Everest^® Software, the award-winning provider of a fully-integrated business management software for small and medium businesses (SMBs), and Foxfire, a leading provider of Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), today announced their partnership and plans to integrate their products so that SMBs can efficiently and affordably operate their entire business and warehouse. The partnership creates a powerful integrated software product suite that includes ecommerce, point of sale, accounting, real-time inventory and warehouse management.

By adding Foxfire's WMS capability to the Everest business operating system, clients have complete real-time supply chain visibility from procurement and sales order through customer shipment. Clients also use the WMS to manage labor and drive efficiencies inside the warehouse operation with real-time visibility into work completed and productivity.

In economic times like these, SMBs strive to make their businesses more efficient and competitive with affordable technology investments. A product suite that has integration between the back office and the warehouse out-of-the-box can save customers up to 50% of the WMS project cost. Global 2000 companies have long-required these integrated functions in their business systems and enjoyed the benefits and returns on these investments. Now Everest is making this type of integrated solution available to SMBs for a fraction of the cost.

Everest is targeting SMBs where the need for real-time warehousing is important. Edwin Miller, president & CEO of Everest Software, commented, "We have the unique opportunity to offer our customers a world class business operating system with a best of breed WMS. Now, with the integration between Everest software and Foxfire WMS, SMBs can afford a complete solution and they appreciate more than ever an opportunity to save money."

"Foxfire believes the partnership with Everest Software brings an affordable, integrated solution to the marketplace and solves important business needs. By optimizing the warehouse and supply chain, clients are able to significantly increase profitability by improving inventory accuracy, customer satisfaction, and employee productivity," says John Sterling, CEO of Foxfire.

Read the official press relese here >>

Our second conference this year got kicked off yesterday with a bang!  120 folks energized with a kick-off presentation by our CEO Edwin on Everest strategy, what we have changed, what we are doing, and how we are doing.

The day of learning and collaboration continued with 18 sessions across 3 tracks covering wide range of topics including optimizing your business for web visibility, Business Activity Monitoring, Integrating Google Technologies, Customer Loyalty, and many more.

We concluded the first day with lots of fun at a cocktail party sponsored by our alliance partner Intel Business Exchange. Lots of raffles for prizes and casino chips (along with drinks) made the evening a blast. Many stayed up till wee morning hours to make most of Los Vegas...

Today (the second day) has been equally great. I had a change to share with everyone the technology preview of our next major release that focuses on revenue growth and operational efficiency features and functions. The reaction and feedback to the upcoming features was fantastic. Hot areas included Mobile Retail, Advanced Fraud Protection, Inventory Planning, and Synchronized Multi-location Offline Point of Sale.

Tomorrow will be fun as we will have round tables with industry specific grouping driving lots of collaboration and innovation.

For now, it's time to catch the Cirque Du Soleil....

Dulles, VA - August 26, 2008 - Everest^® Software, the award-winning provider of a fully-integrated business management software system for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), today announced the availability of their Knowledge as a Service (KaaS) option for companies eager to streamline their Web and multi-channel operations. KaaS^sm lowers the barriers of entry to learning and managing new software with a complete package of services and technology that provides total business process operations available at a subscription rate. KaaS now allows small companies focus just on what they know best - their business.

KaaS delivers access to all of the advantages of the Everest system, including the software, hardware, hosting (as needed), integration, customization, and related IT management services as a complete package. Other specialty services can also be provided via this one resource, such as website design, content management, Web analytics, SEO and SEM, synchronized selling via comparison engines and shopping portals, and integration with Everest partners for specialized services such as EDI. Everest KaaS does it all.

Having been involved in SMB software development for fourteen years, Everest intimately understands the needs and issues of the market. Everest^® Advanced has been offering the most flexible solution available, in a centralized platform that integrates all critical business operations with real time information, as well as allowing for a great deal of customization. As with most software, the time to implement the complete solution, train key staff and then do customizations differs from company to company.

Everest Software also knows that companies who are expert at their own businesses have difficulty keeping pace with technology and the network implications of integrating different product updates. It can be cost-prohibitive for them to acquire all the resources needed to efficiently manage a Web business, where the complexities change on an almost daily basis. For companies that don't have extensive resources and want an accelerated path to improved business productivity, Everest now offers KaaS.

