PeopleSoft Inc. today unveiled plans to deliver its software electronically through a partnership with online software provider Intraware Inc. With the deal, the enterprise resource planning vendor will eliminate all physical implementations of software, including upgrades to servers and desktops.

The electronic software delivery service will be done using Intraware's SubscribNet, a Web service that communicates software-update and maintenance information between vendors and IT managers. Intraware will set up custom Web sites for each of PeopleSoft's customers from which they can manage the entire software-delivery process.

When PeopleSoft releases a new product or upgrade, customers will receive a customized E-mail detailing the new features, as well as a link to their custom site from which they can download the software. Intraware says moving the software electronically significantly reduces the costs and time associated with installing it on servers and desktops, particularly for large organizations with many locations. "Physical media is extremely inefficient," says Peter Jackson, president and CEO of Intraware. "You're paying someone to load it when you can do it electronically in a fraction of the time."

Intraware's custom sites also house reports to notify IT managers which users have downloaded software and to alert them to any bugs that users encounter. All the organization's assets, licenses, and upgrades are archived on the custom site, giving IT centralized overview of company-wide application deployment.

Electronic software delivery is the latest step PeopleSoft has taken to reduce the time and cost involved in getting its products to customers. Last week, the company unveiled a partnership with online procurement vendor Commerce One Inc. to put in place an online procurement system to help customers speed up the process of ordering products.