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Product category: ERP and MRP systems and software
News Release from: SoftBrands Europe | Subject: The Support Group and SoftBrands Manufacturing
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial Team on 14 May 2003

Strategic partnership to bring ERP to
SMEs

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The Support Group, and SoftBrands Manufacturing have formed a strategic partnership to offer comprehensive software, service and support solutions to SMEs.

The Support Group (tSGi), and SoftBrands Manufacturing have formed a strategic partnership to offer new and comprehensive software, service and support solutions to small and medium-size enterprise (SME) manufacturers in Europe and the USA tSGi is an Austin, Texas-based provider of software application support services to MANMAN customers in North America and Europe; SoftBrands Manufacturing is a global enterprise software solution provider; and MANMAN is a long established manufacturing management software suite

"With the decision by Hewlett Packard to discontinue production of the HP e3000 this October and to cease support by the end of 2006, we've been assessing the market to develop a sound 'go-forward' strategy to support our MANMAN customers and their business needs," said Terry Floyd, president and CEO of tSGi.

"We are the largest third-party support organisation providing service to the MANMAN/HP customer base in North America and we have been searching for a solution that will deliver our customers best-of-class capability and rapid return on investment.

By teaming up with SoftBrands Manufacturing, we are confident and enthusiastic of our ability to provide our customers with a well-rounded technology blueprint for the future." SoftBrands Manufacturing, one of the world's leading ERP (enterprise resource planning) and SCM (supply chain management) software providers, is actively working with numerous customers in Europe and North America who are on a path to migrate from the MANMAN platform due to recent announcements by Hewlett Packard and by SSA Global Technologies, owner of MANMAN.

The announcements indicate plans to curtail future support of critical hardware systems and additional enhancements to the software platform.

"We are starting to see significant momentum among MANMAN customers to consider other options and we are working cohesively in Europe and North America to ensure Fourth Shift, SoftBrands Manufacturing's ERP suite, is positioned to provide an excellent option," said Randy Tofteland, president of Softbrands Manufacturing.

"In the case of one leading manufacturer in the U.K., we were successful in switching a MANMAN customer to the Fourth Shift platform in just nine weeks." Floyd and Tofteland agreed that the tSGi / SoftBrands Manufacturing partnership in Europe and North America will further boost the momentum for change.

Both cited their belief that customers will see the tSGi / SoftBrands Manufacturing team as providing a solution that delivers broad functionality, flexible and open technology, rapid ROI (return on investment) and best-of-class support worldwide.

About the Support Group - the Support Group, is a recognised leader in the manufacturing industry.

Over the years we have built our reputation as a trusted-advisor to our customers for support, training, consulting and in-depth product knowledge.

Our team consists of seasoned professionals with a track record unparalleled in the industry for the professional support of the MANMAN product line - including both HP-MPE and VAX-/VMS.

Our team has a combined expertise of over 100 years with MANMAN applications to provide our customers with the most in-depth and efficient first-line-of-support available.

In addition to providing support, we leverage our years of experience in the manufacturing industry to provide a complete line of products and services.

Over the years we've been able to see firsthand what works and what doesn't in the MANMAN community and have selected the best partners in the market to provide first-class solutions for MANMAN users.

We realize every company has a unique set of needs and demands that can take them in a variety of directions, so our job has been to leverage our experience in both HP- MPE and VAX-VMS with the needs of the customer and recommend the best possible solutions for both short and long-term objectives.

About SoftBrands Manufacturing - SoftBrands Manufacturing is a member of SoftBrands, a global supplier of enterprise application software.

Currently focused on the hospitality and manufacturing industries, the parent company intends to expand both internally and through acquisitions.

With more than 5,000 customers in over 60 countries now actively using its Fourth Shift, evolution, DemandStream, PORTfolio and RIOGrand products, SoftBrands has established a worldwide infrastructure for distribution, development and support of enterprise software.

The company, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, has over 700 employees with branch offices in Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa.

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