#rootstock software

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Great news for Rootstock customers about the Salesforce AppExchange

https://goo.gl/4BjeKj

There’s a new IDC paper, published just this week, which quantifies the collective global impact of what IDC calls the “Salesforce Economy.” That’s the term IDC uses to describe the ecosystem of Salesforce, it’s partners and customers.

IDC expects the Salesforce Economy will create 3.3 million jobs and $859 billion in new business revenues worldwide by 2022. Rootstock has built our cloud-based solutions on the Salesforce platform, and we’re proud to be a part of that Salesforce Economy. It’s one reason why we’ve been able to deliver so much value to our customers, and why their ongoing digital transformations are so successful.

Exciting as it is to see our great partner, Salesforce, recognized by IDC, there’s other news out of Salesforce that we think is even more noteworthy because it will have a direct impact on the ability of our customers to drive innovation at their organizations.

Salesforce announces big upgrades to AppExchange

As of October 24, the Salesforce AppExchange is offering new features you can use to further customize your AppExchange experience. Upgrades like intelligent search, personalized recommendations and embedded Trailhead Learning will make it easier for you to tap into the Salesforce ecosystem and install trusted solutions from its expanded portfolio of Lightning apps, Bolts, Data, industry solutions (like Rootstock) and more.

What does this mean for Rootstock, and more importantly for our customers? Why should Rootstock customers (and prospects) be excited about the new AppExchange? Let’s take a closer look at that question.

These improvements reinforce Rootstock’s decision to build on the Salesforce platform in the first place.

According to Rootstock CEO Pat Garrehy, “Six years ago, we saw the opportunity and believed we could build a very robust ERP system on a contemporary PaaS ecosystem faster than anyone else on the market” and be ready to satisfy the emerging needs of manufacturers.

“We knew the functionality required by large companies and we knew that it was critical to choose the right technology,” Garrehy continues. “We chose Salesforce because we recognized that Salesforce was riding the crest of the new cloud momentum, and that they were building a partner ecosystem with their technology…and that their technology was industrial strength. The Salesforce platform enabled us to develop a ‘best of breed’ strategy on a single technology.”

Even before these AppExchange upgrades, being built on the Salesforce cloud has created benefits for our customers.

“We love that the Salesforce cloud is very stable,” Garrehy notes. “Having been on the Salesforce platform for more than six years now, I can attest that the downtime is nearly nil.” The benefit to manufacturers of reliable up time is fairly obvious.

“We also love that there are so many capabilities that are part of the platform, such as workflows, mobile, dashboards, and the future integration of AI and IoT.” In other words, the Salesforce platform delivers a great deal of flexibility, so Rootstock customers can readily customize their solution to their particular needs.

The new AppExchange will further enhance the ability of our customers to drive innovation and transformation.

Rootstock has always seen the AppExchange as an important resource for our customers who want best of breed options to meet their business needs. For prospects, as they begin their search for a new ERP solution, access to everything available via the AppExchange enhances their confidence in choosing Rootstock. For everyone, the impact on innovation can’t be overstated.

Now, with the new features Salesforce is unveiling – such as intelligent search, personalized recommendations and embedded Trailhead Learning – the AppExchange experience will become even more customized for every customer, making it easier to tap into the Salesforce ecosystem and install trusted solutions from its expanded portfolio of Lightning apps, Bolts, Data, industry solutions and more.

In situation after situation, being an AppExchange partner has provided unique business value for Rootstock customers.

By its very nature, the AppExchange offers unique business value for anyone who uses it, including Rootstock customers. Consider the fact that an organization can come to the AppExchange without having moved any of their applications to the cloud, and find pretty much any and every application they deem necessary for their specific operations (there are literally thousands of apps on AppExchange). Not only will those applications be cloud-based, but they can all be integrated with each other through supported APIs.

For example, Matouk, a world-renowned textile manufacturer, producing high-end bed and bath linens, came to the AppExchange looking for an ERP solution. They chose Rootstock. But they also found Zencraft, a shipping services provider whose solutions dovetailed nicely with Rootstock. Because both applications were built on the Salesforce platform and offered through AppExchange, integrating them was incredibly simple.

