Clarus counts the pennies by saving Microsoft's pounds

Microsoft has given Clarus a boost by naming the company as its preferred procurement software partner. Microsoft's Great Plains Business Solutions division will sell the software under its eProcure brand, through the channel and online via an ASP model.

Clarus' shares rose eight per cent on the news.

Lynne Stockstad, vice president of e-business at Great Plains, is quoted by Reuters as saying: "Traditional procurement processes are costly and inefficient as a result of bottlenecks, maverick spending, and time-consuming paper-based processes.

"By integrating Clarus' products into eProcure, we will be able to offer organizations a solution that can reduce costs by gaining control of the purchasing process," she added.

Microsoft acquired Great Plains last December for $1.1bn.