According to Everest CEO Edwin Miller, "We know for a fact there's a pent-up demand out there for KaaS in small business. Especially in this economy many companies are not ready to make a big upfront investment in software and systems; they need a more affordable way to be competitive. We're leap-frogging the limitations of SaaS (software as a service) that doesn't allow ownership of a company's own information, offers them no control and no customization. KaaS is here and it's ready to go. It allows companies to pay for growth on an ongoing basis, spreading out the investment while alleviating a lot of the daily technology headaches."

Everest's KaaS provides a faster way to transform all a company's business operations with the Everest shared environment. It's a way to launch, improve or combine web stores and multi-channel businesses with the expertise it could take an individual company months or years to acquire. Everest knows our own software better than any customer ever can. This is all delivered for a single monthly subscription fee that maximizes productivity and helps a company to grow without having to research and acquire yet more technology.

Click here to read the official press release.

Dulles, VA - July 29, 2008 - Everest^® Software, the award-winning provider of a fully-integrated business management software for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), has announced the availability of its TaxBridge and LaserBridge+ services via a partnership with Avalara ISPI, Inc. (http://www.taxrates.com/). TaxBridge provides fast and easy updates to sales tax rate tables on a monthly basis, while LaserBridge+ streamlines the forms and reporting process. Both services are now integrated into Everest, automating the previously tedious and complex sales tax calculation and compliance tasks.

Failing to accurately collect and report sales tax to the more than 9,000 taxing authorities in the U.S. increases the risk of penalties and interest from an audit. With growing pressures from budget shortfalls, states are getting more aggressive about capturing previously lost sales tax revenue from sales originating both inside and outside of state boundaries. In order to collect more accurately from purchasers, the sales and use tax calculation and reporting burden continues to increase for businesses. This is becoming a particularly onerous challenge for the smaller companies serving customers both regionally and nationwide.

TaxBridge and LaserBridge+ allow companies to be sales tax compliant with the least amount of effort. Using TaxBridge, monthly and quarterly sales tax jurisdiction and rate updates are available for all levels of sales tax, anywhere in the U.S. LaserBridge+ prepares "state-approved" sales tax return forms in PDF format to display tax data exported from Everest. Detailed reporting is easily understood by auditors.

To provide these new services Everest Software has partnered with experts in the field. "Having access to the most up-to-date sales tax jurisdiction updates and forms is critical for minimizing the risk of errors that can be discovered by an audit. Everest and Avalara ISPI can now provide more value to Everest customers by helping them achieve compliance, while minimizing the time and effort spent on a non-revenue generating activity," stated Jack Osman, president of Avalara ISPI, Inc. Avalara ISPI has more than thirty years of experience helping businesses expedite the management of sales tax calculation and reporting. Their database is continually maintained and exhaustively reviewed.

Comments Ali Jani, Everest CTO, "We're constantly introducing new services to our business management system by leveraging branded partner integrations. Everest develops what we do best, then we fast-track other solutions that make sense for our entire customer community."

TaxBridge and LaserBridge+ are priced to be very affordable for the price-sensitive small business. License subscriptions are based on the number of states covered, so companies only pay for what they need. The ROI is obvious for any business that knows how time-consuming the sales tax requirement can be, and how this time can be better spent on more productive business tasks.

About Everest Software
Everest^® Software enables companies to manage every function of their business more effectively. This all-in-one, fully-integrated business management software application addresses the challenges of growing small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), primarily in retail and wholesale. Customers can dramatically increase their efficiency and profitability with a solution that provides a remarkably rapid return on investment. Everest Software was a finalist for a 2006 American Business Award in the category "Best New Computer Software Product" and is the proud winner of numerous awards including the SIIA Codie Award for "Best Business Software Product." For more information, please visit http://www.everestsoftwareinc.com/, e-mail us at info@everestsoftwareinc.com or call us at 1.800.382.0725.

One of the first rules of influencing customer satisfaction... communicate with your customers and find every possible way for them to communicate with you. And then, act on that feedback. With over a 90% renewal rate on our business software licenses, Everest shows we practice what we preach. We have online forums where customers interact, raise questions and solve each others' issues. We have a regular customer newsletter sent via email. We have an advisory board of customers that helps us decide what software developments are most needed for the good of the entire community. We announce new value-added services as we sign on new partners that can be integrated with Everest to provide new and better business processes and efficiencies. And starting this year, we have customer meetings! It started in April with Everest World which had an extremely positive outcome based on comments from the attendees.

