Category Archives: NetSuite

Netsuite localizes services in Asian markets

The globe close up, Asia pastNetsuite has continued efforts to localize services worldwide, announcing a number of new partnerships at CXO Summit in Singapore, as well as new product launches.

The company launched NetSuite OneWorld for companies based in Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as multinationals specifically doing business across Asia. The NetSuite OneWorld solution provides companies with multi-subsidiary management and global financial capabilities to run business operations in the region in a two tier model. Netsuite suite can be implemented in the cloud at subsidiary level, while maintaining legacy, on-premise systems at the company’s headquarters. The offering is also localised to meet the business, regulatory and tax compliance needs of regional businesses.

“Our long history in Southeast Asia and the dynamic business environment that has emerged in recent years, make expansion in the region a strategic imperative in NetSuite’s next phase of international growth,” said NetSuite CEO Zach Nelson. “Our announcements today demonstrate the success we’ve seen already and our deep level of commitment moving forward.”

Having launched its presence in Singapore in 2005, the company has made healthy gains in recent years, boasting a client list of 212 enterprises and subsidiaries in the city state alone. The new partnerships and product offerings appear to demonstrate Netsuite’s intentions in the region. Netsuite recently reported healthy growth over the course of the last 12 months, Q1 revenues were reported at $216.6 million, up 31% year-over-year, and since that point, Nelson has seemingly indicated the Asia market as a priority.

According to the South China Morning Post, Netsuite will be aiming to establish a number of data centres in the region, with Hong Kong and Singapore noted as possible locations. Netsuite’s tendency in entering new regions has been to open up multiple locations as a fail-safe, which could be seen during the company’s expansion in Europe last year. The company opened data centres in Dublin and Amsterdam within a short period of time during the expansion efforts.

While Hong Kong and Singapore represent healthy opportunities for the company to drive revenues, Netsuite has outlined China as a long-term target, with a Hong Kong platform offering a solid gateway due to its trade and political ties. “Businesses in Hong Kong and Singapore are already reaping the rewards of open trade and global expansion,” said Zakir Ahmed, GM of NetSuite Asia. “NetSuite OneWorld is giving these businesses the flexibility and agility to fully capitalise on the current cycle of growth.”

In terms of local partnerships, the announcement detailed new collaborations with 3PL Total Technology, a cloud warehouse management solutions company,, CuriousRubik, a previous Netsuite partner, and Doji Media, a company which helps local customers expand their remit to international markets.

Thames Tideway Tunnel taps Accenture in NetSuite deal

Accenture claims this is the first implementation of a multi-tenant cloud-based ERP system at a regulated utility in the UK

Accenture claims this is the first implementation of a multi-tenant cloud-based ERP system at a regulated utility in the UK

Thames Tideway Tunnel, the project company set up to manage London’s “super-sewer” overflow reduction project, has deployed NetSuite’s cloud-based ERP platform in a bid to reduce costs and drive flexibility in its financial and project planning operations.

The company, which is due to start construction on a super sewer system to tackle sewage overflowing into the River Thames, said it required a flexible, low-cost IT systems implementation to support its core financial and project planning operations.

It enlisted Accenture to help deploy NetSuite OneWorld across the organisation.

“An agile and intuitive back-office IT system is critical for effective management and delivery of large-scale infrastructure projects,” said Robin Johns, head of Information Systems at Thames Tideway Tunnel.

“We selected Accenture to help us with this implementation based on its extensive experience with NetSuite cloud ERP technology and complex system integrations. We also chose Accenture for its ability to offer practical solutions to deliver an IT platform that will help facilitate financing and construction of the super sewer, while keeping costs down for customers,” Johns said.

Maureen Costello, managing director of Accenture’s utilities practice in the UK and Ireland said this is the first implementation of a multi-tenant cloud-based ERP system at a regulated utility in the UK.

It “demonstrates the company’s innovative approach and commitment to efficiently manage the delivery of this capital project,” Costello said.

