NetSuite, a company that provides cloud-based business management software suites, is furthering its mobile strategy by launching a free iPhone app to compliment its web-based products. The iPhone app gives NetSuite users on-the-go access to the company’s on-demand SaaS offerings, which include real-time dashboards with financial and customer data from CRMs and other applications.
A competitor to Salesforce.com, NetSuite offers four main types of cloud computing software: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), CRM, accounting, and ecommerce software. In any business, mobile access makes business processes speedier, so NetSuite has tried to make the crossover between the web and the iPhone (or iPod touch) seamless.
With the new app, users get real-time access to their NetSuite calendar and task lists, including the ability to accept or decline events and mark tasks complete. With respect to the CRM, sales reps can see leads, view client purchase history and contacts, and review past orders. Users can also access accounting information, browse financial trends and graphs, read performance indicator reports and receive and generate detailed financial scorecards.
NetSuite faces competition primarily from tech giants Salesforce.com and Microsoft, which both offer business application suites such as CRMs and ERPs. Salesforce has had an iPhone app (as well as apps for Blackberry and Windows Mobile devices) to compliment its products since early this year and has similar functionality to NetSuite’s app. Of course the larger picture for most companies is whether they trust all of their business data going in the cloud and then within an app, but as more and more companies become increasingly comfortable with the idea of the cloud, this concern is minimized.
Unless this is the weirdest software in the world, the word would be “complement”, not “compliment”.
Is it really that important to provide on-the-go access to a business suite? We build codeBeamer , an ALM suite (http://www.intl...ducts/main.html), and Participate, for biz collaboration package, and sometimes users asks for mobile support, but at the end of day we figure out this would be just a toy for them with not much *real* benefit…
These efforts might be better sent elsewhere IMO.
Not only is this development great for SaaS, but I can see this providing real value to NetSuite’s customer base… and the security comment is spot on.
They have good reviews … interesting app … http://www.uque.../apps/328888671
it doesnt support a large number of roles.
therefore its useless to me and our organization.
> Salesforce has had an iPhone app … since early this year
There’s been a Salesforce iPhone app since there’s been an AppStore. The app was showcased in the original announcement about 3rd party apps.
So was Oracle’s for that matter!
I’m a NetSuite customer, and it’s a mixed bag. The service is pretty stable, but it can be slow. Learning curve is steep since the user interface is pretty kludged together.
Proposed new features literally take years to even come under consideration as they make customers vote on bug fixes and upgrades (and then ignore the votes). I’m three years into waiting for an upgrade my sales rep had promised was “almost done” on day one!
Heaven help you if you need any features beyond the bare minimum. Add-ons get very expensive very fast. Example: $3k annual for a directory to serve a few static HTML pages. They encourage new signups with fat discounts that will evaporate when it is time to renew.
However, having almost every business function seamlessly tied together with realtime reporting is fantastic. NetSuite is a small business suite, and it really helps to give a taste of the integrated systems that larger companies can afford.
If Apple would buy NetSuite and rework the user experience I would be a very satisfied customer. I don’t mind paying for a good product, but I want a good user experience and I want a firm to be upfront with pricing.
love this. Difference between Netsuite and Salesforce is accounting. As a small business owner the 360-degree info this app gives me access to is without equal. On my phone, on one screen I see everything from bank balances to support tickets and all the good stuff between. Sure I can get sales info too, but for me Netsuite is more then just sales. Bottom line is that in about 5 minutes I can figure out exactly where my business is at anytime and now anywhere.
@mike. I don’t understand the ‘large number of roles’ comment. I thought Netsuite’s implementation of roles in this app was right on the money. How may roles are you talking about? With the possible exception of not being able to update records, I thought they nailed it! For a 1.0 this app is fantastic!
I’ve been using the app for a few weeks now and am really impressed. I think over time the SaaS systems are going to use mobile to gain an edge. Eager to see what new innovations they continue to add as time goes on too.
The iPhone app pulls the most important data about one’s business and gives access to CEO’s and managers anywhere anytime. The iPhone app has given the Netsuite experience much more value to me, and to our organization. At any time of day, when away from my computer, I can get the most important data to make key decisions. One of my favorites is checking the latest orders or who the most recent customer added might be – then reviewing and acknowledging with the salesperson. I also have customized reports and searches come directly to my phone to alert me on key events (part of NetSuite not the app).
I think NetSuite nailed it for the first release. It brings new value to my team. Could there be more? Sure. This is a great start to build on. And I actually prefer it for getting my KPI’s and trend graphs
Just wanted to add that I am in agreement with Travis’ post.
The iPhone app is about getting key info and using that for better decision making.Â
Its really a great invention by netsuite developers.They make Access of netsuite become easy for it’s user.
This app is crap. As a sales manager I need to be able to approve sales orders and edit them and such while i am on the go and this does not help what so ever. its a waste of space on my homescreen.