Epicor SaaS strategy looks beyond Azure horizon

The ISV, which launches Epicor 9 next week, told iTnews that it will push Enterprise Search functionality out to Azure first. Replication server technology is also considered a strong candidate for hosting on the Azure platform, according to VP of product marketing, James Norwood.

“We want to provide choice and flexibility to our customers,” said Norwood.

“We will do our best to exploit Azure where it makes sense and will see how it develops, but I think we’ll continue to offer alternatives [to Azure] as well.”

Enterprise Search on Azure will be made available as soon as Microsoft’s cloud platform ‘becomes commercially marketable’, according to Norwood.

The functionality is already embedded within Epicor 9 but moving it to Azure should mean less server relays, increasing the responsiveness to search queries.

Epicor already offers selected tax- and campaign-based modules as a service on infrastructure located in a third-party data centre.

It’s strategy will be to move modules into a SaaS environment gradually, rather than go fully hosted, said Norwood.

“There aren’t many SME ERP businesses that want the whole thing in the cloud from day one,” said Norwood.

“They might ask if you can do it but we think this kind of gradual approach to delivery is far more acceptable to business.”

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