Rootstock will respond to the new AppExchange by identifying opportunities to deliver even more value to customers.

Rootstock will continue to embrace the AppExchange for the incredible value it delivers as a resource for any manufacturer looking to move their operations to the cloud while streamlining and improving their operations. As we move forward with enhancements to the Rootstock solution – whether through additional functionality or through the integration of technology such as Einstein and the capabilities of other AppExchange partners – we fully expect our customers to benefit tremendously from our close working relationship with Salesforce and the AppExchange.

Check out the new Salesforce AppExchange and see the improvements for yourself!

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Taking a closer look at the 2017 Nucleus Research ERP Technology Value Matrix

https://goo.gl/wU83qH

Five questions with Nucleus analyst and Matrix author Seth Lippincott

With your permission, we’d like to take a moment to brag on our team here at Rootstock.

When the Nucleus Research ERP Technology Value Matrix was published in August, we were proud and excited to be placed in the Leader quadrant for the first time.

We know this was made possible by the incredible talent and dedication of our entire team, and the outstanding effort they make every day to build and deliver solutions that provide remarkable value to our manufacturing customers.

But we weren’t just proud and excited. We were also intrigued by some of the report’s findings. We wanted to know more about the trends that Nucleus analyst Seth Lippincott sees emerging in the ERP market. And we wanted to share that deeper knowledge with you.

We approached Seth with a few questions. Read on to see what we asked him, and what he told us. Also, our thanks to Seth for taking the time to respond!

Aside from verticalization, what other emerging trends are you seeing in the ERP market?

Cloud adoption is still at the heart of the ERP market. Some vendors see accelerating adoption, others are lagging a bit, often due to difficulty demonstrating the value to their customers. As a result, many vendors are focused on giving customers a choice in how they deploy. For vendors with a large contingent of customers on legacy systems, jumping wholesale into the cloud is unrealistic, either due to too much FUD or simply no business imperative. Hybrid deployment and stepwise movement to the cloud options are on offer from many vendors and should continue to be standard for those making the transition to cloud.

A primary plus of hybrid deployments (and let’s keep in mind that that phrase carries a range of definitions) is the flexibility they give customers to determine which workloads they want in the cloud and which they want to keep on premises. For instance, a customer might be concerned with uptime and lost production if connectivity with the cloud were to fail and take the manufacturing execution system along with it. Hybrid gives the customer the choice to run the MES on premises while shifting systems like HR and CRM to the cloud, where connectivity issues don’t result in lost revenue. For vendors that offer end-to-end functionality across ERP, HCM, CRM, and supply chain management, both in the cloud and on-premises, tailoring workloads to run where the customer wants adds a layer of complexity but is doable. Pure-cloud vendors are working to ensure that customers can continue to operate when connectivity is lost (even for just a short time), then can re-synch once connectivity is restored.

You discuss “verticalization” and, based on your vendor descriptions in the report, that’s a clear trend. Over time, do you expect more or fewer vendors focused on the manufacturing vertical?

The manufacturing vertical is difficult for some vendors because there are so many microverticals to it. While it is relatively feasible for a vendor to deliver satisfactory value in a vertical catering to generic professional services, for example, each manufacturing vertical can require specialized capabilities and workflows. For example, the dairy industry benefits from vastly different capabilities compared to plastics or cardboard manufacturers.

Some vendors have left the task of servicing microverticals to ISVs instead of providing the capabilities themselves. I expect that to continue as more vendors are creating marketplaces for partner-built add-ons. With many customers looking to make technology investments that have a 10-year+ lifespan, the ability to deliver capabilities via a broad partner ecosystem, now and in the future, is a differentiator. Customers want a platform that they know will grow and evolve as technologies like AI, machine learning, IoT, and Big Data become better productized and able to deliver better value to users. I expect vendors that are able to demonstrate how customers can extend their solutions with partners while sitting atop a platform with technologic extensibility of its own will be in an increasingly advantageous position moving forward.

In delivering cloud-based ERP, do you see any inherent advantage for cloud-native vendors, or does the situation favor traditional ERP vendors who are acclimating to demands of cloud delivery?

