The package, which includes license and implementation, is priced at sub Rs.. 3 lakhs by its partners and will allow growing businesses to access a basic set of ERP functionalities including financials, distribution and sales management without huge capital investments. Further, being a ready to use solution, it can be deployed in about two to three weeks timeframe.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV BE helps reduce the implementation cycle time with low investment thus enabling small customers to look at an ERP solution from day one. It allows businesses currently using financial accounting package to adopt integrated business management (ERP) solution including sales, purchase and inventory management etc. as they grow their business.

"This signals an important inflexion point in the trend in IT adoption in the SMB segment in India. There is a growing demand to transition from financial accounting software to ERP among growing businesses to gain complete visibility and control of their business, which marks the coming of age of these businesses," said Rajeev Mittal, Group Director, Small and Medium Enterprises, Microsoft India.

"Given the recent challenging economic times, growing businesses are keen to embrace IT solutions which offer them a great ROI. Microsoft Dynamics NAV BE's easy usage, flexible business logic, localized tax settings with fast implementation is just what the growing businesses seek," he added.

Choosing the right business management solution is critical for three million odd growing businesses in India and it also means balancing their short and long-term business goals with their enterprise resources. Microsoft Dynamics NAV BE helps growing businesses overcome these challenges with an integrated business management solution (ERP) that matches their requirements for both the immediate as well as the
Long-term needs.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV BE is designed to help businesses with a solution that will help them meet their basic requirements on day one and still be flexible to cater to them when they scale up their business.

Analysts believe that among the most significant challenges which SMBs in our country are facing is a lack of planning by most entrepreneurs while pursuing the feverish growth targets of the past which boils down to - lack of accurate and scientific information about their business, their competition and their end users.

There are approximately four million SMBs in India - of which about 3.9 million fall within the small business (category. According to Microsoft AMI Partners report, typically SMEs go through three distinctive phases of IT deployment - from building infrastructure solutions to deploying connectivity solutions and ultimately enterprise solutions for extending their business reach with their remote locations, customers and business partners. Nine out of ten SMEs in our country unfortunately are completely oblivious to any form of organised information.

"Microsoft Dynamics NAV BE will help rectify this lacunae in a big way and help in making realistic business decisions. Growing businesses in India contribute almost 50 percent to the GDP of India, and as they align themselves to the global markets they seek business applications which can offer them strategic competitive advantage and back home retain their competitive edge during economically challenging times," said Mittal.