SAN JOSE, CALIF. – Closing out the SuiteWorld 2013 show was the announced by NetSuite that it has signed up six new solution provider partners including Thornhill, Ont.-based Baass Business Solutions.
U.S.-based solution providers Altico Advisors, Eide Bailly, Envisage Business Solutions, MorganFranklin Consulting and Project Partners will also be launching new cloud business management solution on NetSuite.
“Baass wants to attack the cloud with a Canadian message. And, NetSuite is a great win for them and the team at Baass is made up of smart guys,” said NetSuite channel chief Craig West.
Baass recently celebrated 25 years in business and significantly expanding to the U.S. by merging is operation with Axis Global Partners of Chicago.
Baass is a long time Sage Software partner but decided to launch a NetSuite-based cloud ERP practice to expand beyond its traditional focus on on-premise solutions. Baass will centre this new practice for the mid-market space along with the manufacturing vertical.
Manny Buigos, VP of U.S. and Caribbean operations for Baass said in a prepared statement that more customers are asking about cloud solutions and a lot of technology buyers today grew up using the Internet, so the cloud is second nature to them. “We see NetSuite as an organization investing heavily in R&D and have been very impressed with NetSuite sales and marketing, and the partner enablement program has been fantastic.”
Meanwhile, West also announced that NetSuite would further its channel specific validation programs with the Consultant Certification program. This new program is similar to Built for NetSuite program, which was launched at this year’s conference, West said.
The Consultant Certification program is a multi-tiered approach that will give individual consultants NetSuite certification badges after passing a test.
West added that people who have deployed NetSuite for years won’t be forced to go to class. All they have to do is pass the test to get the certification.
“We thought it was the right move for years and it would have been done a number of years ago, but it is a big undertaking and a huge burden on NetSuite to define the measurements for success. This is not a static thing. We had to build it with new content after every product refresh for example,” West said.
NetSuite expects hundreds to earn certification badges this year. There is a fee, but West said, it’s “super low.”
“The biggest benefit for the channel is that it will create differentiation. They will start marketing that they have 50 people with NetSuite certifications, while the other guy only has two,” West said.
