UNIT4 Launches Cloud-Based Shared Services for ERP, Financial Software 
UNIT4 is offering cloud shared services to let ERP and financial software users in private companies, government and not-for-profits to design, launch and collaborate over shared services. UNIT4’s “Shared Journey” program works with the company's Agresso Business World ERP and Coda Financials software.
UNIT4 is offering cloud shared services to let ERP and financial software users in private companies, government and not-for-profits to design, launch and collaborate over shared services. UNIT4’s “Shared Journey” program works with the company's Agresso Business World ERP and Coda Financials software.
“What we observed and collected was a universal set of requirements for both enterprise resource planning (ERP) and financial software needs, and compared these by industry segments most likely to adopt a shared services approach.” said Ton Dobbe, V.P. of Product Management, UNIT4, in a statement. Shared Journey was developed after monitoring the experiences and requirements of more than 6,000 customers, he added.
UNIT4 has implemented more than 100 non-cloud shared services solutions for private/public sector users looking to gain better control, reduce costs and increase their ability to respond to change. UNIT4’s approach leverages its Agresso Vita architecture, which supports unlimited “do-it-yourself” change, and its Coda Link architecture, which allows easy integration to multiple systems.
UNIT4 is taking its core approaches to enable shared services to the cloud, Dobbe added, adding that moving to the cloud lets UNIT4 provide solutions to more users and increase benefits, including lower infrastructure costs.
Shared Journey is based on three components:
- A virtual machine (VM) environment of choice that allows grouped users to migrate to whatever cloud/hardware environment suits them best. It also lets them change the environment if they want;
- A private/public cloud environment that supports cost/data security requirements as the group prefers;
- A redundant web backbone and data storage hub that provides fail-safe back-up.
UNIT4’s Shared Journey is sold on a subscription-basis that includes the shared license, maintenance, and technical IT and operational support services. With a “power of groups” share services deployment model, the greater number of organizations that join Shared Journey, the lower the monthly fee becomes for the other members, Dobbe added.
Shared Journey is designed to let each organization/division within the shared service reap all the benefits of cloud computing and maintain the highest level of independence/identity. It takes into account interoperability, impact of operational changes and other change dynamics that require users to take what Dobbe called “an independence approach” that lets them avoid lock in to a vendor deployment model.
UNIT4’s cloud deployment is managed by the company on its UNIT4 Hybrid Computing Platform, which provides a range of single-point of contact manageability and control features, including aligned service levels, central provisioning, centralized reporting, end user support and telephone/e-mail and/or self-service portals. The solution is also ISO 27001 certified. UNIT4 IT cloud solutions are underpinned by 300 carriers and four of the top five peering points in the world, offering the company’s cloud-based users a full range of flexible, scalable options with high-quality connectivity, Dobbe added. .
