SAP in ERP launch

Business One ships early next year

SAP has finally announced the launch date of its long-awaited SME ERP software.

The firm announced at its Sapphire 02 conference in the US last week that it expects to ship Business One through the UK channel by early next year.

Chris Tew, sales director at SAP reseller ROC Consulting, said he had already tested the product and found it to be "extremely functional and user friendly".

The software is based on technology the company bought from TopManage, with a focus on ease of use and fast roll-outs, a company representative said.

However, with its acquisition of Navision, Microsoft may now become a competitor and enter many European SME markets against SAP.

Hasso Plattner, SAP's chief executive, downplayed any rift with Microsoft. He acknowledged that the Navision deal puts more of a competitive edge on the situation.

"In Europe we go pretty far down into the SME market, serving small entities. But Great Plains came into Europe and went nowhere. Why buy Navision a year later in the same space?" he said.