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Manufacturing Is a Huge Opportunity for Cloud ERP

Number of US Companies by Sector

Today, there is no manufacturing cloud ERP provider with the size or scale of Salesforce.com or Workday. Contrary to popular belief, this is not because the opportunity is small. Manufacturing still comprises a large percentage of US companies and is an enormous opportunity for cloud ERP. This post outlines the challenges that cloud ERP providers face and what it will take for them to dominate the market for manufacturing systems.

New Customer-Facing Systems Extend the Reach of Small, Midsize Businesses

Small business doesn’t always mean simple business. Like larger companies, small and midsize businesses (SMBs) need to reach new markets, develop new products, satisfy customers, and control costs. The main difference is that SMBs need to do these things with fewer resources. In recent years, software vendors have announced new products to address the challenges facing small businesses. This post outlines two of them.

The Growing Circle of Cloud ERP

Traditional providers of ERP systems typically sought to expand their functional footprint to include complementary applications outside of core ERP. Now cloud ERP vendors are adopting a similar strategy, bringing significant benefits to buyers.

Oracle Acquisition of NetSuite Is a Mixed Bag

Oracle took another step in its strategy of growth by acquisition by announcing a bid for NetSuite. But apart from helping Oracle in its race with Salesforce.com to get to $10 billion in cloud revenues, what are the benefits of the deal to Oracle? How does it help NetSuite, and what does it mean to the broader marketplace? Looking at the big picture, there are certainly benefits, but there are also several concerns.

Sage Puts Stake in the Cloud with Sage Live

Sage is one of the world’s largest providers of business applications for small and midsize organizations. Now in the cloud it has taken a big step forward, launching Sage Live, a built-from-scratch accounting system on the Salesforce.com platform. This post outlines key features of Sage Live, the challenges it faces, and recommendations for potential buyers.

Rootstock Rounding Out Its Cloud ERP Offerings

Rootstock Software is an up-and-coming manufacturing cloud ERP provider, built on the Salesforce.com platform. This post provides an update on Rootstock’s progress over the past year in building out its capabilities, including a new initiative for its own native financial applications. We conclude with recommendations for buyers considering Rootstock.

Kenandy: Against the Tide of Two-Tier ERP

Salesforce.com is proving to be a popular platform for developing ERP systems. In this post, we review the latest developments with Kenandy, one of five ERP providers building on the Salesforce platform. Kenandy stands out as taking a different strategy for selling into large companies, while continuing to target the SMB market as a complete ERP solution. We also provide recommendations for where Kenandy is a good fit for ERP buyers.

The Maturing of ERP on the Salesforce Platform

Salesforce.com is not only the industry’s most well-known cloud CRM system. It is also a platform for a variety of other software providers. This post outlines the latest developments with the four ERP providers building on the Salesforce platform: Kenandy, FinancialForce, Rootstock, and AscentERP. We conclude with a caveat for buyers.

Oracle and Salesforce.com: The Great Detente

Salesforce.com and Oracle this week announced a “new strategic partnership.” For their mutual customers, the announcement represents a welcome thawing of relations between the two companies. But it remains to be seen whether it represents a strategic change of direction for Salesforce.com (SFDC). Not a Radical Departure for Salesforce.com The press release is quite short, […]