The most obvious difference is the architecture. P6 PPM is a traditional client/server Windows application that runs on a PC (physical or virtual) and stores its DATA in a relational database (Oracle or SQL Server). P6 EPPM is a 3 tier web application whose client runs in a web browser. The middle tier runs on a web application server (WebLogic or WebSphere) and communicates with the database. Since R8.1 all administrative tasks are managed via the web interface, although a Windows "professional client" is also available to allow users without web access to work with the software. From R8.2 this desktop client is identical for both PPM and EPPM, but when connected to an EPPM database none of the administrative functions are available.

There are also major differences between the reporting capabilities of the two versions. P6 PPM continues to run the traditional reports found in earlier versions of the product, while P6 EPPM also uses Oracle's BI Publisher to create web based reports that are VIEWED via dashboards in the browser. It also provides connectivity to other reporting TOOLS - see the Reporting and Business Intelligence section below for more on this.

The final major difference is connectivity. P6 EPPM ships with a Java API that allows the development of custom interfaces to other products, and a Web Services interface layered on top of the API. The product is also designed to integrate with Oracle's Business Process MANAGEMENT toolset. In contrast, P6 PPM only OFFERS the SDK, a desktop interface that exposes the underlying database as an ODBC data source.

The most obvious difference is the architecture. P6 PPM is a traditional client/server Windows application that runs on a PC (physical or virtual) and stores its data in a relational database (Oracle or SQL Server). P6 EPPM is a 3 tier web application whose client runs in a web browser. The middle tier runs on a web application server (WebLogic or WebSphere) and communicates with the database. Since R8.1 all administrative tasks are managed via the web interface, although a Windows "professional client" is also available to allow users without web access to work with the software. From R8.2 this desktop client is identical for both PPM and EPPM, but when connected to an EPPM database none of the administrative functions are available.

There are also major differences between the reporting capabilities of the two versions. P6 PPM continues to run the traditional reports found in earlier versions of the product, while P6 EPPM also uses Oracle's BI Publisher to create web based reports that are viewed via dashboards in the browser. It also provides connectivity to other reporting tools - see the Reporting and Business Intelligence section below for more on this.

The final major difference is connectivity. P6 EPPM ships with a Java API that allows the development of custom interfaces to other products, and a Web Services interface layered on top of the API. The product is also designed to integrate with Oracle's Business Process Management toolset. In contrast, P6 PPM only offers the SDK, a desktop interface that exposes the underlying database as an ODBC data source.