For now, SAP BusinessOne, a set of applications targeted at companies with less than 250 employees, runs only on Microsoft's Windows Server operating system and SQL Server database.
However, the Walldorf, Germany-based software giant will add support for other operating systems such as Linux, as well as databases like IBM's DB2 "very soon", said Huin Seng Fatt, SAP Singapore's director for small and midsize businesses (SMB). He was speaking to reporters at the sidelines of the BusinessOne launch here.
While Huin did not give a specific timeframe for the introduction of the non-Windows version, the company previously pledged to develop a version of its SMB software for IBM's DB2 Express by this year.
In the region, BusinessOne debuted in Australia and China in 2003. The product was unveiled in Indonesia earlier this month and will be launched in other Asia-Pacific markets later this year, the company said.
According to Huin, the staggered launch is a result of having to tailor the product to suit accounting and statutory requirements in each country.
Unlike SAP's other midmarket package called All-in-One, which can be customized to suit specific vertical industries, BusinessOne is suited for smaller companies which require less industry-specific functionality.
However, the product still promises data interoperability with All-in-One and mySAP--the company's business software package for large enterprises--should customers decide to scale up, Huin added.
"All-in-One is essentially the same product as mySAP, customized to the needs of particular verticals," said Pranav Kumar, Gartner Asia-Pacific's research director for enterprise application software.
"It (All-in-One) does bring down the time and cost of implementation, and is hence, appealing to midsize enterprises. However, it is still too complex for small and very small organizations. BusinessOne fills that niche," Kumar said.
SAP's BusinessOne package includes accounting applications such as general ledger, sales and invoicing, accounts receivable and payable, as well as a customer relationship management module.
Like All-in-One, BusinessOne is sold entirely through SAP's 30-odd partners in Asia. In Singapore, SAP is offering a bundle which includes hardware, implementation and training services, as well as licenses for Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and SQL Server for S$39,800 (US$23,222).
The promotional five-user bundle is available from the firm's local BusinessOne resellers--SABRE Information Services, Inecom Business Solutions and HeadStart Systems--till July.
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