Vendors with predominately legacy ERP deployments often have large customer bases to which they can market their cloud products. However, for many of those customers there’s no clear business case to adopt the cloud and so a significant percentage of cloud deployments traditional vendors claim to have are net new. In that respect cloud-native have an advantage of not needing to demonstrate sufficient value to overcome doing nothing when trying to upgrade legacy customers.

However, customer loyalty, regardless of the value the vendor is delivering, can be strong in the ERP space. This puts cloud-native providers at a disadvantage when looking to unseat the incumbent vendor. On the other hand, if the customer does not have an incumbent ERP vendor, cloud-native vendors should be able to better demonstrate the value they deliver in the cloud since they aren’t playing catch-up like many of the traditional vendors.

You mention the increasingly clear value proposition for cloud-based ERP. Among those who remain unconvinced, do you see any consistent objections? If so, how would address them?

For some, the stumbling block has become availability and uptime, replacing security as the primary objection. When the customer controls the hardware, they believe they can better ensure 100% uptime and more quickly address any issues than those deployed in the cloud reliant on the vendor. Vendors are looking to combat this conception by demonstrating consistent service and improving their cloud operations response teams.

At the same time, customers sometimes view their ability to maintain uptime through rose-colored lenses. Vendors reporting 99% uptime throughout a calendar year are making a compelling case that a customer’s system is in good hands when system management is outsourced. The cost savings and additional value-add they can reap by moving to the cloud and then reallocating IT personnel away from day-to-day system management may also sway customers.

Several of the vendors in your Leader quadrant – Microsoft, SAP, Oracle – are extremely large organizations. Others are comparatively small. What is it that allows vendors of such widely varying sizes to be Leaders?

In the ERP Value Matrix, we position vendors based on the value their end customers realize, specifically return on investment, so the size of the vendor is irrelevant. A smaller vendor, so long as it is delivering a quality product, is equally able to deliver value to its customers as larger vendors.

Check out the full report

Nucleus evaluated 21 vendors in their 2017 ERP Technology Value Matrix. For anyone looking into ERP solutions, reading the full report is a great place to start. You’ll find it here.

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A Brief History of ERP Software Part Two – From Client-Server to On-Premise

https://goo.gl/4SGNr3

Pat Garrehy knows ERP software. The founder, President, and CEO of Rootstock Software, Mr. Garrehy has over 30 years of management, sales and technical experience as a software architect and engineer. Mr. Garrehy recently sat down to share his thoughts on how ERP software has changed over his distinguished career. Here is Part Two of that discussion.

Part Two – From Client-Server to On-Premise

It seems that everyone uses the word ERP today but the true thread for comparison are those product based companies of today that manufacture, distribute, service and/ or remanufacture. They use ERP software that can manage the supply chain and has the software to  support engineering, procurement, sales, planning, inventory, cost accounting, scheduling and even financials.

The 1990s

In the early 1990’s we had client-server and Windows and that technology came with many moving parts. You had operating systems, windows, database management systems and programming languages. Integrations to other software packages were difficult and problematic because each software package used their own independent versioning control. Because of this, software vendors had no choice but to put all ERP functionality into a single package, and that caused the software to become bloated with with functionality that the customer didn’t need or want. Implementations were difficult and time-consuming because the customer was confused about what software switches to turn off and on.

In this era of bloated software, some of the software was bought from other companies and difficult to integrate even though it was packaged and promoted as one-stop software that had all of the functionality.

The hardware (IBM, HP, SUN UNIX-based hardware) and the database management software (Oracle, Informix, Sybase) were reliable when compared to the Windows software of the time, which was constantly experiencing programming bugs. Large companies whose main plants ran on mainframes migrated to this new client-server architecture. By the mid 1990’s, second tier plants were  running on minicomputers such as IBM’s AS400 Series.

On-Premise

Since the late 1990s, SAP and Oracle have dominated on-premise ERP in large Tier-1 manufacturing enterprises, but primarily as the ERP system at the corporate level. They have not been that successful in being implemented in Tier-2 small and medium sized plants. Therefore, most of what is written about Tier-2 ERP understandably discusses different types of solutions being considered for the large enterprises’ next tiers’ plants and divisions, and how they will integrate with these larger, Tier-1 corporate systems. As late as 2009, Gartner reported only on-premise ERP software vendors in their Tier-2 ERP magic quadrant.