Dominos taps Capgemini, cloud to streamline ordering system

Dominos has worked with Capgemini on a number of IT-related initiatives

Dominos has worked with Capgemini on a number of IT-related initiatives

Dominos Pizza has enlisted outsourcing incumbent Capgemini to help implement a cloud-based equipment and supply ordering system in a move the compan said would make its online and phone ordering processes more efficient.

The system, built on the NetSuite SuiteCommerce platform, will replace its existing equipment and supply order management platform.

Dominos, which has over 1,000 independent franchises in North America alone, said the cloud-based platform is integrated with its franchisee support organisation, and will make franchisee ordering more efficient by streamlining the pizza-making process.

“As a leading global retailer in online transactions, we are well known for using innovative technologies to enhance our customer experience, but what we do for our franchisees is equally important,” said Kevin Vasconi, Domino’s Pizza executive vice president and chief information officer.

“With the help of Capgemini, we are significantly improving the efficiency, availability and functionality of our franchisee ordering system, ultimately providing an improved experience for our franchise partners and a platform for Domino’s to drive future growth opportunities,” he said.

Capgemini also worked with Dominos North America to integrate the NetSuite platform with its existing ERP platform and data warehouse, which the companies said will help Dominos sales representatives improve the accuracy and efficiency of phone orders, and better equip them to assist customers with online or phone inquires.

“We are proud to be a longstanding provider for Domino’s and are excited about our work together to further enhance their reputation as a digital leader in serving up technology innovations for  franchisees and customers,” said Ted Levine, global sector leader, consumer products & retail, Capgemini. “Our extensive experience as a leading systems integrator and deep experience in the restaurant industry segment enables us to help Domino’s improve operational effectiveness through technology.”

NetSuite ditches AWS in Microsoft partnership

NetSuite and Microsoft are linking their cloud services, and NetSuite is moving its services onto Azure

NetSuite and Microsoft are linking their cloud services, and NetSuite is moving its services onto Azure

NetSuite has inked a deal with Microsoft in a move that will see the two companies link up the cloud-based financial and ERP platform with Microsoft Office, Windows and Azure.

As part of the deal the two companies have already integrated NetSuite and Azure Active Directory to enable single sign-on (SSO) for customers using NetSuite together with Azure AD, and in the coming months plan to drive further integration between NetSuite and Office 365 – for instance, to be able to do things like connect NetSuite data to Microsoft Excel and PowerBI in a more seamless way.

The partnership will also see NetSuite move its service off Amazon Web Services, a long-time partner of the firm, as well as take its on-premise deployments and move them into Azure, now its “preferred cloud” provider, by the end of the year.

“We’re at the ‘end of the beginning’ of the cloud, in that the cloud business model that NetSuite pioneered in 1998 is becoming the de facto standard for how fast-growth businesses are run,” said Zach Nelson, NetSuite chief executive.

“We’re thrilled to work with Microsoft to deliver a fluid cloud environment across the key NetSuite and Microsoft applications that companies and their employees rely on to continually improve their day-to-day operations and run their business better and more efficiently,” Nelson said.

Steve Guggenheimer, corporate vice president of developer platform & evangelism and chief evangelist for Microsoft also commented on the deal: “I’m excited about NetSuite’s support for Azure Active Directory for single sign-on, cloud-to-cloud integration and increasing our collaboration across mobile and cloud solutions. Our joint vision is all about giving people the freedom to get more done through the broadening set of devices they interact with that in turn helps businesses innovate and grow.”

NetSuite buys Bronto to bolster retail marketing capabilities

NetSuite is acquiring Bronto Software to blend its marketing automation capabilities with its ERP platform

NetSuite is acquiring Bronto Software to blend its marketing automation capabilities with its ERP platform

Cloud ERP incumbent NetSuite has acquired Bronto Software, a provider of cloud-based marketing automation software for omnichannel commerce, in a deal worth about $200m.

Founded in 2002, Bronto offers retailers cloud-based omnichannel marketing software for campaign lifecycle management and claims to sell its services to over 1,400 businesses including some of the world’s top brands (Armani Exchange, Timex ,Trek Bikes).

NetSuite said Bronto’s offerings will complement its SuiteCommerce, an ERP platform tailored to B2B and B2C commerce.

