6 ms·

This news is interesting because with NetSuite's acquisition, it leaves no significant SMB SaaS player for SAP or MSFT to acquire immediately. All eyes are on t

This news is interesting because with NetSuite's acquisition, it leaves no significant SMB SaaS player for SAP or MSFT to acquire immediately. All eyes are on their next announcement. Anybody got a few hundred million sitting around and wants to build another SaaS ERP/SCM solution? :)

iamgopal 10y ago
I'm dying to build one and have very good idea how it could differentiate itself to reach such levels...
- HenryTheHorse 10y ago
  Brilliant. What's stopping you? (Other than hundred million dollars and an enterprise sales team?)
  - iamgopal 10y ago
    haha, it's always hundred million. Core idea is to use AI to convert simple todo list in to process driven smart software automatically. ( I know execution counts much more, and If someone copy / already does that, please let me know )
    - HenryTheHorse 10y ago
      IMO, that space (minus the AI component) is occupied by BPM and workflow automation platforms. But what a business needs is an application and not a platform. So if you have a specific business problem and a use-case in mind and can prototype a solution, you can find a company to at least hear out your pitch. Good luck with your idea!
      - iamgopal 10y ago
        SMB do not have well defined processes, if I can enter whatever that I am doing and if it can be converted to process which other can follow without come up with one themselves, effectively I'm transferring the intellectuals or experience down the line, which will enable me to grow organically instead of thinking out all of business growth and processes beforehand. Another advantage is the existing process can be improved organically. May be I should make a demo to explain it better....
        nickfromseattle 10y ago
        A demo, or more quickly define a specific problem(s) and how your software solves for it.
spenczar5 10y ago
What does "SMB SaaS player" mean?
- HenryTheHorse 10y ago
  SMB = Small-to-Medium Business (companies in the $10m - $250m revenue range) SaaS = Software-as-a-Service (like Salesforce.com)
- jbb555 10y ago
  nothing
- Spooky23 10y ago
  NetSuite was a solution for people who outgrew stuff like QuickBooks and needed a grownup accounting solution, but didn't have the need or pockets for Oracle Financials.
stephenr 10y ago
> Anybody got a few hundred million sitting around and wants to build another SaaS ERP/SCM solution? How about, stop obsessing over fucking SaaS and make software people can use without worrying when your bullshit company will "pivot" from CRM to cute cat gifs like the majority of SaaS startups.
- HenryTheHorse 10y ago
  Not getting your vitriol, man. NetSuite sells to SMB space. Those companies lack IT expertise and prefer cloud-based solutions. Hence they were successful. If your anger is toward poorly designed software, then yes, it doesn't matter if it's SaaS or on-premise.
  - stephenr 10y ago
    > NetSuite sells to SMB space. Those companies lack IT expertise and prefer cloud-based solutions. Another comment identified "SMB" as "companies in the $10m - $250m revenue range". Other definitions are based on staff count, with "<200", "<250", "<500" accepted 'standards' for Australia, European Union and USA respectively. So, your basic premise is that a company with up to 200 staff, does not, and cannot have any staff capable of installing/maintaining a CRM tool, despite the fact that many companies have sold on-premise CRM software for many years, including NetSuite. > Hence they were successful I would argue that a number of major SaaS products are only successful because they already had an entrenched user-base who basically had limited options besides moving to the SaaS solution. My point was that there are already several SaaS CRM tools for those who don't want to control their own data. SaaS is not about making software better, its about getting continual income from the users of the software, and increasing vendor lock-in.
    - HenryTheHorse 10y ago
      > its about getting continual income from the users of the software, and increasing vendor lock-in Unfortunately, lock-in will occur regardless of whether it's an on-prem software or SaaS. Companies don't go around changing their platforms every year or even every 3 years. So, one way or the other, the vendor will derive revenues from Annual Maintenance or Subscription. How's NetSuite unique in that regard?
thomasjudge 10y ago
Microsoft bought Great Plains software several years ago which was SMB focused (renamed as part of Microsoft Dynamics); they say this is available in their cloud, I don't know if that's real or not, or how it stacks up competitively
- HenryTheHorse 10y ago
  Yup, same space as NetSuite. Dynamics gets into pretty much every SMB ERP evaluation in the market. (MSFT does have a massive partner network to serve that market.)
- mbesto 10y ago
  Except GP doesn't have a SaaS offering...it's just a hosted version by MS partners.
  - jrs235 10y ago
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 is coming soon: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics/dynamics-365?WT.mc_id=azurebg_ENAzureNewsletter_July https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics/dynamics-365?WT.mc_... From their email newsletter 3 days ago: Microsoft Dynamics 365 available later this year Available this fall, Microsoft Dynamics 365 evolves our current CRM and ERP cloud solutions into one cloud service with new purpose-built apps to help manage specific business functions, including: Financials, Field Service, Sales, Operations, Marketing, Project Service Automation, and Customer Service. Dynamics 365 apps are designed so they can be easily and independently deployed. That means you can start small and pay only for what you need. Yet they work together seamlessly so, as your business demands, you can grow into additional capabilities with ease. For more information, visit the Official Microsoft Blog.
- smhenderson 10y ago
  We were asked by our board to move our accounting system to the cloud in 2015. We were using in-house Great Plains at that time. When I did my research MS's Dynamics "cloud" options were simply off-site hosting, you still ran their client instead of accessing it via a browser. They had something in the works and this was about a year ago so I don't know if anything's changed since then. But I do remember the company that helped us manage our MS licensed software suggesting that their true cloud offering wouldn't be ready for quite a while. In the end we went with NetSuite. Just like most software it's good at some things, not so much at others. But all in all I don't miss Great Plains that much, NetSuite does the job.
numo16 10y ago
Yeah, the SMB SaaS ERP area is pretty small currently. There are some of us (I work for Plex Systems[0], which caters more to manufacturing customers), but we don't see as many headlines as the big names. [0]: http://www.plex.com/ http://www.plex.com/
mbesto 10y ago
Intacct
patwalls 10y ago
Anaplan (for SAP to acquire)
- edwinnathaniel 10y ago
  SAP BusinessObjects Cloud has Modeling and Financial Planning capabilities: http://go.sap.com/canada/product/analytics/cloud-analytics.product-capabilities.html http://go.sap.com/canada/product/analytics/cloud-analytics.p...
swampthinker 10y ago
Hubspot maybe?
- HenryTheHorse 10y ago
  That makes sense actually. Marketing automation is very hot, the bigger players are not going to bother building that service - not because they can't, but because they can't cater to SMB with their cost models - and hubspot has a loyal customer base.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
d4rti 10y ago
Sage have X3. Maybe not on the scale you're looking for.
edwinnathaniel 10y ago
SAP has S4/Hana: cloud or on-prem, your call. I do not think it will acquire SaaS SMB in ERP/SCM.
staticelf 10y ago
I read on their website and on wikipedia, I still can't figure out what their software or even what "ERP" software in general even do. Maybe I'm stupid but it is not at all clear to me.