But this on-premise pricing model and the old architecture required you to stuff all of the options in the same software, still burdening every customer with many features that they couldn’t use. This old architecture contained complexities in the use and certainly in the implementations as to which switches to set to ‘turn off’ functionality that they didn’t need.

On-Premise vs. the Salesforce Cloud

Today we see a lot of companies that are on AS/400s running older, proprietary IBM-based systems such as BPICS and MAPICS. These companies are now looking at cloud ERP to lower IT costs, improve operational performance, and get faster deployments and easier upgrades. So now these companies are finding Rootstock.

The Salesforce cloud lets us decide what core functionality should be inside the package and how tailoring can be easily done outside the package. For example, Rootstock has a customer that is an industrial, medical and special gases provider who supplies compressed, bulk and pipeline gases, chemicals, engineering solutions and equipment. They had a special project to track the chemicals and gases for one of their customers, who is one of the world’s largest and highest valued semiconductor chip makers. The solution provided was a combination of the standard Rootstock functionality with extensions that were easily developed using Salesforce technology. This solution couldn’t have possibly been developed in the budget and time frame required with an older on-premise software package, regardless of the functionality of that standard ERP legacy package.

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Rootstock Accepts Frost & Sullivan Cloud ERP Technology Leadership Award

https://goo.gl/DM5XXq

Rootstock Software was recently awarded the 2016 Frost & Sullivan Technology Leadership Award, which confirmed Rootstock as a leader of Cloud ERP solutions for manufacturing.

“Rootstock has secured an edge for itself over its competitors by building a broad and deep end-to-end functional cloud ERP solution in a short time frame,” reported Frost & Sullivan. “This solution supports requirements for multiple modes of manufacturing and enables real-time management of manufacturing for customers of all sizes and types.”

Frost & Sullivan’s annual Best Practices Award recognizes companies who have shown inspired leadership, innovation and growth; and who have demonstrated a mastery of strategies and processes. The awards are presented every year to companies that are expected to drive significant growth in their industries, have identified important emerging trends and have created advanced technologies that will transform industries in the near future.

Chuck Olinger, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Executive Vice President of Rootstock Software, was on hand to accept the award at the Frost & Sullivan Excellence in Best Practices Awards Gala on January 11, 2017 in La Jolla at the San Diego Marriott La Jolla.

CEO Pat Garrehy is pleased that Frost & Sullivan noted so many of Rootstock’s strategic benefits. “By using every advantage that we have,” he said, “this research confirms that we have taken the correct approach in building a cloud ERP that is valuable to our customers.”

In evaluating candidates for its Best Practices Awards, Frost & Sullivan’s team of industry analysts measured company performance through independent interviews and secondary industry research in order to evaluate and identify best practices. They followed a rigorous 10-step process to assess each candidate with best practice criteria, and then evaluated candidates in two categories: technology leverage and business impact. Frost & Sullivan ranked Rootstock 9.5 on a 10-point scale in both categories.

Frost & Sullivan analysts singled out several Rootstock advantages that are helping companies compete globally. These firms face many challenges, including managing manufacturing processes in real time, evaluating and managing risk from outsourced services, understanding uncertainty, and mitigating risks in multiple sites. The report praised Rootstock’s scalability, customer acquisition, application diversity, industry expertise and growth.

“Rootstock has remarkably scaled up its cloud ERP capabilities that allow its customers to enjoy the combination of products and functionalities required to replace more than 25 on-premise legacy ERP products,” noted the report.

Frost & Sullivan also highlighted Rootstock’s ability to serve multiple industries. “The company’s enterprise customers hail from diverse backgrounds such as companies from high tech, solar, automotive, industrial, heavy equipment, apparel, construction materials, project services, and aerospace and defense industries,” said the report. “Operating across such a diverse range of industry verticals, Rootstock has prominent leaders among its customers – including the Combined Selection Group (CSG) (a $200 million public company), I.D. Systems and Direct Energy Solar, which saved approximately $2 million in annual inventory adjustments.”

