IBS Webinar: NetStore is the self-service web channel for buyers and sellers

Thursday, August 4, 2011 at 1:00PM to 1:30PM EDT

IBS NetStore is an e-business application that provides you fast, easy, low-cost access to new markets. It gives your customers immediate answers for order-related questions, thanks to its complete integration with IBS Enterprise or your existing ERP system.

During this webinar you will see how NetStore:

• Provides a self-service web channel for purchases, service, incident reports, and even returns or quote requests.
• Connects to social media.
• Supports mobility of your salesforce and buyers with iPad and Droid usability.
• Has Google style product search with image, video, animation viewing capability for multi-item comparisons or multi-field searches.
• Allows online customer registration, credit check, and credit card authorization.
• Gives real-time pricing and availability with automatic e-mail confirmation.

NetStore improves the customer experience which increases customer satisfaction and loyalty while lightening the load on your current staff to allow focus on the more complex sales activities.

Join IBS for 30 minutes to see how IBS NetStore can also provide account status information including current balance, credit, outstanding payments, and A/R agreements all while you track website visitor behavior like the number of visits, last visit, average session, interrupted orders or transactions per hour.

To register, visit: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/144592057?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonv6rKZKXonjHpfsX67OksWaCg38431UFwdcjKPmjr1YIERcd0dvycMRAVFZl5nQVaCQ%3D%3D

100 Years And Counting For Industrial Distribution Magazine

Iconic media property celebrates 100 years of bringing news, exclusive features, new products, sales strategies and more to the industrial distribution marketplace.

In 2011 Industrial Distribution (www.inddist.com) magazine is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The milestone will be marked with exclusive web features and in a commemorative September/October print edition.

First off the presses in 1911, Mill Supplies was known as more of a catalog and directory, as opposed to the vital information source Industrial Distribution has become for large and small distributors alike. Over the years the property changed hands and titles, morphing over time to its current form. Annual highlights include: The Survey of Distributor Operations, The Big 50, and The Industrial Distribution Salary Report.

“I know I speak for our entire staff when I say how honored we are to be associated with Industrial Distribution,” stated Anna Wells, Industrial Distribution’s executive editor. “A legacy this long-standing can’t be replicated. We’re proud to have the most storied and resilient brand in the marketplace, and we’re committed to continuing into the next hundred years with the same focus on timely and relevant information for distribution professionals.”

Special editorial content will stem from the property’s unique relationship with its readership. Some of the industry’s most successful distributors will be joining forces to create a signature piece created via in-depth interviews with key industry players representing Grainger, Fastenal, MSC, and more.

“In addition to the feedback we get from our readership, we’ll also look to incorporate the unique insight of key suppliers,” adds Wells. “This group offers invaluable perspective on how their products or solutions can help address our readers’ critical issues. Obviously without these relationships and the support of our advertisers, the property wouldn’t be embarking on a centennial celebration.”

Industrial Distribution is part of Advantage Business Media’s Manufacturing Group, with sister properties that include: Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operation, Food Manufacturing, Manufacturing.net, Manufacturing Business Technology, and Pharmaceutical Processing.

About Advantage Business Media:
Advantage Business Media is an integrated business media company with a diversified portfolio of highly focused print publications, e-newsletters, specialized directories, vertical search databases, conferences, ancillary media vehicles, and associated web-based services. Advantage Business Media is headquartered in Rockaway, NJ, with offices in Chicago, IL, Madison, WI and Denver, CO. For more information go to www.advantagebusinessmedia.com.

SAP and Microsoft Make App Development and Cloud Management Easier

Microsoft’s broad partner ecosystem is what powers increased value and solutions for customers and their evolving business needs.

One example of this is today’s announcement of SAP and Microsoft’s plans to focus on two key areas: first, to help .NET Framework developers more easily build applications connecting to SAP, and second, to help customers harness the power of the cloud.

As a result of this announcement, developers can expect much more support and integration between the development worlds of SAP and Microsoft. Business processes from SAP software can now be easily consumed and extended by .NET developers, simplifying the overall application development process. This level of access will immediately reduce the number of steps developers must take in order to ensure application integration, and also lead to shorter development cycles and lower costs.

Microsoft and SAP also plan to provide integration between SAP’s landscape management software, Microsoft System Center and Microsoft Windows Server Hyper-V technology, bringing greater agility to cloud management and deployments.

