The US-based System Software Associates (SSA) and Pentafour Software and Exports Ltd has entered into a business alliance to sell the formers enterprise resource planning (ERP) software in India.
SSA, a leading ERP solutions provider to the industrial sector, will now sell its flagship product- BPCS client/server- through Pentafour, says Narayan Shekar, CEO, SSA- India. Pentafour will provide the necessary comfort levels for companies using the ERP software for the first time, he said.
The BPCS client/server, it is claimed , scores over other packages on offer because of its ability to be implemented quickly. "In a typical scenario, the BPCS implementation requires less than one-third of the time compared to other leading competitive products leading to saving on costs," says Shekar. He adds that another major draw is its ability to operate on any platform be it the RS6000, HP9000, digital alpha servers, Windows 95 and NT workstation clients.
Many companies are unaware of the product and its capabilities, and require a "little bit of education," on its various features including its usefulness as a total solutions provider. Any company with a turnover of Rs.70 crore is a potential client, and it is to reach this huge market that local companies like Pentafour are being roped in as `business affiliates, Shekar said.
"ERP is seen more as an IT solution than as a business solution and this misconception will have to tackled first, he added.
To this end, SSA has also signed an education partnership agreement which will impart ERP training to top management through seminars and short-duration courses for the middle management who will be the end users of the product.
According to SSA estimates, there are about 9000 potential clients for ERP in India. While SSA itself will look after the needs of the top 500 companies, the rest of the market will be left open for its business affiliates like Pentafour.
V Chandrasekaran, managing director, Pentafour Software and Exports, said the company has identified ERP (along with banking and insurance software) as the two key growth areas for the company.
For every dollar SSA earns from selling its ERP software, Pentafour will make a dollar or two by providing the requisite hardware and support services, he said.
ERP is a powerful tool and usually requires process re-engineering to maximise the benefits. Hence, the hardware and services support is crucial, Chandrasekaran said.