iamgopal 10y ago

I'm dying to build one and have very good idea how it could differentiate itself to reach such levels...

HenryTheHorse 10y ago
Brilliant. What's stopping you? (Other than hundred million dollars and an enterprise sales team?)
- iamgopal 10y ago
  haha, it's always hundred million. Core idea is to use AI to convert simple todo list in to process driven smart software automatically. ( I know execution counts much more, and If someone copy / already does that, please let me know )
  - HenryTheHorse 10y ago
    IMO, that space (minus the AI component) is occupied by BPM and workflow automation platforms. But what a business needs is an application and not a platform. So if you have a specific business problem and a use-case in mind and can prototype a solution, you can find a company to at least hear out your pitch. Good luck with your idea!
    - iamgopal 10y ago
      SMB do not have well defined processes, if I can enter whatever that I am doing and if it can be converted to process which other can follow without come up with one themselves, effectively I'm transferring the intellectuals or experience down the line, which will enable me to grow organically instead of thinking out all of business growth and processes beforehand. Another advantage is the existing process can be improved organically. May be I should make a demo to explain it better....
      - nickfromseattle 10y ago
        A demo, or more quickly define a specific problem(s) and how your software solves for it.

spenczar5 10y ago

What does "SMB SaaS player" mean?

HenryTheHorse 10y ago
SMB = Small-to-Medium Business (companies in the $10m - $250m revenue range) SaaS = Software-as-a-Service (like Salesforce.com)
jbb555 10y ago
nothing
Spooky23 10y ago
NetSuite was a solution for people who outgrew stuff like QuickBooks and needed a grownup accounting solution, but didn't have the need or pockets for Oracle Financials.

stephenr 10y ago

> Anybody got a few hundred million sitting around and wants to build another SaaS ERP/SCM solution? How about, stop obsessing over fucking SaaS and make software people can use without worrying when your bullshit company will "pivot" from CRM to cute cat gifs like the majority of SaaS startups.

