NetSuite's OpenAir cloud-based professional services automation software received good ratings in a recent certification and review by Technology Evaluation Centers (TEC), a research firm and leading advocate for buyers of enterprise software. TEC provides reviews and reports on a range of business software products to help purchasers navigate the differences of the various applications on the market.
To become certified, NetSuite's OpenAir had to meet TEC's stringent guideline for addressing key PSA and product portfolio management (PPM) processes. The researchers gave NetSuite OpenAir above average ratings in four functional areas:
- Portfolio and project management software
- Resource planning and scheduling
- Contact and contract management
- Time and expense management
In terms of general horizontal characteristics, TEC especially liked OpenAir's approach to integration with other enterprise applications. The collection of connectors that make it easy to integrate OpenAir with other NetSuite and non-NetSuite front- and back-office systems were a big plus, according to TEC.
Another positive characteristic was OpenAir's intuitive user interface, with real-time dashboards, portlets and charts.
Behind the user interface sits OpenAir's well-designed workflow. TEC gave OpenAir's workflow good marks for features such as: alerts and notifications for project milestones, role-based security with 128-bit encryption and integrated reporting capabilities. The integrated reporting makes it easy for users to drill down into a report to see supporting data and metrics.
Finally, OpenAir rated highly in innovation. Specifically, TEC pointed to its support for mobile access and international currencies and tax rates, which will make it much easier for firms to conduct business globally. Also of worthy note was OpenAir's SuiteApp application store which provides a variety of third-party products for NetSuite applications.
The full report with competitive analysis of OpenAir across all 1,261 criteria is available for $675 and higher, at the NetSuite OpenAir page on TEC's website. Potential buyers can also receive a sample report from TEC which provides the ratings of OpenAir for the first 50 criteria. For more details on NetSuite's OpenAir for PSA solution, visit the OpenAir website.
-Ed Marshall, SVP, GM Services Vertical at NetSuite