Intacct Launches On-Demand Platform Services for Customizing

CustomERP, ConnectERP and ManageERP allow users to create and deliver cross-application business processes

 

(June 15, 2005) — Intacct Corporation, the leading provider of ERP On Demand, today announced three revolutionary platform services, including CustomERP™ — the first software-as-a-service customization product for creating and delivering cross-application business processes over the Internet. Companies no longer require programming resources and expensive middleware for their ERP system to talk to external legacy and Web-native applications. When a sales order is entered, for example, Intacct automatically updates the customer record in the CRM and the inventory list in the warehouse management system — even if those applications are hosted outside Intacct’s infrastructure.

Until today, no other on-demand solution has demonstrated the capability to automatically share real-time information between disparate applications.

As large and midsize companies struggle to integrate and manage diverse, stand-alone systems, Intacct also unveils ConnectERP™, a powerful Web services integration platform, and ManageERP™, an easy-to-use Web portal for deploying and managing applications, customizations and integrations across multiple sites and users.

CustomERP, ConnectERP and ManageERP elevate Intacct’s ERP application suite to a strategic platform for enterprise users and software developers to build industry-specific business solutions with data, application and business process integration and customization. As a result, companies can expect reduced operating costs, higher productivity and increased revenues.

CORESense Inc., a leading provider of on-demand retail management software, expects sales to increase more than 20% within 12 months of embedding Intacct’s ERP On Demand suite. CORSESense uses CustomERP, ConnectERP and ManageERP to mesh Intacct’s financial applications with its order, inventory, suppliers and shipping applications, offering customers a comprehensive retail management solution.

“As a leader in Web-based ERP systems and a fellow software-as-a-service company, Intacct was the clear choice for us to integrate with,” said Jason Jacobs, CEO and president of CORESense. “The combination of Intacct’s on-demand platform services and ERP functionality gives CORESense an unmatched, end-to-end retail management software for small and midsize retailers.”

“A major challenge facing companies today is addressing the complexities of integrating and delivering best-of-breed applications to employees and customers,” said Robert J. Jurkowski, CEO and president of Intacct. “Abandoning the outdated system-of-record model, Intacct is ushering in the era of the Federated Ecosystem, where vendors, partners and customers work together to build the most productive, cost-effective and flexible solutions for the rapidly growing on-demand software market.”

Research firm IDC believes worldwide spending on software as a service, which reached $4.2 billion in 2004, will grow at an average rate of 21 percent a year to $10.7 billion in 2009.

Intacct’s CustomERP features never-before-seen customization capabilities for building complete enterprise applications that meet unique business and industry requirements:

Smart Events™Smart Events integrate and streamline workflows between Intacct’s ERP On Demand application suite and third-party applications, such as CRM, e-commerce and manufacturing. Intacct’s patent-pending event subscription technology automatically notify third-party systems about actions executed in Intacct, enabling users to set up cross-application business processes, such as cash-to-order and order-canceling. When a user terminates a customer order, for example, Intacct removes the order from the production plan, releases material allocated to the order, notifies the invoicing department and deletes the order from various systems.

Smart Links™Smart Links let users access real-time data from any application or database directly through Intacct’s ERP On Demand suite. Users create links in Intacct records that point to data in external systems. With a click, a new window opens into the external system and displays the requested information. Users can also fetch third-party application data and display it in Intacct custom tabs. A link in an invoice, for example, can show live shipping data from the FedEx tracking system.

Smart Rules™Smart Rules help users manage events by establishing conditions and exceptions to be met before a transaction is completed. Administrators can prevent employees from entering expenses in excess of $10,000, for example. A purchase transaction is stopped if the vendor’s insurance has expired. Smart Rules allow users to set up workflows in accordance with corporate governance.

Smart Packages™Customized fields, events, links and rules are packaged and stored in open libraries for easy reuse and deployment. Developers no longer have to write new applications from scratch each time business rules change. Smart Packages customize existing applications with a few clicks. An integration with FedEx or UPS to enable label printing, for example, is simply a collection of custom fields and links. Packages can be installed and removed as needed. Intacct also works with leading software companies to develop industry-specific packages, called Smart Verticals™, for a wide range of sectors, including healthcare, property management and construction.

As part of the Summer 2005 product rollout, CustomERP, ConnectERP and ManageERP enhance Intacct’s suite of subscription-based, Web-native financial, supply chain, professional services automation and business analytics software.

