PeopleSoft Goes For The Middle

PeopleSoft Inc. this week is shipping 13 new applications preconfigured for midsize companies. The software comes with templates for adapting them to specific vertical industries.

While large companies are the biggest users of enterprise resource planning and customer-relationship management applications, PeopleSoft and its competitors are increasingly targeting the largely untapped midmarket. PeopleSoft defines that market as companies with sales between $50 million and $500 million.

PeopleSoft says 25% of its customer base--and 40% of its new customers--are midmarket companies. Last month, SAP debuted its Business One suite of ERP apps for small and midsize companies.

PeopleSoft's new product line includes applications for financial management, resource and project management, sales and marketing, customer-service management, sourcing and procurement, manufacturing, fulfillment, and several human-resource management applications. PeopleSoft also unveiled a version of its AppConnect integration and portal software tailored for midmarket companies.