This integration will instill enhanced flexibility, scalability and management in the cloud, all while reducing cost and risk. Through these connected offerings, SAP and Microsoft customers will be able to easily scale their deployments in their own data centers or through private clouds, for example, if they have a workload that needs on-demand scale periodically, such as a paycheck or employee performance review application.

Together, Microsoft and SAP are committed to driving greater levels of innovation and flexibility for application development and cloud deployment – from your datacenter to the public cloud, eventually enabling hybrid computing scenarios via Windows Azure for companies to embrace cloud computing on their terms.

This announcement was made at SAPPHIRE® NOW, being held in Orlando, Florida, May 15-18, 2011 where Microsoft was also named SAP Global Technology Partner of the Year.

Posted by Ted Kummert (http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2011/05/18/sap-and-microsoft-make-app-development-and-cloud-management-easier.aspx)
Senior Vice President, Business Platform Division, Microsoft

IFS and NetSuite Sponsor Consulting Magazine's Consulting Summit

Serving Clients with Distinction: Setting Your Firm Apart

Join thought leaders, May 5, 2001 at University Club of Chicago , from such prominent firms as Prudential Capital Partners, Bain & Company, and Booz & Company for interactive sessions on:
• The State of the Consulting Profession
• What Clients Want
• Key Steps to Breakthrough Performance
• Setting Your Firm Apart
• And More!

PLUS – Working Lunch: Data Mining the “Best Firms to Work For”

Visit www.ConsultingSummit.com and discover Consulting Summit 2011!

Register Now!
800.531.0007/+1.603.924.1006

Real Time Inventory, Pricing, Sales and Service Data On a Web Browser

At last, wholesale distribution revenues are starting to climb! Many distributors are reporting increased sales that are now spanning several quarters.

If you are one of them, and you think the time is right to upgrade your ERP technology, Acumatica thinks it's time you consider the Cloud!

The power of the Cloud
Acumatica Distribution Management uses the power of the cloud to deliver enterprise-wide control of your distribution operations. Because Acumatica Cloud ERP provides real-time information for every phase of your distribution business, from sales to purchasing to order entry to inventory control and to financial accounting, and beyond, you get the information you need to better manage all your company's resources.

What is included?
Acumatica is a fully integrated system that provides order management, inventory management, purchasing management, financial management, customer relationship management, and more. The solution is priced for unlimited users and sold as a one-time perpetual license or as a recurring turnkey service, depending on your level of IT expertise.

Learn more in 2 minutes
Find out how the power of the Cloud can help you by:
• Watching some of our 2-minute videos
• Attending a free seminar

For additional information, contact Acumatica at 1-888-228-8300.

Acumatica, BSWC, & MDM Webinar: Cloud Computing: Reality vs. Theory

Cloud computing is creating a big buzz in consumer markets. But its value proposition for wholesale distribution companies is still a bit fuzzy for IT professionals and executives alike. Join well-known technology consultant Steve Epner in this 60-minute free Webcast sponsored by Acumatica to separate fact from fiction, and learn more about the business case for cloud computing for wholesale distribution businesses.

The discussion on April 7, 2011 will knock down the myths to review the growing number of options, opportunities for wholesale distributors to leverage cloud computing, and the business case for cloud deployment. All this with the help of Steve Epner’s many years of clearly explaining how to use technology to solve business problems!

Register at: https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/sc​hedule/display.​do?udc=5f013d4t​8z8f​

Activant and Epicor being bought by Apax Partners

Software providers Epicor Software Corp. and Activant Solutions Inc. agreed to buyout offers from funds affiliated with private-equity firm Apax Partners in a combined deal valued at about $2 billion.

Epicor shares surged 11% to $12.50 in early Monday trading on the Nasdaq stock market, matching the per-share offer price. The stock had gained 18% over the past 12 months. Epicor said the total value of its deal, which likely includes debt, is about $976 million.

Activant is currently owned by funds affiliated with Hellman & Friedman LLC, Thoma Bravo LLC and JMI Equity.

Apax plans to merge the two companies as a private firm under the Epicor name. The combined company will have more than 30,000 customers and $825 million in annual revenues, Apax said.

Sales at Epicor, which makes integrated enterprise and business software, have improved as clients for its business software started to spend again. Its latest fourth-quarter profit narrowed on higher costs, though the top line continued to grow.

Activant provides software for mid-market retail and wholesale distribution businesses.

Shareholders representing about 19% of Epicor's outstanding shares, including private-equity firm Elliott Associates LP, have backed the deal.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703806304576242560623987014.html#ixzz1IZriCxYM