CustomERP — First Customization Service with Real-Time Data Synchronization

A full set of tools to create workflows across multiple, diverse applications and deliver cross-functional business processes as a service. Users can set up rules to automatically exchange real-time data with third-party applications every time a task is executed in Intacct’s ERP On Demand suite. When a sales order is entered, for example, Intacct automatically updates the customer record in the CRM and inventory list in the warehouse management system. Users can also link to any database in the world, retrieve information and populate custom tabs in Intacct’s ERP On Demand. The ability to set up rules to synchronize actions and information between multiple applications makes Intacct the only mid-market business application that “talk” to external systems in real time.

CustomERP features include:

  • Smart Fields™
  • Smart Links™
  • Smart Rules™
  • Smart Events™
  • Smart Workflow™
  • Smart Packages™
  • Smart Verticals™
  • Smart Layout™
  • Smart Branding™
  • For more information about CustomERP, please see Appendix A.

ConnectERP — A Powerful Application Integration Platform
A Web services-based integration platform to extend Intacct’s ERP On Demand across a wide range of applications, including CRM, HR and e-commerce. Whether you are a software company enhancing your solution with ERP functionality, or an enterprise customer running your entire operation with one system, ConnectERP provides the tools to add multiple, diverse applications and build a complete business solution with the products and vendors of your choice.

ConnectERP features include:

  • Web Services
  • .Net Software Developer Kit
  • Developer Portal
  • Developer Sandbox
  • For more information about ConnectERP, please see Appendix A.

ManageERP — Easy-to-Use Management Portal
A Web-native management portal for business process outsourcers, solution providers and corporate executives to manage clients and staff in real time. Set up, modify and slide in and out of multiple accounts and employee records with a single sign-on. Import data from any CSV-enabled program, clone company structures and application customizations as you grow, and manage user access with a few clicks.

ManageERP features include:

  • Management Console
  • Secure Slide-In™
  • Company Cloning
  • Data Migration
  • Report Delivery
  • User Management
  • For more information about ManageERP, please see Appendix A.

Endorsements

Dozens of customers, partners and trade organizations endorse Intacct’s CustomERP, ConnectERP and ManageERP as the leading on-demand platform services:

Customers:

RealPage Inc., a leading provider of on-demand software and services to the multifamily industry, recently signed a $3 million, three-year agreement to embed Intacct’s ERP On Demand solution in its OneSite© property management system, which is deployed at more than 20,000 apartment communities. Using ConnectERP and CustomERP and ManageERP to add financial applications to OneSite, RealPage now offers the only end-to-end solution for the multifamily industry.

“Enterprise customers want to eliminate the complexity associated with developing and managing increasingly intricate process workflows,” said Steve Winn, CEO of RealPage. “Intacct’s on-demand platform services uniquely enable us to evolve our products in pursuit of a competitive advantage, while providing full control over costs, security and performance.”

Achieve Healthcare Technologies, a leading provider of comprehensive technology solutions to the long-term care industry, uses Intacct’s customization and integration services to add ERP applications to its Web-based application, which offers customers a fully integrated clinical and financial software solution. Since transactions are immediately posted, users can view real-time financials and drill down from financial statements to source transactions. General ledger and patient day statistical data is automatically exported to Intacct, allowing long-term care facilities to create customized per patient day statistical reports.

“With Intacct’s on-demand platform services, we can more tightly integrate AP and GL with our healthcare management offering,” said Rich Giddings, president and COO of Achieve Healthcare Technologies. “Further, we can now customize our offering for our industry, ensuring our customers get what they want, when they want it.”

Partners:

To ensure customers enjoy the same operational environment as Fortune 50 companies, Intacct hosts its servers and databases in IBM e-business Hosting Centers™.

“IBM shares Intacct’s vision of a Federated Ecosystem that enables companies to build and deploy the business processes and infrastructure they need, when they need it,” said Buell Duncan, general manager, ISV & Developer Relations, IBM. “Intacct’s on-demand platform services are among the most innovative and strategic customization and integration solutions in the software as services sector.”

“Salesforce.com redefined enterprise application integration and customization with the Sforce integration platform and Customforce customization tool,” said Tien Tzuo, senior vice-president, product marketing of Salesforce.com. “Intacct is leveraging ConnectERP, CustomERP and Sforce to tightly integrate its back-office suite with salesforce.com’s on-demand CRM solutions. This initiative has benefited our joint customers through tight process integration, lower operational costs and better customer service.”

