OpenERP, an open source enterprise resource planning (ERP) and business applications provider, today released OpenERP v6, a software line upgrade that makes use of a comprehensive set of business applications.
According to the company, the solution brings a fundamentally different approach to the ERP market, saying the absence of licence fees and vendor lock-in; the flexibility to deploy onsite and online; the capacity to first implement a single application and then extend to others later; and its exceptional ease of use, all make OpenERP v6 unique in the market.
It adds that v6, an on-demand offering, makes CRM, purchase management, manufacturing, warehouse management, project management, accounting, and human resources far easier, more affordable and accessible for companies of all sizes.
The company also revealed that the new offering radically reduces the cost and complexity of an ERP deployment.
In an interview with ITWeb, Marc Laporte, chief operating officer at OpenERP singled out price as one of the outstanding benefits of the solution. “One of the beauties of OpenERP v6 is that while other similar solutions are expensive, OpenERP v6 is cost-effective,” he said.
In that vein, Laporte indicated that their target market are the small- to medium-sized enterprises with about 50 to 500 employees.
Tried and tested
He also explained that OpenERP's major upgrade has been tested and improved by its global community of open source developers who contributed more than 800 suggestions, enhancements and fixes to the software after it was made available as a release candidate.
“Innovations from the OpenERP community played a key role in v6 throughout its development,” said Laporte.
Describing the solution's popularity, Laporte said OpenERP now averages some 1 000 downloads daily from over 50 countries around the world.
“This is mainly because it removes the major barriers and limitations that prevent most companies from adopting the ERP and business applications they need to automate their businesses,” he said.
According to Larporte, the solution is also simple and easy to implement. “OpenERP v6 is a major breakthrough in ERP simplicity and ease of deployment.
“For the first time, companies can build an ERP system at their own pace, enjoy the short-term benefits of starting with a single application and then build end-to-end integration as they deploy additional applications over time,” he noted.
Overcoming barriers
He added that OpenERP v6 overcomes a major barrier to ERP deployment and use by dramatically reducing user complexity. “Additionally, a new user interface makes using OpenERP more intuitive.”
In a press statement, OpenERP said the navigation has been simplified for the user, adding that each OpenERP application has been designed to allow a user to perform a complete process while remaining in a single application.
“For instance, a purchasing manager can create a new supplier, send an order form, check the reception of the materials and validate the supplier's bill in one application.
“With other solutions, this would require the user to open four applications: one for creating the supplier, one for placing the purchase order, one in logistics for checking the reception of the goods, and one in accounting for validating the supplier's invoice,” the company notes.
Highlighting the other strengths, the company points out that with OpenERP v6, customers have the freedom to use OpenERP through the on-site version or through the software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform.
“The new SasS platform makes the offering much more affordable since customers can use OpenERP v6 for only $39 per user per month,” it explains.
“We believe that SaaS and open source are an interesting combination. The customers always have an option if for any reason the SaaS platform no longer meets their needs. It is their insurance policy, and it is in line with our no lock-in policy,” says Laporte.
The newest version of the OpenERP suite, which is written in Python, is the result of literally thousands of suggestions and improvements that OpenERP has received from its customers and developer community over the past 18 months.
Share