ANTenna Blog -- Hardware & Software

The open source ERP vendor has launched xChange, an online marketplace for extensions and add-ons to xTuple ERP including two new offerings from xTuple.

The xChange app store allows user to share and find third-party solutions and tools that extend and enhance functionality of xTuple applications. Contributing to the opening of the new app store, xTuple has introduced the xTuple Batch Manager ($1,995) for processing resource-intensive jobs separately from the ERP app and handles outgoing e-mails and transaction documents. Also debuting with the app store is xTuple's new Point-of-Sale package ($995) that allows users to add retail cash register management to any edition of xTuple ERP.

According to president and CEO, Ned Lilly, xTuple has long been striving to "bring enterprise-level ERP to a point where it's affordable and not so complex that midsize businesses cannot benefit from it. We're introducing new software with the launch of xChange and a new way of doing things, both in the way people use the software and in how they engage in the community of users."

The xChange will offer both free and commercial solutions -- with no cost to list -- and xTuple product experts will vet all submissions. The community of users has already generated a number of free solutions beyond those that xTuple is launching with the grand opening, including:

• Custom reports contributed by community members
• Scripts to connect xTuple ERP to the osCommerce shopping cart software , Drupal content management system, and Yahoo! Merchant Solutions Web sites
• Interfaces to online mapping solutions such as Google Maps
• Connectors to currency exchange rate data feeds
• xTuple CRM address book synching tools for popular mobile platforms

In a statement about the launch of the app store, Lilly said, "The xChange is a culmination of several years' work to make xTuple ERP more extensible and customizable. We've been deeply engaged with our community of users and partners to make xTuple ERP a true platform for enterprise application developers. Companies today want more flexibility, transparency, and choice in how they consume business software and services; the xChange, along with the architectural enhancements to the past several releases of xTuple ERP, provides powerful support for this 21st century paradigm."

Though obviously bullish on the new xTuple app store, when asked if he sees app stores as the future of software distribution, he said, "I think so. An app store is an option for companies of all size and people are really becoming comfortable with the app store platform concept."

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