NetSuite OneWorld update integrates Google Apps

Online business software firm NetSuite has announced integration with Google's cloud productivity suite of software, Google Apps, as part of a major upgrade of its OneWorld product.

NetSuite's integration with Google Apps is among a number of enhancements to the software package that are further aimed at helping multinational companies manage complex multi-currency financial and supply chain operations.

The Google Apps tie-in will offer multinational companies compelling cost, compliance and productivity savings to move their entire operations, and particularly remote subsidiaries, into the cloud, said NetSuite.

The new release uses Google's OpenID trusted authentication system, also extending native cloud-to-cloud integration capabilities to NetSuite partner applications. NetSuite administrators will be able to control OpenID access via role-based permissions.

NetSuite OneWorld 2010 also features a number of enhancements around multinational inventory and currency management.

These include complex multi-subsidiary inventory management, extended support for country and local-specific tax codes, expanded certification for the European market and greater control of foreign currency amortisation and revaluation.

An improved user interface also promises a streamlined look-and-feel and simplified navigation.

"It starkly contrasts with legacy ERP systems which employ ageing interfaces from the pre-internet era," stated the vendor.

Zach Nelson, NetSuite chief executive, said: "Not only is it easy to run a global company with OneWorld, the solution is fast and easy to deploy.

"Most of our customers are live in three to six months, as contrasted with the years that it takes to rollout traditional non-cloud software offerings."

Bob Tarzey, director of analyst firm, Quocirca, said that the global inventory management enhancements, coupled with the SaaS delivery, give OneWorld 2010 a particular advantage over many on-premise ERP products, enabling not just easy inventory management across geographically complicated organisations but cross-organisational inventory management.

Commenting on the Google Apps integration, Tarzey added: "It won't do any harm. It eases the sharing of information between organisations, and allows free on-the-fly creation of documents, for example an inventory list. It will be useful for some, and not a big deal for NetSuite to do."