Business software giant Sage has launched a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) offering designed to help meet the needs of mid-market customers frustrated by the high cost and limited functionality of current industry solutions.

Sage ERP X3 is targeted at what the firm calls the upper mid-market of customers with more complex and/or "international" requirements than many of their peers, according to the firm.

The software offers finance, sales, customer relationship management, inventory management, purchasing and manufacturing capabilities, underpinned by embedded business intelligence functionality and a strong workflow engine, according to Stuart Lynn, head of research and development at Sage's mid-market division.

Sage ERP X3 runs on Windows, Unix and Linux, supports Oracle or Microsoft SQL server databases, and can scale from 10 to 1,200 users.

Lynn claimed that the new offering can save money and make companies more efficient. For example, the application comes preconfigured with the legislation, currency and languages of 38 countries, and can be further customised with ease, he said.

The user interface is based on Sage Visual Processes for improved usability, cutting training time and expense, and can be deployed via the web to geographically dispersed offices, removing the need to install servers in all operating countries.

Sage claimed that the product can be up and running in as little as 35 days.

"We have done a lot of research and spoken to a lot of customers, and one of the things that came out was that a number of prospects and existing customers are very frustrated at the cost and complexity of implementing existing solutions," said Jim Scott, general manger of Sage's enterprise business.

"There was a huge opportunity here for a cost-effective and functionality-rich offering, but we must not sacrifice service. I want to make sure that the ongoing support is of the highest order, and I will be working closely with the channel to deliver on this."