Infor gains momentum in enterprise software market

Infor recently announced record annual growth, largely due to a substantial surge in demand and momentum for its business software solutions used globally by companies of all sizes.

This unprecedented growth was driven by a record number of new customers and from new solutions purchased by Infor's existing customer base. The growth validates Infor's strategy of acquiring and innovating solutions that address the business-specific needs of customers.

Infor's momentum was highlighted this week in Las Vegas, where it kicked off its global annual customer conference, Inforum 2007, to a record audience of users and partners.

"Infor's success, on display at Inforum this week, is based on the ability to reach the large, under-served part of the business software market," says Jane Thomson, managing director of Softworx, an EOH company and distributor of Infor in sub-Saharan Africa. "Before Infor, customers had to choose between a software provider with global reach or one with deep functionality and experience built-in to the solution. Infor provides both and, in doing so, has become a disruptive force in the enterprise software industry."

Infor attracted 1 700 brand new customers in the past year, driven by a strong portfolio of enterprise applications that can stand alone as best-in-class or be deployed as part of an integrated Infor solution.

A cross-section of new Infor customers includes:

* Groeniger & Company: this California-based distributor of utility pipes and components chose Infor ERP SX.enterprise, a business-specific solution for the distribution industry, and Infor SCM Warehouse Management to enhance visibility across its operations;
* International Home Products: based in Puerto Rico, this leading distributor of premium cookware chose Infor ERP LN to replace their SAP R/3 system at multiple sites and at a sister company, Home Distillers International;
* Nakheel: Dubai's premier property development company is deploying Infor EAM Enterprise Edition to manage maintenance service requests for a $30 billion property portfolio that includes the world's largest man-made islands.

Current customers are growing their businesses with Infor. Existing Infor customers accounted for more than 10 000 software licences to add additional users, sites, and modules that will help them manage growth and increase competitiveness. In addition, more than 1 000 existing customers acquired complementary solutions from Infor.

Some examples are:

* Averitt Express: an existing Infor SCM Warehouse Management customer, this leading provider of freight transportation and supply chain management deployed Infor CRM Interactive Selling to drive intelligent interactions with customers;
* Big Bear Ltd: this food giant based in the UK, an existing Infor EAM MP2 customer, selected Infor SCM Demand Planning Inventory Planner and Infor SCM Replenishment Planning to more efficiently monitor sales forecasts and manage inventory;
* Shaklee: the leader in natural and environmentally friendly consumer products in the US is driving new global expansion initiatives by upgrading its current Infor ERP implementation and adding a suite of Infor SCM solutions.

In the past year, Infor enriched its solutions with new functionality through nearly 100 product upgrades and feature packs. To extend solutions, Infor completed 20 product integrations, including the recent availability of SOA-enabled solutions which make deployments less cumbersome and upgrades less disruptive.

Infor also made significant strides in innovative new development areas that are focused on evolving customer solutions.

* Infor Open SOAI: Infor announced further details on and delivery of its service-oriented architecture (SOA) initiatives, including SOA-based interoperability between solutions and exciting new developments like role-based home pages;
* Infor ERP SL 8.0: formerly known as SyteLine, the latest release of this leading manufacturing solution includes SOA-based interoperability with Infor's EAM and Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) solutions;
* Infor SCM Warehouse Management 9.0: the re-architected, next generation solution breaks down the boundaries of traditional warehouse management and includes business-specific capabilities for manufacturing, distribution, logistics and retail;
* Infor EAM Enterprise Edition: the flagship EAM solution includes built-in functionality for fleet management, manufacturing, facilities and life sciences businesses.

Over the past five years, Infor has averaged more than 100% compound annual growth driven by organic sources and 31 strategic acquisitions. In 2007, Infor announced two acquisitions, Workbrain and Hansen Technologies, which give the company leading technology and domain expertise in their respective areas of workforce management and local government solutions.

As with its successful integration of other acquisitions, like SSA Global, Extensity, and Datastream, Infor is demonstrating its ongoing commitment to these solutions. At Inforum, Infor announced the latest feature pack upgrade to its Infor HCM Workforce Management solution, acquired from Workbrain, and has made Hansen Technologies the centrepiece of a new business unit focused on local government solutions.

As part of its global business strategy, Infor is also focused on long-term growth through partnerships with other leading companies. At Inforum, Infor announced a partnership with IBM Global Services, through which IBM will become a worldwide reseller of Infor ERP LN, creating turnkey solutions for manufacturing clients in general discrete, electronics and electrical equipment, and transportation.

The announcement builds on Infor's existing relationship with IBM as one of the largest application solutions providers for the IBM System i platform.