The purpose of Frost & Sullivan’s Best Practices Awards is to help drive innovation, excellence and a positive change in the global economy by honoring best-in-class products, companies and individuals. Rootstock Software is proud to have been recognized for its leadership and innovative technology and will continue to create Cloud ERP solutions that serve our customers and lead the industry into the future.

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Optingo Providing Rootstock Manufacturing ERP to Poland, Germany, Austria and Switzerland

“In most cases, there is a technology solution to most business issues and problems, often in the modern SaaS or cloud mode.” – Optingo

https://goo.gl/yiDNsB

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. – March 9, 2017 – Rootstock, the leading provider of manufacturing and supply chain cloud ERP applications on the Salesforce Force.com platform, today announced a partnership with Optingo, a software as a service (SaaS) and cloud solutions provider in Poland, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. A Salesforce Consulting Partner, Optingo consultants and architects work with clients in a variety of industries including, telecommunications and energy as well as banking and finance. They are experienced in working with manufacturing customers that need enterprise resource planning (ERP) software that is complex enough to handle the different varieties and ways to obtain, assemble and deliver products.

“We founded our company on the premise that, in most cases, there is a technology solution to most business issues and problems, often in the modern SaaS or cloud mode,” asserts Frank Wagenbauer, Optingo board member. “Consequently, there is no need to develop IT solutions from scratch or develop custom build applications. Rootstock manufacturing ERP is a perfect example of this. Available on the cloud, accessible from any computer network, Rootstock provides 600 objects and 15,000 fields, far more power than any other ERP on the Salesforce platform.”

“Being cloud specialists, Optingo understands how manufacturing firms are moving to cloud-based ERP systems to access large amounts of critical data in real time anywhere along their supply chains aned scale operations up or down as needed, all at reduced costs,” stresses Pat Garrehy, Rootstock CEO. “Optingo shows manufacturing companies how their ability to store and access critical data in the cloud will enable new technologies that promise to transform their manufacturing efficiency even more, and, in the process, let them garner even more of the global economy, regardless of their size.”

“More and more executives are acknowledging the strategic value of IT to their businesses beyond merely cutting costs,” adds Wagenbauer. “But as they focus on operational productivity, business efficiency, and product and service innovation, they are overwhelmed by the myriad of the new and innovative solutions and models being available on the market. We help them select the right solution for their particular business situation.”

Rootstock provides Optingo clients with a cloud ERP solution that represents every step in the manufacturing process, helping them increase efficiencies, control costs and ultimately boost revenue. Manufacturing firms that want cloud ERP applications for sales order management, purchase order management, production engineering, inventory management, lot and serial control, scheduling and capacity planning, and shop floor control can now get these solutions through Optingo. The system supports multiple companies, multiple divisions and multiple sites. Additionally, Rootstock cloud ERP systems provide manufacturing cost control and project control modules that give companies finer control over costs. Designed for the Salesforce platform, Rootstock integrates with other, wholly separate Salesforce apps.

About Optingo

Optingo is your implementation partner for Poland, Germany, Switzerland and Austria for transforming  your business using a modern and cost effective cloud ERP solution. Optingo’s experts specialize in bringing together the business critical functionality that you need today with the market trends you will depend on tomorrow into a robust innovative ERP solution that accelerates you journey into the digitally focused marketplace. www.optingo.pl

About Rootstock Software

Rootstock Software® is a proven provider of powerful and nimble manufacturing, distribution and supply chain solutions built and deployed on the Salesforce Platform (the world’s #1 cloud computing platform). The Rootstock solutions enable real-time management of manufacturing, distribution and supply chain operations from front to back, anytime and anywhere. The company’s manufacturing, distribution and supply chain apps integrate “out of the box” with Sales Cloud® by salesforce.com and other ERP-centric applications written on the Salesforce Platform. With unparalleled executive experience in manufacturing and distribution software and an established base of installed and implemented cloud customers, Rootstock offers a better and more reliable way to plan and execute required activities, deliver essential information to all parts of the organization, and improve timely and informed business decision making. The Rootstock apps also provide the control and visibility required to elevate the total performance of manufacturing, distribution and supply chain operations. Rootstock is available on the AppExchange by salesforce.com, the world’s most popular marketplace for business apps. To learn more, please follow Rootstock on Twitter @RootstockMFG, visit our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/RootstockSoftware or visit http://www.rootstock.com.

