NetSuite and Sage clash over switchers

NetSuite and Sage, two rivals in the highly competitive CRM and ERP markets, have clashed over a fight for customers.

NetSuite has launched an initiative to poach Sage customers, however the UK company - best known for its accounting and payroll software - has hits back at the claims NetSuite has made in its campaign.

Craig Sullivan, VP of international products at NetSuite, told silicon.com the company is offering Sage switchers £5,000-worth of free support and services to move over to NetSuite from products such as Sage CRM, Sage Line 50 or SalesLogix.

Sullivan said: "If a Sage customer decides to upgrade from Line 50 to Line 100, for example, or wants to bring in Sage CRM then the process they're going to go through is so difficult that the customer may as well look to a completely different vendor."

In its campaign literature NetSuite claims Sage products "integrate weakly, if at all".

However, Brendan Flattery, UK MD of Sage, told silicon.com: "Of course that's what they'd say but it's absolutely not true.

"We're always aware of what our rivals are doing - be it NetSuite or anybody else - but for us it's more important to focus on what we can do."

Flattery said on-demand offerings such as NetSuite's software as a service approach will never offer all things to all users. He added Sage's approach of offering hosted and on-premise will give the company a strong advantage.

Flattery said: "There are some organisations where on-premise will always be the preferred choice. It's not one-size fits all and we prefer to give our customers choice."