| "Access to timely and relevant information has | | | | support, and eCommerce – and makes them |
| always been the purpose of business management | | | | accessible in a single system via the Internet. As a |
| software, but traditional systems have often left | | | | result, when an employee, a partner, a vendor, or a |
| small- and medium-sized businesses with an expensive | | | | customer enters information, it is available to the |
| infrastructure and outdated reports," says Michael | | | | enterprise in real time, regardless of location. |
| Emaus, President and CEO of eEnterprise ( a global | | | | Previously reserved for the Fortune 500, this |
| integrator of NetSuite, the world's leading on-demand | | | | integrated solution is particularly crucial for businesses |
| business management software. "In contrast, | | | | with growing market pressures to offer support for |
| Web-based solutions level the playing field." | | | | real-time partner, vendor, and multi-location |
| Owners of small- and medium-sized businesses | | | | relationships. |
| (SMBs) often underestimate the necessary expertise | | | | As a result, managers and owners can spot data |
| or the budget to implement and support a traditional | | | | trends as they occur and drill down to determine the |
| on-site Information Technology business | | | | factors involved. "Small- and medium-sized businesses |
| management solution. "In essence, business owners | | | | can focus their attention on the information, not the |
| can think of on-demand, Web-based applications as a | | | | technology, and quickly make informed decisions |
| revenue stream, while the traditional Information | | | | based on actionable data," says Emaus. |
| Technology department requires both an initial | | | | For the growing small-and medium-sized business, |
| investment and abundant expenses to support it. | | | | traditional software continues to require a significant |
| Managers need real-time, actionable information in | | | | investment with the goal to have many disparate |
| order to grow and gain profitability, but instead | | | | systems talking with one another. Generally, in |
| become distracted with untimely and distorted | | | | today's SMB environment, accounting is not |
| reports," says Emaus. | | | | integrated with sales, sales are not shared with |
| In contrast, on-demand, Web-based applications such | | | | support and eCommerce is a report that is fed back |
| as NetSuite allow business owners and department | | | | to sales and accounting. For the NetSuite workplace, |
| managers to focus on the "Information" necessary to | | | | each employee, vendor, partner location, and global |
| grow the business while the traditional requirements | | | | resource shares a common communication network. |
| of "Technology" – updates, security, hosting, | | | | "In today's world of virtual offices and multiple |
| and support – are intuitive. "NetSuite | | | | locations, the inherent drawbacks of traditional |
| on-demand removes traditional IT requirements, and | | | | software are taking their toll on small business," says |
| the expenses required to support that infrastructure," | | | | Emaus. Not only are businesses faced with a variety |
| says Emaus. "In that sense, on-demand is the great | | | | of computers and operating systems that may not |
| equalizer, allowing small- and medium-sized businesses | | | | readily "speak" to one another, but redundant |
| to have the sophisticated tools that are available to | | | | resources are hired in each location to support the |
| their big business counterparts." | | | | enterprise. "With an on-demand solution, timely |
| For example, NetSuite integrates four major | | | | access provides better managerial control of the |
| components – sales (CRM), back office (ERP), | | | | business." says Emaus. |