Oracle has extended its online services offering to small to
medium-sized businesses with the Small Business Suite, a range of
services accessible only via the Web.
The online applications, offered together with NetLedger, allow
companies to manage key business processes online, such as
financials, customer relationship management, purchasing, payroll,
and electronic commerce, Oracle said in a statement.
Traditional enterprise applications have been too expensive and
complex for small businesses to implement. Offering the
applications online solves those problems and allows small
businesses to gain the same efficiencies as large business, Oracle
said.
Charles Homs, senior analyst with Forrester Research in Amsterdam,
said that although the cost has changed, complexity issues remain.
"The software is still complex and requires a course to understand;
it is not as simple as an Excel spreadsheet. I think there is a
market for these services, but this is not an offering that will
change the market," said Homs.
"As with most of its competitors, Oracle has made several attempts
to sell its products to small businesses. It never worked because
the software was too complex," he added.
The introductory price is around £70 per month, with additional
seats at approximately £1.40 to £14 per month depending on the
application.