Media Contact:

Tom Brigham Brigham Scully Email: [email protected] 1-207-941-1100

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Rootstock Integration with eBridge

https://goo.gl/yj82qE

Manufacturing firms have embraced Cloud ERP as part of their strategy to compete successfully in global markets. These firms know that they need to be as agile as possible, find new revenue streams and reduce costs. Organizations that have implemented Rootstock Software on the Salesforce platform have a solution that accommodates many workflows, implements social collaboration, and perhaps most importantly, integrates with best of breed applications.

Now, Rootstock Cloud ERP integration has just gotten better with the release of eBridge Connections’ new Rootstock connector. eBridge Connections is known for its integration platform, which automates bi-directional data exchange between Salesforce and the leading eCommerce platforms, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) trading partners and CRM applications. Rootstock is 100% native to the Salesforce platform, so it integrates easily with many apps on the Salesforce AppExchange.

The power of integrating Cloud ERP with other applications cannot be overstated. Industries change, markets change, and technologies change. Consider the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT is already changing manufacturing through smart, interconnected sensors and devices installed in materials handling and storage, equipment operation and maintenance, and in the final products themselves. Firms that are unable to adapt to the IoT will be left behind as their competitors reap the benefits of the IoT backed by robust Cloud ERP. Customers adapt to these changes, and manufacturing firms must be prepared to adapt as well. Integration with Rootstock Cloud ERP with best of breed applications provides the most flexible solution for manufacturers, helping them address the unique business needs of today as well as tomorrow.

With eBridge’s integration platform, manufacturers using Rootstock Cloud ERP and Salesforce CRM can now easily connect to their EDI trading partners like Home Depot, Costco and Walmart; eCommerce stores like Amazon, eBay and Shopify systems. Here is a solution that moves sales orders, inventory levels, product data, shipping updates, and customer information between systems, integrating an organization’s departments and processes together to increase productivity and efficiency.

Rootstock’s powerful cloud ERP solutions represent every step in the manufacturing process. There are modules for sales and purchase order management, production engineering, inventory management, lot and serial control, scheduling and capacity planning, and shop floor control. Material requirements planning (MRP) helps plan what to make in time to build products while cost control and project control modules give firms finer control over costs. The ability to seamlessly integrate Rootstock with a variety of different platforms on the Salesforce Platform is one of the great advantages of a Rootstock-based  solution.

Rootstock integration with eBridge offers several key advantages to manufacturers:

Save time: eBridge eliminates the manual and duplicate entry of product, order or inventory data, which not only saves time, but also improves data accuracy by decreasing the chance of costly manual errors.

Speed up processes: The automation of eBridge’s integration platform increases the speed by which information is exchanged, allowing manufacturing firms to implement streamlined workflows that benefit the organization and their customers.

The eBridge Connections-Rootstock integration is ideal for manufacturers who want to prepare for the future and who are serious about integrating their Rootstock Cloud ERP and Salesforce CRM solutions with EDI partners and eCommerce stores.

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Rootstock Software Shortlisted for 2016-17 Cloud Awards Program

https://goo.gl/44Saag

International Cloud Computing Program Announces Shortlist

San Francisco, CA – 10 January 2017 – Rootstock Software® is a finalist in the 2016-2017 Cloud Awards Program in the category Best Cloud HR, Payroll, or ERP Solution.

Now entering its seventh year, the cloud computing awards program celebrates excellence and innovation in the rapid-growth cloud computing market. Accepting entries from across the globe, entrants come from the US, Canada, Australasia and EMEA. Entries are accepted from organizations of all sizes and include start-ups as well as government bodies.

In 2016-17, categories include Best Software as a Service from the US, Best Software as a Service from outside the US, Most Innovative Use of Data, “Best in Mobile” Cloud Solution and Most Promising Start-Up.

Rootstock CEO Pat Garrehy said: “In such a competitive year, it’s a special honor for our organization to be recognized in the Best Cloud HR, Payroll, or ERP Solution category of the 2016-17 Cloud Awards.”

