Traditional vs. managed ERP solution

Traditional ERP environment Possible hosted ERP environment Time to implement 3 - 6 months 3 - 12 weeks (based on current client base) Start-up costs Purchase hardware and software for networking, storage, databases, operating systems, etc. Utilize IBM systems Project risk Large capital and resource investments Enterprise software available quickly Adding users Additional hardware/software may be required IBM manages required hardware/software availability Upgrades UpgradesRequirements may include adding supporting software products and hardware IBM manages all hardware and software requirements Upgrade frequency Larger overhead may result in less frequent releases Experience with multiple clients may provide smaller, more frequent releases Maintenance In-house IT department manages support, reducing availability for strategic planning IBM manages support and patch management Problem resolution Multiple vendors complicate problem solving Single source vendor is sole point of contact Cashflow Large, one-time expense plus ongoing expenditures difficult to foresee Set fee per user provides predictable costs