Sage ERP X3 interfaces with Magento e-Commerce

Issued by Watt Communications: for Sage Enterprise
Johannesburg, 16 May 2012

Sage ERP X3, a global enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution for larger businesses operating in the mid-market and enterprise space, now seamlessly integrates Magento - the world's leading e-commerce platform - into its product offering utilising Vaimo, the only Magento Gold partner in Africa.

Retailers and wholesalers can no longer be ignorant about the fact that they need an e-commerce sales strategy in place, says Vaimo SA's Managing Director, Kevin Clarke.

“The growth rate in online retail sales is impossible to ignore, particularly in the current economic environment. Wherever you go you see traditional sales channels buckling under the pressure, with their numbers slowing to a crawl. In contrast, the online environment is booming, delivering double-digit growth even in mature e-commerce environments such as the USA (2011 - 13%) and Europe (2011 - 18%). Emerging e-commerce environments are delivering even more promising results. South Africa's online retail sales numbers grew 30% in 2011 and we expect these numbers to grow upwards by 35% in 2012 to R3.5 billion (Stats SA).”

Vaimo originated in Sweden and is one of the leading e-commerce suppliers in Scandinavia. The Vaimo management team in both Europe and South Africa all have strong ERP backgrounds and have found good synergy with the team at Sage ERP X3. As a result, the development team at Vaimo has built a commercial connector which intelligently integrates Sage ERP X3 and Magento on various levels.

“Partnering was a very natural thing to do, as Vaimo can offer the Magento e-Commerce platform to Sage ERP X3 clients as a component of Multi-Channel Sales. In turn, the team at Sage is helping our clients with better operational efficiencies using the Sage ERP X3 platform,” explains Clarke. Vaimo and Sage clients in South Africa benefit directly by leveraging from the skills, tactics and experience acquired from a mature e-commerce market.

“Any of our existing Sage ERP X3 clients now have the option to include a new sales channel in the form of e-commerce into their business offering,” says Keith Fenner, Vice-President of Sales for Africa, Softline Accpac and Sage MMD Africa, part of the Sage Group. “The integration is seamless and it provides all the insight and business functionality that our Sage ERP X3 product offers, from a robust e-commerce platform. The advent of the cloud and growing connectivity in South Africa and Africa at large lays the foundation for solid e-commerce growth. Integrating Magento's e-Commerce platform into our Sage ERP X3 offering will allow the mid-market enterprise to grasp all the opportunities that e-commerce has to offer,” concludes Fenner.

Softline Accpac

Softline Accpac is a provider of business management solutions, including financial, distribution, service management, retail, warehouse management, manufacturing and CRM to the mid-range market. Accpac solutions are delivered to 130 countries exclusively through a global network of solution providers, including over 150 throughout Africa. Softline Accpac's product line includes: Accpac ERP, Accpac CRM, Accpac RMS, Service Manager and Accpac Insight. Softline Accpac also distributes Sage SalesLogix, Sage Geode and Sage ERP X3, a full-service enterprise management software system for mid-to-large businesses. With a choice of languages, currencies, enterprises, locations and legislations, Sage ERP X3 offers an efficient, multi-company solution.

Softline

Softline is a leading provider of accounting, payroll, CRM and ERP software solutions to small, medium and large sized companies. Founded in 1988 by Ivan Epstein, Alan Osrin and Steven Cohen, Softline was established during the formative years of the software industry and listed on the JSE Securities Exchange South Africa in February 1997. Softline expanded to establish a strong position within its area of focus in South Africa and Australia. Focused on the development of accounting, payroll, CRM and ERP software solutions, Softline has a 20-year track record as a market leader. The group has a broad range of products offering users a variety of software solutions to run their businesses efficiently. Softline's leading brands include Softline Accpac, Softline Pastel (Accounting and Payroll) and Softline VIP. The combination of the group's product offerings provides Softline customers with comprehensive, well-branded accounting, payroll, CRM and ERP software solutions. In November 2003, Softline was acquired by the Sage Group plc, a FTSE 100 company. The software group includes market-leading businesses throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, South Africa and Australia, supplying business software to the small, medium and large sized business community. Softline has a solid track record of profitability and cash generation. The group delivers quality accounting, payroll, CRM and ERP software solutions that improve the efficiencies of businesses around the world.

The Sage Group

The Sage Group is a leading global supplier of business management software and related products and services, principally for small to medium-sized enterprises. Formed in 1981, Sage was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989. Sage has 6.3 million customers and 13 400 employees worldwide. It operates in over 24 countries covering the UK, Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia, India and China. For further information, please visit www.sage.com.

Magento

The Magento e-Commerce platform serves more than 110 000 merchants worldwide and is supported by a global ecosystem of solution partners and third-party developers. Magento is a feature-rich, open source, enterprise-class platform that offers merchants a high degree of flexibility and control over the user experience, catalogue, content and functionality of their online store.

Vaimo

Vaimo is Magento's first Gold Solution Partner in Scandinavia and Africa. Vaimo is positioned as a top Magento solution provider and aims to help clients fulfil their e-commerce goals at a fraction of the cost and time compared to proprietary e-commerce solutions.

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