NetSuite Ramps Up ISV Partner Program
The new SuiteCloud Developer Network (SDN) targets ISVs that build applications that run on NetSuite's ERP, CRM and E-commerce software, and the NetSuite Business Operating System (NS-BOS) development platform. The goal is to attract ISV partners that will help NetSuite expand into new vertical markets, said Guido Haarmans, vice president of the program.
NetSuite already has some 70 ISV partners that build complementary applications using the vendor's SuiteFlex development tools, part of the NS-BOS. The company has no numerical goals for how many ISVs it plans to recruit through the SDN, Haarmans said.
"We are seeking a limited set of partners that are strategically aligned with us to enter vertical markets and service more upmarket customers," he said, adding that there is more focus on the quality of the recruited partners than the quantity.
Through the program, NetSuite will work with ISV partners on joint product road maps and offer technical services, such as solutions engineering, technical training and support, and a portal with developer tools and other engineering resources. The program also will provide sales, marketing planning and support services.
While NetSuite previously offered technical resources for ISV partners, Haarmans said the new program provides broader support that spans all aspects of an application's life cycle. And there was little in the way of sales and marketing assistance before now.
SDN will have three levels of partners with an exclusive "premier" level for ISVs that have significant market share and are judged to be technology leaders. Most ISVs will be in the "select" membership category, which offers both technology and sales/marketing support, while others at the "community" membership level will only have access to technical resources.
The new SuiteApp.com online marketplace, similar in concept to Salesforce.com's AppExchange, provides a way for NetSuite "premier" and "select" ISVs to showcase their applications. NetSuite is providing hosting services for ISV software, but customers can't purchase ISV products directly from the SuiteApp.com site.
One of the first ISVs that has joined the SDN program is Rootstock Software, a San Ramon, Calif.-based developer of Software-as-a-Service discrete manufacturing applications that run with NetSuite. Building its software on NS-BOS "enabled us to leverage the existing NetSuite ERP platform, our domain expertise and the SaaS distribution model to create an application that adds significant value to the NetSuite environment for discrete manufacturers," CEO Patrick Garrehy said.
One of the first apps listed on the SuiteApp site is Celigo, a San Mateo, Calif.-based developer of software for synchronizing Mac desktop applications with NetSuite's applications. "As Mac sales continue to outpace the rest of the computer industry, we're seeing more and more companies use both NetSuite and Macs," said Celigo CEO Jan Arendtsz.