“This combination, for the first time ever, ties a rich marketing automation system with a cloud-based omnichannel commerce platform. The capabilities this solution will deliver are transformational,” said Zach Nelson, chief executive of NetSuite.

“Just as customers demand seamless cross-channel shopping experiences, they increasingly expect companies to communicate consistently through all of their digital experiences – on site, at stores, in email or through social or mobile. By combining the two companies’ offerings and technology, we can help merchants deliver relevant and consistent digital commerce experiences throughout the customer journey,” Nelson said.

Joe Colopy, chief executive of Bronto Software said the two companies will integrate their respective offerings.

“Today’s consumers expect brands to know them across every channel and marketing touchpoint. Providing that type of experience demands a unified approach to digital engagement, whether driving transactions online or offline or engaging with them through website, email, mobile or social,” he said.

“This will help merchants to better engage with their customers, drive repeat purchases and build lifelong loyalty.”

Over the years many large incumbents like Oracle and SAP as well as newer upstarts like Salesforce have moved quickly to strengthen their position in marketing automation through acquisition. Integrating ERP with marketing automation is a no-brainer, particularly when catering to firms with complex supply chains, so it’s no surprise NetSuite, a relatively new player in the field, is following in the same footsteps as other ERP players.

Ultimate Software, NetSuite link HCM and ERP clouds

Ultimate Software and NetSuite are integrating their HCM and ERP services

Ultimate Software and NetSuite are integrating their HCM and ERP services

Ultimate Software, a provider of cloud-based human capital management services has inked a deal with NetSuite, a vendor of ERP cloud services, which will see the two companies integrate their software.

The two companies will integrate the UltiPro HCM solution and NetSuite’s ERP suite, which will enable joint customers to manage a broader chunk of their business lifecycles –financials, supply chain, CRM, payroll, HR, and talent management.

“By connecting UltiPro’s rich HR, talent, and payroll capabilities to NetSuite’s suite of ERP applications, Ultimate and NetSuite offer businesses the ability to manage their entire spectrum of business technology needs through two of the most trusted cloud vendors in the world—while enjoying industry-leading functionality, scalability, and configurability—without requiring point solutions for different business applications,” said Scott Scherr, chief executive officer of Ultimate.

“Not only are both our solutions leaders in cloud business technology, but our commitment to culture and service to customers is highly aligned.  We’re excited to bring this partnership to the market,” Scherr said.

Zach Nelson, chief executive officer of NetSuite said: “The combination of Ultimate’s robust HCM functionality together with NetSuite’s system of record for core operational processes provides our customers with a tightly integrated solution to run the core aspects of their business.”

The move suggests cloud ERP vendors are looking to double down on beating the large incumbents at their own game. The SAPs and Oracles of the world have long found that combining ERP and HR platforms make them more attractive to some large enterprises, so any move to bring end-to-end integration of these services in the cloud space will likely be welcome news to born-in-the-cloud firms that are also keen on de-risking their supply chains with multiple vendors.

A Beginner’s Guide to Netsuite

As a mid-tier ERP and CRM solution, NetSuite is an affordable software-as-a-service platform for small to mid-sized businesses. The cloud-based interface makes the platform available from anywhere with Internet access. Some of the many business tasks covered by NetSuite include sales and service tracking, order fulfillment management, project collaboration and lead tracking.

NetSuite Benefits

The benefits offered by NetSuite will differ between businesses. However, there are a number of service tiers and pre-configured options from which to choose that can help to provide maximum benefit with minimal start-up and implementation times. Benefits offered across most business types and sizes include:

  • Improved efficiency
  • Reduced maintenance
  • Improved collaboration
  • Greater accountability
  • Faster communication
  • Global access to data, reports and processes

How NetSuite Works

NetSuite is most often provided as a hosted service. This means that the platform is accessed and used through a web interface. Every person within the business uses the same interfaces and databases. This allows for real-time updates, instant access to information and improved interaction between departments and business segments. Setting access rights and roles by account or tier provides simple data management, user accountability and security.

