September 29, 1997

All-In-One ERP Package Baan and HP aim at smaller companies By Tom Stein aan Co. and Hewlett-Packard are making it easier for small and midsize companies to purchase enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. The vendors announced on Sept. 22 an all-in-one offering of software applications, hardware, database, middleware, education programs, and implementation services. Until now, smaller companies have been reluctant to make an investment in ERP applications. According to Rocky Gunderson, VP of product marketing at Baan, in Menlo Park, Calif., these companies could not manage all aspects of the investment, from determining which hardware to use to securing financing t o testing the system. More important, he adds, these companies had no guarantees that the systems would be implemented on time and within budget. With the Baan-HP program, companies ranging in size from about $50 million to $500 million should get all this-and more. "We are promising a total, one-stop-shopping solution with a single point of contact," says Gunderson. Baan and HP are teaming with about 25 regional value-added resellers who will sell the Baan software as well as an array of HP hardware and middleware. The resellers will also offer implementation services, and standard support on the Baan and HP products. Customers can choose Informix, Oracle, or Microsoft's SQL Server database software, but Gunderson says he expects SQL Server to be the primary choice of midmarket customers. HP will offer financing options. If customers have any problems with hardware, software, or training, they can turn to the reseller, Baan, or HP for assistance. Don Cottage, CIO of $230 million Kollmorgen Motio n Technologies in Radford, Va., says Baan's offer of fixed-price, fixed-time implementations is a smart move. He says that when Kollmorgen, a manufacturer of high-performance electrical motors, first began implementing Baan in 1995, no such policy was available-and that the new program "will definitely be attractive to midsize companies. A single point of contact for software, hardware, and database is a good thing to have." On the low end, Baan hopes to hit price points of $500,000 to $1 million for the entire offering. Back to News in Review Send Us Your Feedback Top of the Page

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