Cloud Awards organizer Larry Johnson said: “In our sixth year of recognizing and celebrating excellence and innovation in the cloud, the standard of entries has been staggering.

“This high level of excellence is reflected in the size of organization we are seeing enter – from start-ups to blue chips, and everything in between. But it’s also the sheer global presence of cloud technologies, and innovators outside of the US that have started to become more prominent this year.

“Every organization on the shortlist is a worthy candidate, and the judges have had the most difficult time this year finding the best of the best, due to the standard and volume of entries. But every year, the bar gets raised to new levels.

“We will also be publishing a research report on the state of the cloud computing industry, based on the responses of the hundreds of participants who entered.”

Over 300 organizations entered, with entries coming from across the globe, covering the Americas, Australia, Europe and the Middle East. You can view the full shortlist here: https://www.cloud-awards.com/ 2017-shortlist.

Final winners will be announced on Tuesday, January 31, 2017.

The Cloud Awards (https://www.cloud-awards.com/cloud-computing-awards/) will return with a new program in late 2017 to continue its recognition of excellence in cloud computing.

The Software as a Service Awards (https://www.cloud-awards.com/software-as-a-service-awards/), judged in the spring, now enters its second year and is currently accepting entries.

Contact Details

Rootstock Software Chuck Stevenson – Director of Marketing Communications www.rootstock.com [email protected]

For the Cloud Awards Larry Johnson – 2016-17 Organizer www.cloud-awards.com [email protected]

Notes for Editors

About the Cloud Awards

The Cloud Awards is an international program which has been recognizing and honoring industry leaders, innovators and organizational transformation in cloud computing since 2011. The awards are open to large, small, established and start-up organizations from across the entire globe, with the goal of finding and celebrating the pioneers who will shape the future of the Cloud as we move into 2017 and beyond. Categories include Most Promising Start-Up, Best SaaS, and “Best in Mobile” Cloud Solution. Finalists were selected by a judging panel of international industry experts. For more information about the Cloud Awards, please visit http://www.cloud-awards.com/.

About Rootstock Software

Rootstock Software® is a proven provider of powerful and nimble manufacturing, distribution and supply chain solutions built and deployed on the Salesforce Platform (the world’s #1 cloud computing platform). The Rootstock solutions enable real-time management of manufacturing, distribution and supply chain operations from front to back, anytime and anywhere. The company’s manufacturing, distribution and supply chain apps integrate “out of the box” with Sales Cloud® by salesforce.com and other ERP-centric applications written on the Salesforce Platform. With unparalleled executive experience in manufacturing and distribution software and an established base of installed and implemented cloud customers, Rootstock offers a better and more reliable way to plan and execute required activities, deliver essential information to all parts of the organization, and improve timely and informed business decision making. The Rootstock apps also provide the control and visibility required to elevate the total performance of manufacturing, distribution and supply chain operations. Rootstock is available on the AppExchange by salesforce.com, the world’s most popular marketplace for business apps. To learn more, please follow Rootstock on Twitter @RootstockMFG, visit our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/RootstockSoftware or visit http://www.rootstock.com.

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Four Reasons Why Your Business Should Invest in Salesforce ERP

To be competitive in today’s dynamic global economy, you need to transform your business. You know this as a large manufacturer who’s looking to replace an expensive, on-premise, spreadsheet-heavy system, and you know this as a small- to medium-sized firm looking to improve key areas of your business and compete in new markets. You’ve read about the benefits of cloud ERP, including real-time, on-demand access to large amounts of data, reduced costs and scalability.

But how can you make sure that you’re getting the right solution for your company? Your business will benefit by choosing a cloud ERP solution like Rootstock Software that’s built on the Salesforce platform.

Why is this important and why should you select a Salesforce ERP solution like Rootstock?

Salesforce is an enterprise cloud platform.

Cloud computing delivers data and applications through the Internet. Enterprise cloud platforms provide every department in a business with apps – functionality across the enterprise.

