xTuple: Open Source ERP Meets Cloud Computing

xTuple has released a new version of their flagship open-source ERP product, designed to simplify the user experience for SMBs. At the same time, the copany has launched the xTuple Cloud service, which enables companies to host their databases on the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). Here’s the scoop.

New to their product line is the xTuple Desktop, which they describe as a graphical interface to the software that’s a “loadable package, completely customizable.” It lets users create shortcuts to their favorite places in the application and customize workflows for business processes like accounting, purchasing, or manufacturing.

The company is also including the $30 QuickStart Wizard, which helps set up a company with xTuple from scratch. If you go with the xTuple Cloud services, it’s free of charge.

The xTuple product line comes in three “flavors”: the free xTuple PostBooks, meant for small businesses; the midmarket commercial xTuple Standard with enhanced manufacturing and inventory control features; and the advanced xTuple Manufacturing edition. All three support cloud database hosting by way of Amazon EC2.

xTuple faces plenty of competition in the ERP market, from traditional players like SAP and Oracle, to SaaS specialists like NetSuite, to open source rivals like Compiere (recently acquired) and OpenBravo.

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