NetSuite Reveals First Outside Integration App

NetSuite Inc., an online business applications provider, has unveiled NetFlex, its first "outside" integration product for customers linking NetSuite products with disparate software. The company said that NetFlex, will be available in April. The new software will be hosted online with the rest of NetSuite's products, free of charge and with automatic upgrades. However, the company said that some charges may be applied to the initial integration, depending on the complexity of the process. "The key trend for 2005 is the move by companies to one system to run their entire business," said NetSuite chief executive officer Zach Nelson in a statement. "The icing on the cake is that NetSuite's NetFlex solution is simpler to manage - now and in the future -- with standards-based Web services and customization, as well as seamless upgrades. NetFlex is comprised of three parts: Web services, customization and a toolset. The three parts work together online to help NetSuite's master record communicate with desktop add-on software automatically. Using Web services and an XML-based interface to access data stored on a user's NetSuite record, NetFlex is based on the Simple Object Access Protocol standard. By using SOAP, the new application will support any other platform utilizing the SOAP standard, such as Java and Microsoft .Net. The new product also offers point-and-click personalization and configuration. This customization supports role-based dashboards like those containing search summary analysis; allows business and industry-specific terminology to be applied through the NetSuite, i.e. changing "customer" to "client;" lets users track additional data points; and permits the customer to create tabs to share information. NetFlex AppBuilder, the toolset, allows customers to create their own database tables, navigation tabs, dashboards and other applications that house data, user interfaces, data validation or business processes.