP15, an add-on software is now available to assist with the data transformation tasks. The software is Conversion Agent from Itemfield.

The Conversion Agent enables efficient development, deployment and maintenance of data transformations for incoming and outgoing unstructured and semi-structured data and messages based on industry standards into XML.

The following formats are supported:

Unstructured

ASCII, EBCDIC, HTML, SGML, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint®, Microsoft Word, StarOffice, WordPerfect, PDF, Undocumented Binaries, Flat Files, Print Streams, PostScript, AFP

Semi-Structured

HL7, HIPAA, EDI-X.12, EDIFact, COBOL, PL/I, FIX, ACORD / AL3, ASTM, Cargo-IMP, MVR, SWIFT, MISMO, XML, IFX, FIXML, OFX, LegalXML, cXML, ebXML, RosettaNet, HL7 V3.0, ACORD XML

Refer the following weblog for more information:

/people/william.li/blog/2006/03/17/how-to-get-started-using-conversion-agent-from-itemfield

/people/paul.medaille/blog/2005/11/18/conversion-agent-a-free-lunch

/people/alexander.bundschuh/blog/2006/03/14/integrate-sap-conversion-agent-by-itemfield-with-sap-xi

/people/paul.medaille/blog/2005/11/17/more-on-the-sap-conversion-agent-by-itemfield

Thnx

Chirag