“The Nsite Web services-enabled business process automation solution gives customers seamless bidirectional data flow and real time integration between their CRM system, Nsite sales operations processes and Intacct’s ERP suite,” said Bob Jandro, CEO of Nsite, which streamlines quote-to-cash processes to extend the value of on-demand and traditional ERP solutions. “Companies that are looking to improve their revenue-to-cash cycle time and increase sales productivity now have a cost effective alternative to traditional approaches.”

“Integration of PLM and ERP has always been a valuable business proposition,” said Michael Topolovac, CEO of Arena Solutions, the leading provider of on-demand product lifecycle management solutions. “With on-demand software, the ability to do this quickly, easily and affordably is a significant differentiator. Arena is pleased to partner with Intacct and enable the promise of integrated PLM and ERP applications delivered 100 percent as a service.”

“PayMaxx has worked with Intacct for the past two years and each year the relationship continues to grow and flourish,” said Farsheed Ferdowsi, president and CEO of PayMaxx, a national leader in payroll processing and an Internet payroll pioneer. “We provide outsourced payroll services to Intacct customers and their clients with 1—10,000 employees. Just recently, we completed our XML integration with Intacct to provide a more seamless data feed from payroll to the general ledger, using PayMaxx’s PowerPayroll Internet product and Intacct’s ERP On Demand.”

Trade Organizations:

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education, and intellectual property protection to more than 750 leading software and information companies.

“Intacct’s new platform services are precisely the approach needed in the software-as-a-service arena to help solution providers and enterprise customers add new revenue streams and higher business value,” said David C. Thomas, vice president and general manager, Software Division, The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA). “As the growth of on-demand applications outstrips traditional software, Intacct is making the right moves to become a market leader.”

Availability, Pricing and Training

ConnectERP, CustomERP and ManageERP are available to all customers at no additional cost on June 30, 2005. Intacct offers Web-based and on-site training on all three products.

About Intacct Corporation

Intacct is the leading provider of ERP software as a service. The company delivers its ERP On Demand applications to more than 1,800 clients through direct sales and channel programs. Intacct’s patent-pending multi-entity technology centralizes key business processes, such as financials, supply chain, professional services automation and business analytics, across distributed organizations and allows remote staff to access the applications with a Web browser. Outsourcers private label Intacct’s ERP On Demand and ISVs integrate their applications to offer end-to-end solutions. Intacct is a privately held company funded by Deloitte & Touche, Goldman Sachs, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners and JK&B Capital. www.intacct.com

Media Contact

Alf Abuhajleh
Intacct Corporation
(408) 884-3354

Intacct, ERP On Demand, CustomERP, ConnectERP and ManageERP are trademarks of Intacct Corporation. Other names may be trademarks of their respective company.

APPENDIX A: Product content:encodeds

CustomERP — First Customization Service with Real-Time Data Synchronization

OverviewA full set of tools to create workflows across multiple, diverse applications and deliver cross-functional business processes as a service. Users can set up rules to automatically exchange real-time data with third-party applications every time a task is executed in Intacct’s ERP On Demand suite. When a sales order is entered, for example, Intacct automatically updates the customer record in the CRM and inventory list in the warehouse management system. Users can also link to any database in the world, retrieve information and populate custom tabs in Intacct’s ERP On Demand. The ability to set up rules to synchronize actions and information between multiple systems makes Intacct the only mid-market business application that “talk” to external systems in real time.

Smart Fields™
Users can add customized fields to records in Intacct’s ERP On Demand. Custom fields contain various types of data, including numeric, text, currency, dates, sequences and drop-down menus.

Smart Links
Smart Links let users access real-time data from any application or database directly through Intacct’s ERP On Demand suite. Users create links in Intacct records that point to data in external systems. With a click, a new window opens into the external system and displays the requested information. Users can also fetch third-party application data and display it in Intacct custom tabs. A link in an invoice, for example, can show live shipping data from the FedEx tracking system.

Smart Rules
Smart Rules help users manage events by establishing conditions and exceptions to be met before a transaction is completed. Administrators can prevent employees from entering expenses in excess of $10,000, for example. A purchase transaction is stopped if the vendor’s insurance has expired. Smart Rules allow users to set up workflows in accordance with corporate governance.

Smart Events
Smart Events integrate and streamline workflows between Intacct’s ERP On Demand application suite and third-party applications, such as CRM, e-commerce and manufacturing. Intacct’s patent-pending event subscription technology automatically notify third-party systems about actions executed in Intacct, enabling users to set up cross-application business processes, such as cash-to-order and order-canceling. When a user terminates a customer order, for example, Intacct removes the order from the production plan, releases material allocated to the order, notifies the invoicing department and deletes the order from various systems.