With the cloud, companies have been able to replace the high costs and inefficiencies of their old, on-premise, spreadsheet-heavy systems with on-demand business apps that store big data on servers. These cloud-based apps don’t have to be maintained on-site and when residing on a true enterprise cloud platform, can deliver usable solutions on demand via the web. Apps that reside on an enterprise cloud platform can be scaled for growth and can be customized by developers, IT departments and end users.

Large manufacturers may be skeptical about how well cloud ERP would work for their firm with many application interfaces and large amounts of data. The Salesforce platform is already an enterprise platform. It was designed to store large amounts of sales lead and opportunity data, to handle many users across many companies, and to enable the development of many more applications. Salesforce ERP is built on these capabilities.

Salesforce is secure.

Salesforce knows the importance of keeping your data secure. The Salesforce Platform is secure, which means your data is safe. They have built a platform using a multi-layered approach, making data accessible and safe from potential threats. Salesforce constantly monitors and improves their application and platform to meet the growing demands and challenges of security.

Salesforce has been certified by VeriSign, TrustE, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Service Organization Control Reports, and the US Department Of Commerce Safe Harbor program.

Salesforce is stable and growing.

Salesforce Inc. is a global cloud computing company originally known for its CRM product. Salesforce expanded its offerings from just CRM to become a popular enterprise cloud platform, and in the process has grown to support nearly every part of a business, from sales to manufacturing. In fact, Salesforce is so stable that it has become an industry in and of itself. Salesforce supports many Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), so software developers are constantly creating new apps for the platform to expand the reach of the platform and add to their customers’ experience.

The Salesforce platform continues to grow. At last count, there were over 700 billion global consumer cloud subscriptions, over 2,600 apps and almost three million app installations on the Salesforce platform. Between fiscal year 2005 and 2015, Salesforce’s annual revenue increased from $176.4 million to $5.37 billion. Last quarter, its Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and App Cloud revenues all experienced double-digit growth as total revenue rose 23.9% annually.

The following chart from zdnet.com shows Salesforce’s revenue history, with 2008 highlighted. In 2008, the company had under $1 billion of revenue, compared to almost $6 billion today.

Analysts expect more of the same; they think Salesforce’s revenue will rise 23.7% in fiscal 2016 and 21.5% in fiscal 2017. Salesforce has experienced a 68% growth in their Partner Program, an 82% year-over-year growth in joint Salesforce/Partner revenue, 71% of their customers have installed at least one app, and 23% of their customers have installed five or more apps on the platform, a 400% increase over five years.

As Salesforce has grown, so has the number of developers, consultants and specialists, creating a cloud ecosystem based solely on the Salesforce platform. This ecosystem continues to expand as more and the developers build apps on the platform, making Salesforce even more appealing to other developers. For example, the Force.com platform-as-a-service (PaaS) application development framework on Salesforce enables cloud-based app development.

Salesforce Apps Can Provide a Complete Operations Platform

Salesforce’s AppExchange marketplace, now over ten years old, offers more than 300 mobile-ready apps based on their platform. Salesforce apps cover everything from the front office to the back office.

Front office apps typically offer graphical interfaces for end users, and AppExchange includes apps for product orders, order status, usage tracking for metered services and live customer support.

Back office apps include functions that are critical to manufacturing firms, including inventory control and quality control, as well as general office administration, management reporting, finance, accounting and CRM (Customer Relationship Management). Salesforce’s AppExchange really does provide a complete operations platform.

Rootstock on Salesforce

The reasons cited above make it easy to see why Salesforce’s cloud platform is ideal for manufacturers. Firms looking for a manufacturing ERP solution on Salesforce can look to Rootstock Software. Rootstock is a 100% native, full-scale ERP suite on Salesforce’s Force.com platform. Rootstock leverages the dynamic features of Salesforce to provide end users with robust ERP applications that are accessible, scalable and secure. Rootstock enterprise apps share data and integrate seamlessly out of the box with other native apps like Salesforce.com and other financial software, providing a complete enterprise cloud-computing solution.

Salesforce ERP solutions such as Rootstock are critical to your company’s future. As the Salesforce platform continues to lead its competitors, there will be more and more apps that can be integrated with Rootstock’s cloud ERP software, giving you even more tools you need to transform your business.