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09.21.07
SAP's Business ByDesign An "Improvement" But "Missing Pieces"
 By
Chris Crum
Simplicity and ease of use are two qualities missing from SAP's Business By Design on-demand ERP offering according to an analyst from Forrester Research.
The analyst did however admit that Business By Design, which launched on Wednesday, was an improvement on SAP's other offerings for mid-market customers.
InfoWorld reports:
According to Ray Wang, senior analyst for enterprise applications with Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research, SAP's new offering is complex despite considerable research into the mid-market space. "Key features like easy access to reporting, quick portal construction, and easy integration to Office remain missing."
Although SAP is not a newcomer to the mid-market arena and actually leads the space by revenue, customers don't necessarily look to the vendor for ERP products, said Wang.
He thinks adopters of SAP Business By Design -- originally codenamed A1S and targeted at companies of 100 to 500 employees -- will likely stem from its existing customer base, but that could change depending on how well the company launches and markets this latest product.
Larry Dignan of ZDNet raises a good point: Business By Design is targeted towards "small and mid-sized businesses, notably those that can't afford a complete ERP suite...so what happens if you're a 500 employee company with an SAP ERP suite? Will SAP turn you away?"
Apparently SAP rival Microsoft does not feel threatened by Business By Design. Microsoft Dynamics Group Manager at Microoft Canada is quoted as saying, "While we certainly recognize other vendors as formidable competitors, at the end of the day the SMB spot is our sweet spot. We've been servicing this space for years,"
General Availability has not yet been announced for SAP's Business By Design, but it is currently available in China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Business by Design pricing starts at $149 per month per user with "lower price points for efficiency users" according to ZDNet.
About the Author:
Chris is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest ebusiness news.
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