HenryTheHorse 10y ago
Not getting your vitriol, man. NetSuite sells to SMB space. Those companies lack IT expertise and prefer cloud-based solutions. Hence they were successful. If your anger is toward poorly designed software, then yes, it doesn't matter if it's SaaS or on-premise.
- stephenr 10y ago
  > NetSuite sells to SMB space. Those companies lack IT expertise and prefer cloud-based solutions. Another comment identified "SMB" as "companies in the $10m - $250m revenue range". Other definitions are based on staff count, with "<200", "<250", "<500" accepted 'standards' for Australia, European Union and USA respectively. So, your basic premise is that a company with up to 200 staff, does not, and cannot have any staff capable of installing/maintaining a CRM tool, despite the fact that many companies have sold on-premise CRM software for many years, including NetSuite. > Hence they were successful I would argue that a number of major SaaS products are only successful because they already had an entrenched user-base who basically had limited options besides moving to the SaaS solution. My point was that there are already several SaaS CRM tools for those who don't want to control their own data. SaaS is not about making software better, its about getting continual income from the users of the software, and increasing vendor lock-in.
  - HenryTheHorse 10y ago
    > its about getting continual income from the users of the software, and increasing vendor lock-in Unfortunately, lock-in will occur regardless of whether it's an on-prem software or SaaS. Companies don't go around changing their platforms every year or even every 3 years. So, one way or the other, the vendor will derive revenues from Annual Maintenance or Subscription. How's NetSuite unique in that regard?

thomasjudge 10y ago

Microsoft bought Great Plains software several years ago which was SMB focused (renamed as part of Microsoft Dynamics); they say this is available in their cloud, I don't know if that's real or not, or how it stacks up competitively

HenryTheHorse 10y ago
Yup, same space as NetSuite. Dynamics gets into pretty much every SMB ERP evaluation in the market. (MSFT does have a massive partner network to serve that market.)
mbesto 10y ago
Except GP doesn't have a SaaS offering...it's just a hosted version by MS partners.
- jrs235 10y ago
  Microsoft Dynamics 365 is coming soon: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics/dynamics-365?WT.mc_id=azurebg_ENAzureNewsletter_July https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics/dynamics-365?WT.mc_... From their email newsletter 3 days ago: Microsoft Dynamics 365 available later this year Available this fall, Microsoft Dynamics 365 evolves our current CRM and ERP cloud solutions into one cloud service with new purpose-built apps to help manage specific business functions, including: Financials, Field Service, Sales, Operations, Marketing, Project Service Automation, and Customer Service. Dynamics 365 apps are designed so they can be easily and independently deployed. That means you can start small and pay only for what you need. Yet they work together seamlessly so, as your business demands, you can grow into additional capabilities with ease. For more information, visit the Official Microsoft Blog.
smhenderson 10y ago
We were asked by our board to move our accounting system to the cloud in 2015. We were using in-house Great Plains at that time. When I did my research MS's Dynamics "cloud" options were simply off-site hosting, you still ran their client instead of accessing it via a browser. They had something in the works and this was about a year ago so I don't know if anything's changed since then. But I do remember the company that helped us manage our MS licensed software suggesting that their true cloud offering wouldn't be ready for quite a while. In the end we went with NetSuite. Just like most software it's good at some things, not so much at others. But all in all I don't miss Great Plains that much, NetSuite does the job.

numo16 10y ago

Yeah, the SMB SaaS ERP area is pretty small currently. There are some of us (I work for Plex Systems[0], which caters more to manufacturing customers), but we don't see as many headlines as the big names. [0]: http://www.plex.com/ http://www.plex.com/

mbesto 10y ago

Intacct

patwalls 10y ago

Anaplan (for SAP to acquire)

edwinnathaniel 10y ago
SAP BusinessObjects Cloud has Modeling and Financial Planning capabilities: http://go.sap.com/canada/product/analytics/cloud-analytics.product-capabilities.html http://go.sap.com/canada/product/analytics/cloud-analytics.p...

swampthinker 10y ago

Hubspot maybe?

HenryTheHorse 10y ago
That makes sense actually. Marketing automation is very hot, the bigger players are not going to bother building that service - not because they can't, but because they can't cater to SMB with their cost models - and hubspot has a loyal customer base.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

d4rti 10y ago

Sage have X3. Maybe not on the scale you're looking for.

edwinnathaniel 10y ago

SAP has S4/Hana: cloud or on-prem, your call. I do not think it will acquire SaaS SMB in ERP/SCM.

staticelf 10y ago

I read on their website and on wikipedia, I still can't figure out what their software or even what "ERP" software in general even do. Maybe I'm stupid but it is not at all clear to me.