NetSuite takes on SAP with on-demand suite

SAN MATEO, USA: NetSuite Inc., a leading vendor of on-demand, integrated business management software suites for the mid-market enterprise and divisions of large companies, announced a new vertical suite for manufacturing companies.

NetSuite for Manufacturers, which includes new functionality for Assembly, Work Order and Bill of Materials, takes aim at SAP's core market and seeks to exploit the prolonged delay of SAP's Business ByDesign product roll-out, providing mid-sized manufacturers with an integrated on-demand solution they can put to work today.

The release leverages the core strength of the NetSuite Wholesale/Distribution Edition-launched in April 2006-and is a natural progression of NetSuite's leading role in delivering Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business suites designed to address the specific requirements of vertical industries.

NetSuite's offering for manufacturing, initially aimed at the light manufacturing sector, is also the latest example of how NetSuite's SaaS-based business management technology has evolved to address more complex processes in industries long dominated by on-premise vendors such as SAP.

The company's rapid move into manufacturing comes at a difficult time for SAP, as they have struggled to deliver their own on-demand offering, Business ByDesign, to address customer requirements in their core market. NetSuite for Manufacturers now gives SAP customers and others an option they can purchase and deploy without delay.

NetSuite for Manufacturers provides companies with essential visibility into the key build processes that light manufacturers need to compete effectively in the market. Since NetSuite's delivery model is SaaS and all functionality and data is within one system, the total-cost-of-ownership is greatly reduced and light manufacturers gain the following benefits:

* Greater insight into production processes - from inventory, to assembly, to demand based replenishment;
* Real-time visibility throughout the entire organization -- from sales to warehouse operations to invoicing;
* Minimal integration hassle - NetSuite provides one system to manage the end-to-end business life-cycle;
* Cost savings - reduced IT costs, reduced labor costs and reduced errors;
* Reduced risk - instant information can help reduce time to respond to change;
* Stay competitive in the ever competitive global economy for light manufacturers.

NetSuite for Manufacturers is available now at $999 per month and $99 per user per month.