Now, Everest Software is hosting a training and networking event in Las Vegas in September, called the Everest Forum. At this event, planned with the feedback from our first meeting, customers will have the opportunity to learn new details about how to use the system, network and communicate with each other and with the product experts from Everest Software. Several months ago I presented group training sessions at the Everest World user conference, but for this latest Everest Forum I will get to spend much more time speaking individually or in small groups with the attendees.  An hour sit down with me or one of the other Everest experts is worth the price of admission on its own!  Getting a company's employees up to speed so they can really use more features of the system is a huge benefit. Customer interactions at Everest Forum will include one-on-one sessions, networking lunches, and peer-to-peer round tables.

Besides the networking opportunity which customers told us they found the most valuable part of our events, we also have 2 days of sessions about the latest industry trends, best practices, and fine tuning Everest.  I may be a little biased, but I am extremely excited for those attending the Revenue Growth track. This demonstrates the ins and outs on how to generate more sales over the Web, over the phone, and inside a store.  For those attending some of the other sessions, they can learn anything from how to best organize their warehouse, to accounting for the costs of overseas shipments, to programming with Everest add-ins. 

I can't wait for the Everest Forum, see you all in Vegas!!

The Internet Retailer conference was in Chicago this month. What a great show! We have been seeking the right venue and I believe we found it! Internet Retailer had great vendors and messages that spoke to the struggles and successes of retail going to etail. One of my favorite technology companies at the show was Infopia; they provide SaaS ecommerce solutions. Great team, great technology, and they solve a real business problem for companies selling on the Web.

We were pretty busy throughout the event, with lots of questions from retailers that we like to answer. Here are some that we fielded, and a quick answer, although Everest would be happy to have our product managers and technology gurus provide a more in-depth outlook. Just give us a call!

One retailer commented that her website margins were lower than her physical store margins. Well, we all know that it should be the other way around! Web merchants often undersell stores by marketing products they don't have to stock, by having minimal physical presence and by needing by far a lower headcount to run their business. What costs are you carrying? Take a look, and then at what resources would be available outside your company for less.

How to do good branding on the Web? We get that all the time. It's a topic of endless discussion. Certainly we know that the online experience has to be compelling and much like an in-store experience. Shoppers have even higher expectations of Web stores. How fast and easy and fast is it for them to find what they want? What are the differences between similar products? They expect lots of instantly accessible information like this to validate their choice.

What works best to get shoppers on your site to buy? If they find what they're interested in, it's not all about just product and price. Besides really relevant information, other customer product reviews and ratings are good. Give them everything they need to get to the purchase decision. We advise retailers to test, test, test. If you're running promotions in different places, have the shoppers come to special landing pages associated with those promotions and see what works best. Online shoppers can be very different; make sure you have everything in place to let them have the experience that works for them, individually. For example, let them choose if the item is a gift and then make sure you have options for gift-wrap and cards. We often use Starbucks as the one-to-one buying experience, and ask how you're going to do that on your website. One size really doesn't fit all on the Web!

Dulles, VA – June 18, 2008 – Everest^® Software, the award-winning provider of a fully-integrated business operating system for small and medium businesses (SMBs), has joined Intel^® Business Exchange (Intel^® BX), a one-stop online destination targeted at helping SMBs research and purchase solutions in a new way.

The goal of Intel BX is to provide SMBs with access to high quality solutions, services and software. In order to ensure the SMB community is offered innovative, high-value products and services, Intel BX identifies providers that are known for small business software, and have a successful track record of customer satisfaction. Business applications, such as the Everest Advanced complete operating system for small business, help customers integrate business processes and data, while providing visibility into the supply chain, also linking sales management and marketing efforts.

“Companies like Everest Software are an example of what Intel Business Exchange is focused on – providing SMBs high-value solutions built on Intel technology and presented in a seamless one-stop shopping experience,” said Peter Elmgren, managing director of Intel Business Exchange within the company’s Software and Solutions Group. “We are excited to offer our customers a comprehensive business management software solution from Everest.”

Intel BX is a free public site, providing customers the ability to read articles and customer reviews, access special offers and conveniently request free quotes from providers who can help them meet their business priorities. Everest small business software can be found at http://bx.intel.com/solutions/business-apps/advanced-business-management-with-everest.

Paul Gallaher, Everest’s vice president for business development says, “We’re delighted to have been selected as a partner for the Intel® Business Exchange. It’s an opportunity to reach out to new customers that have been qualified as buyers of small business management software who are looking for our kind of solution. Any time you can be associated with a company the caliber of Intel is a positive credibility factor. This resource is a time-saver for small business and a great idea.”

