NetSuite, Inc., today unveiled NetFlex, a new technology platform that delivers unprecedented customization and extensibility to NetSuite solutions. The new NetFlex platform introduces SOAP standards-based Web services, advanced customization capabilities and NetFlex AppBuilder—a tool-set that allows entirely new applications to be built and hosted within NetSuite. Together with NetSuite, NetFlex delivers a unique technology platform that encompasses everything needed to provide growing businesses across all industries with a flexible, powerful and extensible business management solution. For details about NetFlex, go to www.netsuite.com/netflex.
Because NetSuite is a complete solution and the system of record, rather than a subordinate system like stand-alone sales force automation applications, integration and customization through NetFlex take a different flavor. NetSuite contains broad CRM, ERP and Ecommerce capabilities, thus it requires no customization for many things such as invoices, projects, billing schedules, and commissions that would normally require complex customization in other systems. Customization is instead about personalizing and tailoring to specific, unique business operations, data points and processes. NetSuite’s extensive ERP/CRM/Ecommerce data structure also makes integration with third-party applications much easier. As NetSuite typically acts as the “system of record” in most companies, integration is used to extend data from NetSuite into other systems or provide alternate user interfaces. Additionally, all modifications done using NetFlex are “in-system” and carried forward seamlessly with upgrades, eliminating arduous and time-consuming maintenance procedures.
NetFlex also includes NetFlex AppBuilder—a toolset that allows customers to build entirely new applications including database tables, navigation tabs, dashboards and code required to house application data, user interface, data validation and business processes. Rather than require software programming skills, NetFlex AppBuilder is designed to enable business analysts to create these new, powerful, component-based applications. These custom applications are contained and hosted within NetSuite, providing enormous benefits such as:
—Power of a common core including innovations such as Real-Time
Dashboards, eXtreme List Editing, Role-Based Permissions and Search
Expression Builder & Summary Analysis
—Link to CRM, ERP and Ecommerce objects of NetSuite without any custom
integration
—Inherent on-demand hosting efficiencies of the NetSuite data center
including performance, security, redundancy and data backup
—Robust application architecture of Oracle and J2EE that is infinitely
scalable
—NetSuite’s industry-leading guarantee of system availability and uptime
—Seamless upgrades without laborious and expensive maintenance hassles
“With competing solutions, the need to integrate and customize are forced upon the customer, because such systems are missing significant functionality and data and are dependent on other applications to make them useful. As NetSuite typically acts as the system of record in most companies, integration and customization are more about flexibility,” said Zach Nelson, CEO of NetSuite. “In addition, NetFlex enables entirely new applications to be built within NetSuite by business analysts rather than software programmers. Not only does NetFlex speed application prototyping and deployment, but the applications themselves benefit automatically from NetSuite’s ASP model, so they behave as if they are a standard part of NetSuite.”
The power, flexibility and extensibility NetFlex provides comes from:
—NetFlex Web Services—provide a standardized way to access data and
business processes in NetSuite and makes it easy to enhance, extend,
and integrate NetSuite—the system of record – with other subordinate
and legacy systems. NetFlex Web Services utilizes an XML-based
interface built on the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) standard
defined by the W3C organization. Therefore, any platform that supports
the SOAP standard such as Java and Microsoft .NET can be used to
generate NetSuite business objects for integration between systems.
—NetFlex Customization—point and click personalization and
configuration all managed in-system. Personalization allows for custom
role-based Dashboards containing search summary analysis and
intelligent metrics that can be tailor-made to match a business right
down to the corporate branding and application color schemes.
Configuration allows industry and business specific terminology to be
applied throughout NetSuite by re-naming standard objects such as
Customer to Client. Standard objects can also be customized with the
addition of fields to track additional data points. These custom fields
can be organized on custom forms that utilize proven user interface
elements such as sub-tabs. Custom fields can also be added to
customized list views, leading to convenient eXtreme list editing
capabilities. Additionally, Published Tabs can be created to share
information, documents and other files for purposes such as Intranets
and collaboration portals.
—NetFlex AppBuilder—a toolset of Custom Records, Custom Center Tabs
and Custom Code which allow for entire applications to be built and
hosted within NetSuite, providing all the benefits of a robust
application architecture and on-demand hosting efficiencies. Custom
Records let businesses fundamentally alter NetSuite’s Web-native, on-
demand data structure with the point-and-click addition of database
tables. NetSuite is the first and only on-demand solution to support
one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many data relationships of both
standard and custom records. Custom Center Tabs allow the user
interface to be extended with new tabs that contain navigation links
and real-time Dashboards for custom records and standard records alike.
Powerful Custom Code is managed in-system for process validation,
calculations and process flow automation. It’s made simpler and
ultimately more manageable because standards-based JavaScript is
utilized—not proprietary tools that make other vendors’ systems more
complex and expensive to manage.
And finally, NetFlex makes NetSuite the world’s most customizable and extensible application service, delivering unique capabilities not found in any on-demand solution, including:
—Many-to-many data relationships between custom records/objects or even
standard objects give you complete flexibility in managing additional
mission critical data
—Custom color themes and company logo placement allow NetSuite to be
stamped with a customer’s corporate brand
—Custom terminology helps personalize standard NetSuite fields to your
business and industry. For example, a service company may want to
rename “Customer” to “Client”
—Advanced search capabilities allow for complex AND/OR expressions,
criteria nesting, table joins and even result summarization such as
Count, Sum, Avg. and Group
—Fields can be placed as footers on list views and when selected, serve
to filter the records displayed in the list
—Dynamic sourcing & filtering on custom fields ensure data consistency,
ease of entry
—Custom records are automatically built into searching, permissions and
Dashboard roles
—Custom code for user defined validations and calculations on forms
NetSuite’s customers are praising NetFlex. “We’re looking to double or even triple our business in a very short time frame, so NetFlex will be important as we integrate with other platforms,” said Matt Bowen, Partner, JR’s Sports Collectibles (www.sportstation.com) a wholesaler and retailer of sports collectibles and apparel headquartered in Anaheim, Calif. “We plan to use NetFlex Web Services to upload our inventory to Amazon.com, and automatically integrate orders between NetSuite and Amazon.com as well. Our business has already grown thanks to NetSuite’s flexibility, and now with NetFlex we expect it to grow even more.”
NetSuite’s resellers are touting NetFlex and how that helps them meet their clients’ needs. “With NetFlex we’ll be able to service a much larger customer base,” said Steve Jones, CEO of Explore Consulting (www.exploreconsulting.com), a NetSuite Solution Provider based in Seattle. “So many organizations have a unique process that differentiates them from the competition, but that is difficult to squeeze into a packaged application. Now, NetSuite allows them to incorporate those customizations with very little effort or code, whether it is simply an extension of the application or real- time communication with external sources.”
Pricing and Availability:
NetFlex is available now. NetFlex WebServices, Customization and AppBuilder are included free of charge in NetSuite and NetCRM. NetSuite Small Business includes NetFlex WebServices and NetFlex Customization at no additional charge.
