Compiere just released version 3.0 of its namesake product with "well over 150 improvements". If you're not familiar with Compiere (hey, how many of us purchase ERP products), think of Compiere as an open source alternative to SAP or Oracle's applications. Judging by a quick look at their product line and Compiere's customer success stories, Compiere is squarely targeted at the SMB customer segment. As such, this would put Compiere up against Microsoft, more than it would against SAP or Oracle.

Compiere offers 3 editions, a free "Community Edition", a "Standard Edition" priced at $25/user/month and a "Professional Edition" priced at $50/user/month. Maybe it's the pricing class that I just took this weekend, but I really like how Compiere has been able to differentiate the 3 offering based on features that will lead the buyer to pick "A" vs. "B". I also like how the "Standard Edition" and "Professional Edition" are following the gated access to OSS products business model that has worked so well for Red Hat and others.

Give Compiere V3.0 a try and let us know what you think. (Personally, I'm not a fan of registering to try out an OSS product. We tried that with WAS CE and some of the contact info we received was quite amusing, not remotely close to PG-rated, but amusing...folks at Compiere: maybe make the info optional, and hence reduce a barrier to trials?)

Posted by Savio Rodrigues on April 16, 2008 07:23 AM