NetSuite started offering cloud software since its founding in 1998, since the vision of the founders Larry Ellison and Evan Goldberg was always to deliver a software application designed to run a business exclusively over the Internet or the cloud.
“We can see that the market has validated the decision to deliver our software exclusively via the cloud. Today, we are seeing a massive industry-wide shift towards cloud-based delivery models and architectures,” said Jan Pabellon, Director for International Products, NetSuite.
To date, more than 30,000 companies and subsidiaries run their business on NetSuite. NetSuite’s customer list includes Jollibee, Motech, Dent Wizard, Shaw Industries, SolarWinds, Williams-Sonoma and Zendesk.
“While there had been challenges initially about educating the market on what the cloud is and what the benefits are, we have found that the last few years have brought a sea of change in attitude towards cloud-based offerings. One of the developments that has been key to the growth in adoption of cloud has been the maturing of many cloud-based offerings, specifically those in the application software space,” Pabellon said.
Cloud-based offerings come in many shapes and sizes — from a) computing and storage infrastructure that is available on-demand or what the industry calls Infrastructure-as-a Service (IaaS), to b) turnkey software development platforms designed for programmers and developers delivered online or Platforms-as-a-Service (PaaS), and c) end-user applications delivered as a service for end-users or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).
It is in the SaaS space that NetSuite has seen a growth in maturity of offerings and an explosion in adoption.
“These types of software are typically hosted in a central computing facility and delivered to end users through a web browser or app. Examples include web-based applications for email, messaging, collaboration, accounting, customer relationship management (CRM), human resources management and many others. Virtually all types of applications are either exclusively offered via the cloud or have a cloud-based equivalent. Furthermore, because these cloud-based applications are generally licensed or subscribed to on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis (as opposed to the traditional method of buying software and paying for everything upfront) its use required substantially less initial and ongoing investment—again driving the adoption further,” Pabellon said.
NetSuite’s software is delivered via the Internet, accessible to users just by using a browser or app. But “what differentiates our offerings from all the others, and helps simplify adoption of cloud technology for our users, is the fact that we offer a unified, integrated suite of applications for businesses. A suite that is designed to automate key processes or functions, such as accounting, finance, order and inventory management, human resources, project management, sales, marketing and customer support, all running on a secure, highly configurable and customizable software platform,” Pabellon said. “Many businesses often don’t have the time or resources to undertake the costly, and complex task of integrating multiple point products from multiple vendors just to run their business. With NetSuite, they get a comprehensive cloud-based solution at an affordable cost that enables them to run their businesses using a single system of record, provides real-time views of their operations and can be readily customized, and rapidly implemented.”
For Pabellon, in the Philippines, there’s rapid adoption of cloud-based solutions for companies in the retail, wholesale distribution, services and non-profit industries. “Businesses in these industries have generally used new technologies to differentiate themselves in largely competitive markets, or to optimize their operations, or support their growth,” he said.
One example is a company called Explorer Freight, a Philippine-based company that provides trucking and customs brokerage services that has been in business for nearly 30 years. NetSuite is helping the organization prepare for its next stage of growth, helping it achieve end-to-end workflow-driven efficiency across its core business processes, including financials, supply chain, customer relationship management (CRM) and warehousing operations. With NetSuite, the company is said to be “better positioned to serve its growing number of B2B customers in the utilities, retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) industries, as well as companies shipping general cargo.”
“Basically any company, in any industry seeking to differentiate itself and make the most use of the resources it has would be great candidates for cloud-based technologies. For small companies, it allows them access to the latest technologies even with limited resources, and for big companies, it allows them to be as agile as their smaller competitors enabling them to adopt to market change and become more competitive,” Pabellon ended.
