(January 21, 2003) - Oracle Corp. 's new portal enhancements for Oracle9i Application Server are designed to capture and integrate data from multiple data sources including Web services, spreadsheets, and Web sites. These features, OmniPortlet and Web Clipping, shift the customization and integration of portal development from IT departments to end-users, empowering non-technical users to customize portal content and integrate data via self-service interfaces.

The OmniPortlet functionality allows business users, including line-of-business managers, to access Web services, XML, and spreadsheet data sources and publish them in various formats including reports, forms, charts and news, in the form of a portlet. OmniPortlet also makes it easier for non-technical users to publish information by allowing them to synthesize data through the portal from various areas of a company. For example, data can be pulled from HR, manufacturing, sales, marketing, etc. and be transformed into a single, personalized report that displays all of the data in any format (e.g., graph, pie chart, etc.). Until now, this task required extensive coding by developers.

The new Web Clipping feature offers an intuitive way to capture content and functionality from existing internal Web sites and present them as portlets. Previously, portal page creators had no way to centralize and integrate content fragments from disparate sources (such as specific portions of Web site text, graphics, and reports) into a portal. Using the Web Clipping feature, a Web browser is transformed into an editing tool that allows Web-based content to be extracted and instantly turned into a portlet. From that point forward, the content will be available to the designer as an individual portlet in a "scrap book."

The OmniPortlet and Web Clipping features are included in the Oracle9i Application Server Portal Developer Kit, available for immediate download free of charge. The features will also ship with Oracle9i Application Server Release 2, version 9.0.4, scheduled to be released in the first half of 2003.