Demand Solutions Increases Value with Demand Solutions SaaS

Demand Management, Inc. a global supply chain planning software company that offers tools for manufacturers and distributors to increase forecast accuracy, improve customer service levels and reduce overall inventory, recently announced its collaboration with Microsoft to deliver the Demand Solutions SaaS solution built on Azure. Demand Solutions SaaS delivers full supply chain planning functionality in a solution that’s hosted outside the corporate firewall, and relieves IT staffs of the burden of performing updates and fixes.

Demand Solutions SaaS is designed for manufacturers and distributors that want to streamline and enhance their supply chain planning processes without having to build and maintain complex IT infrastructures. With Demand Solutions SaaS, companies can gain access to the full functionality of the on-premises solution, but without making an up-front investment in software licenses and hardware.

Azure is Microsoft’s cloud computing platform, a growing collection of integrated services—analytics, computing, database, mobile, networking, storage, and web—for moving faster, achieving more, and saving money. Azure offers a 99.95% monthly SLA, automatic operating system and service patching, load balancing, and resiliency in the event of hardware failure. Azure’s integrated tools, pre-built templates, and managed services make it easier to build and manage enterprise, mobile, web, and Internet of Things (IoT) apps faster, using skills developers and IT professionals already have and technologies they already know.

To learn more about Demand Solutions SaaS and access customer case studies and white papers, visit the Demand Solutions Newsroom.

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What Businesses Want From Cloud ERP

Most enterprise software runs on servers at a business’ premises. However, a growing percentage of solutions like customer relationship management (CRM) or even enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications are delivered from the cloud. Sometimes they are even sold not through a perpetual license, but as a cloud subscription service.

Earlier this year, IFS asked 200 North American business executives involved with ERP and other enterprise software what they thought of the various methods of software provisioning, including on-premise, software-as-a-service (SaaS) and private cloud.

The answers to their survey reveal interesting opinions on SaaS versus on-premise and other cloud-based delivery models for ERP, which offer insights into what businesses see as the advantages and disadvantages of each.

In the case of SaaS, three clear views emerged from the survey:
1.Cost is seen as both a plus and a minus. Survey respondents think initial costs would be lower, but as the software is being rented, they believe costs would likely be higher in the longer term.

2.Automated upgrades are both an advantage and a drawback. As with hosting services, the service provider takes care of software maintenance and upgrades: you concentrate on running your business. Of course this means you yield some control to the vendor, who may change versions at a time you are ill-equipped to make the adjustment.

3.Security and control were jointly the most frequently-cited disadvantages. Lack of ownership of the software contributes directly to cost, so these issues may be seen as interdependent.

To read more about the results of the survey, visit the IFS website.

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Acumatica Named to the 2012 SaaS Top 250 Companies List

Acumatica, a leading global provider of cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and financial software, today announced it has been recognized as a member of the 2012 global SaaS Top 250 company listing by Montclair Advisors.

The SaaS Top 250 debuted in 2010 and has become very popular with software executives, investors and analysts. It provides a comprehensive view of the leading companies that make up this dynamic Cloud-based software market. Companies that are selected for this list are leaders in the pure and hybrid SaaS categories globally. The list is comprised of start-ups as well as notable public SaaS firms such as Salesforce.com, Cisco, and IBM.

To read more visit the Acumatica website.

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The Business Benefits of SaaS Software

The benefits of SaaS software have continued to gain momentum in the context of today’s economic uncertainties. The business benefits of SaaS software are contributing to this growth.

Internet security and compliance firm MXSweep recently cited six business benefits of SaaS solutions:

1. Lower total cost of ownership
2. No infrastructure concerns
3. Faster go-live time
4. Easier upgrades
5. Use-based pricing
6. Improved security

Cloud-based solutions such as SaaS software can help organizations incorporate, design, deliver, or manage software development to build smarter products and services and increase the utilization of hardware and IT staff, all while managing risk and cost across the software development lifecycle.

To read more, visit the Epicor blog.

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Have We Reached the Tipping Point in SaaS ERP?

In Malcolm Gladwell’s seminal book The Tipping Point, he defines a tipping point as “the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point.” For Software as a Service (SaaS), the traditional barrier to attaining the momentum implied by the tipping point has been ERP. Companies have been amenable to having applications that surround or extend ERP reside in a SaaS environment, but they have been less likely to place their most critical enterprise records in an environment they did not directly own or control. This is changing.

Read more on the Epicor blog. Interested in learning about implementing an ERP or CRM system? Sign up for a free consultationwith Brown Smith Wallace Software4Distributors today.

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More Companies Switch from NetSuite to Acumatica for Cloud ERP

PRESS RELEASE

Jewelry wholesaler J.Goodin joins other companies that switched from NetSuite to Acumatica to gain better performance, eliminate vendor lock-in, and integrate with on-premise systems.

BETHESDA, Md., April 20, 2011 – Acumatica, a provider of Cloud ERP software today announced that more mid-sized business customers have upgraded to modern web-based software without losing control of their data and their costs. Several customers are switching from NetSuite to Acumatica in order to gain deployment flexibility, eliminate vendor lock-in, select upgrade times, integrate with on-premise systems, and control where their data is stored. Customers that switch to Acumatica can choose to deploy the application on-premise or as SaaS, and pay an upfront license or an annual subscription.

J.Goodin, a fashion jewelry manufacturer and distributor, switched from NetSuite to Acumatica to improve transaction processing speed during the busy holiday period without being locked-in to recurring SaaS license payments.

“Acumatica provided a web-based solution that we could install on-premise and integrate with other on-premise systems,” said Jay Cheng, CEO of J.Goodin, Inc. “We gained on-the-go access to data without being locked into recurring payments or losing control of our data.”

J.Goodin implemented Acumatica to centralize global processes using a system that can be accessed by worldwide users without the burden of installing and maintaining client software. The Acumatica software manages multiple distribution processes for J.Goodin including build-to-order, drop-ship, and build-to-stock. Salespeople enter orders directly into Acumatica while Acumatica’s integration tools accept electronic sales from J.Goodin’s network of wholesalers, retailers, and online properties.

J.Goodin purchased Acumatica after unsuccessful attempts to utilize both NetSuite and SAP Business One. NetSuite was selected because it provided access from anywhere, but slow computations, lack of reliability, and ineffective support led J.Goodin to look for an alternative. After purchasing SAP Business One, J.Goodin was unable to get the system implemented for several months so the project was abandoned and Acumatica was selected and implemented.

“Many businesses such as J.Goodin are moving off SaaS-only solutions to implement Acumatica Cloud ERP,” said Ezequiel Steiner, CEO of Acumatica. “After using NetSuite, many customers want to regain control of where they place their data, when they upgrade, and how they pay for their software.”

To learn more visit www.acumatica.com/netsuite and register to receive the complete case study.

About Acumatica
Acumatica develops web-based ERP software that delivers the benefits of Cloud and SaaS without sacrificing customization, control, security, or speed. Acumatica can be deployed on premise, hosted at a datacenter, or run on a Cloud computing platform. Learn more about Acumatica’s Cloud ERP solution at www.acumatica.com.


Media Contact:
Douglas Johnson
703-873-7570
djohnson@acumatica.com