Microsoft announced the acquisition of Clear Software startup to expand support for enterprise resource planning (ERP) integrations in its software package for automating routine business workflows.
The application programming interface and underlying knowledge is intended to bolster Microsoft Power Platform, an enterprise software framework for surfacing, manipulating and automating data. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Companies use robotic process automation (RPA), often known as RPA bots or just bots, in combination with machine learning to perform highly structured, repetitive workflows.
Clear’s platform has no-code functions, meaning no specialised software programming is needed, for automating common data entries, bar code scans, sales center processes and enterprise bookkeeping tasks.
Microsoft says the product has more than 100 preset abstractions for business workflow development that work in tandem with ERP systems such as Oracle and SAP.
Stephen Siciliano, partner general manager, Power Automate at Microsoft, said: “Organizations depend on their business applications to work seamlessly across many different systems and data stores.”
“Customers need to know that their most critical business processes are built to optimize working across those systems and data sets no matter how complex the process becomes.”
Microsoft’s intelligent RPA strategy is centered around its Power Platform and was previously augmented with its acquisition of Softmotive in May 2021.
Softmotive’s product, which has since been rolled out to Microsoft Power customers, allows enterprises to record repetitive tasks on the computer or web using mouse clicks and keystrokes.
“We are continuously working to enhance our connectors and integration of third-party systems across Microsoft Power Platform and look forward to sharing these updates with customers”, added Siciliano in a blog post.