Things to Consider before Choosing NetSuite

Though NetSuite offers many ways to customize and personalize the ERP experience, it is, at its core, a pre-configured product. This means that in-depth customization is often a highly involved process. Many NetSuite service providers will offer demonstrations or free trials to see if the product’s interface and features are a good fit for your business.

To help determine if NetSuite is a proper fit for your business, consider NetSuite consulting services. Professionals can help explain what to expect and provide an in-depth look in how your business can utilize the platform without the worry of service contracts, costly set up fees or time intensive research and training.

More Food for Thought…

As a cloud-based service, NetSuite offers a unified platform that is accessed using a high-speed Internet connection. However, with lack of local back up or local server solutions, any interruption in Internet service will result in an inability to access your NetSuite services.

NetSuite is a modular solution. This means that features can be added or removed on-demand to suit the needs of your business. Unfortunately, this also means that updating the platform can be tricky. Since modules are updated independently, you may find that you are forced to wait to implement an update due to conflicting module configurations and other issues.

The most common way of signing up for NetSuite service is through a value-added reseller. Comparing resellers and service providers is an essential part of finding the best NetSuite configuration. Phone and email support directly through NetSuite require recurring subscription costs as well. By finding a reseller that offers support, you can avoid unforeseen fees and service issues.

NetSuite is a proven platform for businesses of nearly any size. However, like any software suite, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the platform is essential to maximizing benefits.

Aujas Launches Phishnix for Cloud Services

Aujas Information Risk Services today announced the launch of Phishnix for cloud services, a new product that will help clients protect their sensitive information on the cloud by strengthening their weakest link in the security chain, their own employees. The product is targeted for major cloud services such as Salesforce, Google Apps, Netsuite etc.

Salesforce.com is the most popular cloud CRM company in the world with more than 75,000 companies who trust their customer data on Salesforce. The Salesforce security guideline specifically warns against the threat and says, “As the Salesforce.com community grows, it has become an increasingly appealing target for phishers. Phishers often direct users to enter details at a fake website whose URL and look-and-feel are almost identical to the legitimate one.”

One example is a recent scam that involved an email luring receivers to participate in the beta test of ‘Dreamforce,’ promising discounts and requesting receivers to fill a form, in a fake web link. In such a case, employees who are unaware of it being a phishing attack may easily fall prey to it. Any company is likely to face heavy business loss, when employees become victims of phishing attacks. According to the RSA Fraud report 2011, global loss from phishing is estimated to be about $1 billion.

Phishnix does a behavioral analysis of employees when faced with a phishing attack. It is integrated with Salesforce and has ready Salesforce scenarios which the client can select. They can start the assessment in a matter of hours and analyze how their employees react to a phishing attack. That data is then used to create awareness and train the employees on how to respond to a phishing attack.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Karl Kispert, Vice President at Phishnix said, “A single assessment and training cycle of Phishnix reduces the phishing fall rate by almost 35%. That is a huge reduction in the phishing risk for any organization.”

The product will be showcased by our partner Exafort at Dreamforce 2012, booth number 326 at the Moscone Center, San Francisco, on 18—21 September 2012. Stop by Exafort’s booth and ask for a demo and additional information about Phishnix. Dreamforce 2012 is the cloud computing industry event of the year with more than 50,000 attendees and 350 cloud computing companies showcasing more than 1000 solutions.

“Data security and confidentiality on the cloud is one of the biggest concerns for all our clients using cloud based services to run their business. Cloud service providers are addressing this concern to a large extent by building robust and secure applications and platforms. By adding Aujas’ Phishnix to our tool belt we can now gain valuable insights of our clients’ employees’ behavior with respect to information security and act upon them,” said  Arun Kanchi, CEO of Exafort Inc.

As cloud adoption increases within organizations, more sensitive data will be stored in the cloud. “We will see more focused phishing attacks targeting popular cloud applications. The road-map is to enable Phishnix for all popular cloud platforms, and help clients reduce phishing risk for all their cloud applications. It would become an integral part of their cloud security program,” said Sameer Shelke, CTO at Phishnix.