Smart Workflow
Smart Workflow allows users to streamline business processes within Intacct’s ERP On Demand. For example, users can model the process of converting quotes to orders to invoices. Users can also define approval processes for business documents. When users enter a customer request in order entry, for example, the accounting and inventory applications are instantly updated.

Smart Packages
Customized fields, links, rules and events are packaged and stored in open libraries for easy reuse and deployment. Developers no longer have to write new applications from scratch each time business rules change. Smart Packages customize existing applications with a few clicks. An integration with FedEx or UPS to enable label printing, for example, is simply a collection of Smart Fields and Smart Links. Packages can be installed and removed as needed.

Smart Verticals
Intacct works with leading software companies to develop vertical Smart Packages for a wide range of industries, including healthcare, property management, construction and retail.

Smart Layout
Without writing complex codes, users can create new pages and tabs inside forms in Intacct.

Smart Branding
Business process outsourcers (BPOs) and accounting firms can private label Intacct’s ERP On Demand and use it as an application platform for managing their clients.

ConnectERP — A Powerful Application Integration Platform

Overview
A Web services-based integration platform to extend Intacct’s ERP On Demand across a wide range of applications, including CRM, HR and e-commerce. Whether you are a software company enhancing your solution with ERP functionality, or an enterprise customer running your entire operation with one system, ConnectERP provides the tools to add multiple, diverse applications and build a complete business solution with the products and vendors of your choice.

Web Services
Intacct’s standards-based Web services APIs allow developers to create, edit and delete transactions within the applications; manage lists; and perform custom queries. Client applications can also use Web services to implement single sign-on solutions. Intacct’s APIs support a range of advanced features, including batching multiple actions into a single transaction, externally assigned keys, guaranteed “at-most-once” execution, synchronous or asynchronous execution, and configurable transport protocols.

.Net Software Developer Kit
Developers can access Intacct’s library of tools and utilities to develop and manage applications for Intacct’s ERP On Demand. The library includes the platform SDK needed to create and deploy applications for the Microsoft .Net operating system. Intacct’s SDK offers a comprehensive API set that gives the developer unmatched capabilities when building applications.

Developer Portal
The Developer Portal provides useful information, software, guidance and help to developers using Intacct’s ERP On Demand. The portal lets users share templates, applications and code samples and other technology resources. The goal is to maximize productivity when working with the latest XML and data integration technologies.

Developer Sandbox
Developers can confidently develop their solutions in a pre-production environment. Intacct maintains and hosts the servers dedicated to developers. Intacct’s sandbox imitates the production environment in every way, but uses pre-production data. Therefore, a developer faces no risks testing and developing new solutions prior to release.

ManageERP — Easy-to-Use Management Portal

Overview

A Web-native management portal for business process outsourcers, solution providers and corporate executives to manage clients and staff in real time. Set up, modify and slide in and out of multiple accounts and employee records with a single sign-on. Import data from any CSV-enabled program, clone company structures and application customizations as you grow, and manage user access with a few clicks.

Management Console
An intuitive Web portal to manage staff, subsidiaries and clients in real time. Users can set up, modify, access and switch among any number of accounts during a single session. With the click of a button, users can collaborate with remote staff, entities and customers.

Secure Slide-In
With single sign-on, managers can securely slide in and out of subsidiary and client accounts. A simple click takes users to the account, allowing them to drill down to the source documents attached to each transaction.

Company Cloning
Once a subsidiary or client company is set up, users can easily duplicate the account structures. This feature is particularly helpful to multi-entity organizations, such as retail groups, hotel chains and franchise networks.

Data Migration
Users can easily import external data into Intacct’s ERP On Demand. Intacct provides step-by-step instructions how to move data from Microsoft Outlook, ACT!, Intuit QuickBooks and any other program that can save its data in the CSV (comma separated value) file format, such as Palm OS, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Access.

Report Delivery
Users can group multiple reports, save the customizations for future runs and automatically deliver the reports to various recipients in different formats, according to a schedule or with a single click.

User Management
Administrators and IT staff can easily manage complex rollouts of Intacct’s ERP On Demand across multiple locations. From the Management Console, administrators can deploy and maintain thousands of users, while controlling individual user permissions. User Management features include granting granular security permissions and functional privileges, establishing a tiered system administrator hierarchy that reflects the company organization, and restricting usage through rules governing data access and visibility.