OpenMFG Offers New ERP Suite for Mac Users

The OpenMFG ERP Suite is a next-generation, Internet-enabled and fully integrated client-server ERP application.

The software comes in modules, including Inventory Management, Part Definition and Costing, Work Order Management, Master Scheduling, Capacity Planning, Purchase Order Management, Sales Order Management, Shipping and Receiving, Sales Analysis, Project Management, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Bank Reconciliation, and a full General Ledger.

The OpenMFG ERP Suite also features a graphical report writer and renderer called OpenReports, with support for leading document sizes and label formats, barcodes, images and watermarks.

Separately Available

OpenReports for Mac OS X ships standard with the OpenMFG ERP Suite and is also available separately as a fully embeddable report writer and rendering engine for other Mac OS X software.

OpenMFG President and Chief Executive Officer Ned Lilly said: "The new Xserve G5 offers a price/performance value that rivals any other platform, and we've had very good results deploying the OpenMFG Client on the PowerMac G5, iBook, iMac and eMac. And the ease of use and stability of Mac OS X delivers everything the world has come to expect from Apple."

"Panther Server, the fourth major release of our ... UNIX-based server operating system, makes it extremely easy to deploy popular solutions for Mac, Windows and Linux clients," Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) Vice President of Worldwide Developer Relations Ron Okamoto said.

"We're delighted to be working with Apple," Lilly said. "We believe that Mac OS X will continue to grow as a strategic platform for enterprise software. Providing OpenMFG solutions on Mac OS X is tightly aligned with our mission of giving our customers the flexibility to decide what's best for their business."

Open-Source Components

All OpenMFG products are built with open-source components, including the PostgreSQL database and the Qt framework for C++. This underlying technology, invisible to the user, enables OpenMFG and its partners to deliver sophisticated ERP functionality at a low total cost of ownership, the company said.

It also enables a true multiplatform approach for individual workstations; in addition to Mac OS X, the OpenMFG Client runs on Windows, Linux and various commercial Unix systems.

OpenMFG develops enterprise software tailored to the needs and budgets of small, entrepreneurial manufacturing and distribution companies. Its products give companies visibility into costs, supply chains, processes, inventory and financial operations.