NetSuite Offer Targets SAP Business ByDesign Customers

Cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) company NetSuite Inc. (N) is offering an aggressive competitive migration program to companies running SAP Business ByDesign. NetSuite’s offer follows speculation about the future of that SAP technology, fueled by a German press report.

The SAP Business ByDesign Sunset Migration Program aims to win SAP Business ByDesign customers in good standing by offering them the opportunity to switch to NetSuite. Eligible customers will receive one free year of subscription services and free data migration.

“We are ready to turn SAP customers’ pain into delight by enabling them to experience the benefits of the most widely used cloud business suite, backed by NetSuite,” said NetSuite CEO Zach Nelson in a prepared statement.

SAP AG (SAP) spokesperson Jim Dever responded to NetSuite’s promotion as “a sad attempt to capitalize on inaccuracies in the media,” pointing to the recent report in German magazine WirtschaftsWoche (English translation here).

Dever said the company is “refactoring Business ByDesign to run on SAP HANA,” which is SAP’s in-memory database.

He added that the company will “continue to support Business ByDesign” and will “move every customer to the restructured solution on HANA, when it’s made available.”

Nelson is not known for his conservative comments when it comes to competitiors.  He used an earnings report earlier this year to criticise competitors Microsoft (MSFT) and SAP.