About Everest
Everest^® Software enables companies to manage every function of their business more effectively. This fully-integrated business management software addresses the challenges of growing small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), primarily in retail and wholesale. Customers can dramatically increase their efficiency and profitability with a solution that provides a remarkably rapid return on investment. Everest Software was a finalist for a 2006 American Business Award in the category “Best New Computer Software Product” and is the proud winner of numerous awards including the SIIA Codie Award for ”Best Business Software Product.” For more information, please visit http://www.everestsoftwareinc.com/, e-mail us at info@everestsoftwareinc.com or call us at 1.800.382.0725.

I just got back from Internet Retailer in Chicago where Everest Software had a booth among over 400 other vendors to the small business marketplace. I know many of you were not able to attend, so I want to give you my list of top picks from the conference. 

Shop Together
http://www.decisionstep.com/

Have you ever been shopping for something on the Web and wished you could get someone else's opinion? The Shop Together solution allows retailers to have shoppers share their shopping experience with a friend.  By simply giving them a short code, shoppers can see which products each friend is browsing and share their favorites.     

Data feeds - CNET Channel and Etilize
http://ics.cnetchannel.com/
http://www.etilize.com/

In speaking with customers at our recent Everest World user conference, one of the consistent pains I heard expressed by merchants was how to get quality product details into their system. Both the CNET Channel and Etilize provide subscription to product feeds from manufacturers that contain marketing details. The only downside is that their solutions target specific industries. From what I saw CNET is focused into the consumer electronics industry, while Etilize has expanded into home & garden, appliances and sporting goods.

Product Photography - Ortery Technologies
http://www.ortery.com/

Because we have added enhanced image functionality to Everest eStorefront (Everest Ecommerce), I was asked by many customers how to get the pictures needed to take advantage of these new features. This mini-photography studio is the answer. You can spin products, take multiple images and have them quickly saved to a folder.  Everest can read that folder and show the images on the Web without any data entry needed.

Dynamic Product Imaging - LiquidPixels
http://www.liquidpixels.com/demos/Outfits/

Apparel businesses should take a look at the solution by LiquidPixels. This technology makes it possible to change what a model is wearing without having to take pictures in each piece of clothing. You use a single image and then apply a mask to dynamically alter the image with a fabric or color.  This functionality should motivate customers to buy more because it allows shoppers to select an entire outfit ensemble and see all the pieces together.

Marketing Data Feeds - MerchantAdvantage
http://www.merchantadvantage.com/

OK not exactly an objective choice, but a great opportunity for sellers to expand their channels. I was excited to see our friends at MerchantAdvantage, but I was disappointed that I did not have a chance to play Wii at their booth.  They facilitate the marketing of your products through online shopping sites, coupon sites and mobile commerce sites.  Everest and MerchantAdvantage recently partnered to offer a complete ecommerce software solution to all Everest customers so they can easily manage their product feeds through these expanded marketing channels.

Complete Business Management Software - Everest Software
http://www.everestsoftwareinc.com/

For an Internet retailer there is no software that provides a better all-in-one business management software solution to run your entire business. Sales, Marketing, eCommerce, Purchasing, Accounting, and CRM (and more!) are all in one software package that you own.  Everest is now offering the "most e-commerce out of the box" - Everest eStorefront.

Running a growing small or medium size business is not easy, and to gain great success, businesses must fundamentally do three things well and continuously: 

1. Attract new customers
2. Execute operations efficiently
3. Retain loyal customers.

A key ingredient in making this possible is implementing a scalable business management software that provides the right framework. It must be software that is designed specifically to help you attract new customers, optimize your operations and create loyal customers. You need to take a close look at the feature sets and benefits of a particular solution and ask the vendors to explain, or better yet, demonstrate how they can specifically help you in each of these areas. 

But be warned, just software is not enough. You must be able to rely on the people who will implement, deliver, maintain the software, and be assured that they are ready to help you every step of way. Many small and medium businesses have learned the hard way that it's really beneficial to work with a single reliable vendor, one who is not dependent on any other company to make it all happen. This should be a vendor who is both the software provider and a provider of expert services, with a proven record and substantial references in your industry. This should be a software vendor capable of providing a wide array of services who can serve as the single source for your needs today and your needs tomorrow.  This should be a software vendor who understands your business, believes in your business and is there to help when you need them most. 

You really don't want to be stuck with your software provider and services provider pointing fingers at each other when things go wrong or don't perform as anticipated. Therefore, you need to evaluate a software vendor carefully and ask them upfront if they are going to take the responsibility to help you succeed.  If they don't listen, then it may be time to change.