posted on 8/10/2011 4:00:52 PM
Deacom, best known for its manufacturing-focused ERP suite, readies a standalone CRM product and angles toward completion on a full .NET rewrite of its main ERP product.
ERP provider Deacom Inc. this week served notice that it will soon join the ranks of customer relationship management (CRM) providers and add its name to the list of software vendors that have adopted the software–as-a-service, or SaaS delivery model.
Since 1995, Deacom has developed ERP software primarily for manufacturers in process industries. Its flagship product suite includes a CRM module, but to date the CRM technology has not been available as a standalone application. That will change in January 2012, the company announced this week.
The standalone CRM product will be the first byproduct of Deacom’s transition to a .NET software base, said Deacom President Jay Deakins in a statement.
“We have been slowly converting the back end of our entire application to .NET technology, which will now allow us to roll out the front-end technology fairly rapidly,” Deakins explained.
It will also enable the ERP provider to deliver new versions of its software via SaaS, allowing customers to tap into the software over the Web and relieving them of on-site hardware considerations.
The CRM offering will be SaaS-based, Deacom revealed. It is now undergoing internal testing for its debut after the turn of the year. At that time, customers of Deacom’s ERP technology will be able to will be able to access the CRM functionality as a Web-based service.
The CRM initiative will serve as something of a test bed for Deacom, as it decides whether to embrace a SaaS model for its ERP offering. The full ERP suite will be .NET-enabled in 2012, the vendor announced, setting the stage for a SaaS alternative.
‘We will be evaluating our SaaS results and determining how we might use SaaS for our ERP application,” Deakins stated. “SaaS and the Web-based technology are new frontiers for Deacom, which [is] very exciting.”
Deacom also revealed that it would release an application for Apple’s iPhone in January, but did not provide details of the forthcoming functionality. A representative was not available to provide details by press time.