Epicor announces general availability of Epicor 9

First customers live and experiencing the benefits of a truly collaborative, dynamic enterprise business application 

Epicor Software Corporation, a leading provider of enterprise business software solutions for the midmarket and divisions of Global 1000 companies, has announced general availability and first customers live on Epicor 9, the companys next-generation enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution that is redefining the business application experience. 

Epicor 9, unveiled in October at Epicors annual customer conference, combines Web 2.0 concepts with Epicor True SOA, an adaptable and collaborative business architecture that satisfies the needs of any enterprise regardless of country, industry or access devicemaking business without barriers possible. The solutions end-to-end features provide a dynamic user experience and real-time, in-context business insight. Leveraging over 20 years of experience designing and implementing ERP solutions, Epicor 9 marks the convergence of a comprehensive product suite into a flexible, unified solution. The culmination of several years of development and participation from more than 80 customers in focus groups and the beta program, Epicor 9 provides new avenues of opportunity for customers to successfully grow their businesses in the face of an increasingly linked and volatile global business climate.

Cindy Jutras, vice president and group director at Aberdeen, wrote in a recent Market Alert, While other ERP vendors have announced similar strategies, Epicor is the first to deliver on its promise of convergence while also extending functionality and promising ERP Everywhere and Business without Barriers.

Jutras added, An important aspect in Epicors ability to deliver on its convergence strategy is the support of its customer baseEpicor customers seem to have historically viewed migration to new technology as an opportunity rather than a hindranceevident by the vendors claimed 94% customer retention rate, which our data surveying over 1,400 business executives also supports. 

First customers go live with Epicor 9

Today, we are proud to announce general availability of Epicor 9, a truly game-changing solution for business, said Thomas Kelly, president and CEO of Epicor. This milestone launch brings together an extensive, proven product offering with unparalleled business architecture. Given the unique economic challenges companies are facing today, business agility is increasingly vital. Were pleased to have a number of customers already live on Epicor 9 and reaping the unprecedented flexibility and opportunity the solution brings to the global midmarket. 

Independent Components Corp., a leader in aftermarket air compressor parts, was among the first manufacturers to go live on Epicor 9. Weve successfully run our business on Epicor solutions since 1992first with Manage 2000, we then migrated to Vantage 8, and now Epicor 9, said Dan Sirow, vice president of ICC. The data conversion to Epicor 9 was very smooth, and the Epicor support team has been fantastic to work with throughout our go live process. We anticipate Epicor 9 will help drive greater efficiency throughout our operations as users are able to access the information they need, when and where they need it.

Initially we were involved in the Epicor 9 focus group to assist in the design of specific features our company wanted to see in the next-generation solution, explained Peter Volkert, director of information systems with Symetrics Industriesa Florida-based corporation that specializes in the design, manufacture and testing of electronic systems for the Department of Defense, NASA, and prime contractors. After beta testing, we were the first company to go live on Epicor 9. We are anxious to make good use of the many new features available in Epicor 9, like the BAQ designer, Enterprise Search and the Epicor Everywhere Framework. 

JV Precision Machine Co. a second generation family owned manufacturer offering precision CNC machining services to a wide variety of US industries is another customer live on Epicor 9.  The move to Epicor 9, with its comprehensive functional footprint was a natural progression for us, said Josef Visinski, vice president of JV Precision Machine. As a manufacturer, the breadth and depth of the Epicor 9 solution, coupled with the real-time visibility it provides across our operations are among the benefits were realizing today.

Customers like what they see in Epicor 9

Diane Williams, CFO and VP of Finance for Companion Systems, the leading provider of ATM surround, kiosk, enclosure, topper, solutions for branded ATM environments for the financial services industry, said of Epicor 9, Participating in the beta program gave us the opportunity to impact product development, and Epicor really took the time to understand our needs and business requirements. We believe there is enormous potential in the new features that Epicor 9 affords we look forward to leveraging the collaborative nature of its business architecture in the future.

We have been working with Epicor solutions for many years and are now testing Epicor 9. The new functionality and advanced technology looks impressive and I believe it will deliver us significant benefits when we upgrade next year, added Paul Beresford, Business Systems Director at UK-based Communisis PLC. 

We believe there is tremendous value in the new features available with Epicor 9, said Fred Pierce, director of management systems for GEMCITY. We expect the transition will be relatively easy and will enable us to further grow our business. Another anticipated benefit for us is that integration with third party solutions will be easier, leveraging Epicor Service Connect as the central point for business process orchestration and integration. GEMCITY Engineering and Manufacturing is a leading global specialised equipment provider and product manufacturer serving the aerospace and defense, industrial, medical and semiconductor industries.

Were impressed with the enhancements in Epicor 9, over our current Epicor solution specifically the Epicor ICE business architecture and the added flexibility and accessibility it affords, said Bob Schafbuch, Director of Enterprise Applications at Integrated DNA Technologies. One aspect that we expect will add real value to our business is the embedded Epicor business process management (BPM) framework, which coupled with Epicor Service Connect will allow IDT to respond more efficiently to business events and business goals.  

Kimberly Yagla, Group Controller for JELD-WEN, one of the world's largest manufacturers of doors, windows, millwork and specialty wood products, has begun planning for the rollout of Epicor 9; which will include its international operations.  Epicor has been our financial management solution for more than ten years, as weve successfully expanded our global operations and managed growth. We are looking forward to leveraging the added functionality and productivity enhancements Epicor 9 will bring. 

 We decided to go with Epicor 9 based on the many enhancements and features it offers, said Mr. Omar Ali, Production Manager, Petra Engineering Industries Company. We are currently in the implementation stage, and hope to be up and running by the end of the year. Epicor have provided us with strong support over the past months and we believe once Epicor 9 is fully implemented, it will improve our overall operational efficiency. Petra Engineering Industries Company is a leading designer and manufacturer of industrial and commercial air conditioning equipment with sales in more than 35 countries around the world.

About Epicor Software Corporation

Epicor is a global leader dedicated to providing integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management (SCM) and enterprise retail software solutions to the midmarket and divisions of Global 1000 companies. Founded in 1984, Epicor serves over 20,000 customers in more than 140 countries, p roviding solutions in over 30 languages. Employing innovative service-oriented architecture (SOA) and Web services technology, Epicor delivers end-to-end, industry-specific solutions for manufacturing, distribution, retail, hospitality and services that enable companies to drive increased efficiency, improve performance and build competitive advantage.

Epicor solutions provide the scalability and flexibility to meet today's business challenges, while empowering enterprises for even greater success tomorrow. Epicor offers a comprehensive range of services with its solutions, providing a single point of accountability to promote rapid return on investment and low total cost of ownership. Epicors worldwide headquarters are located in Irvine, California with offices and affiliates around the world.