Netsuite "SuiteAcademy" Program Graduates Cloud Computing to Higher Education Worldwide

MAKATI CITY, Philippines, Nov. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- NetSuite Inc. (NYSE: N), the industry's leading provider of cloud-based financials / ERP software suites, today announced the details of SuiteAcademy, an educational program designed to bring cloud-based business management solutions to university classrooms worldwide. Driven by the growing global demand for teaching NetSuite cloud solutions in college classrooms, "SuiteAcademy" will put NetSuite software and professor developed curriculum in the hands of students, giving the next generation of business leaders a competitive advantage by having worked with the fastest growing financial management solution (according to Gartner). The adoption of cloud computing is accelerating among businesses worldwide and educational institutions are making sure they stay up-to-date with the latest technology to ensure that their students learn the most practical and relevant curricula.

Sixteen universities worldwide have already made the move to the cloud by adopting NetSuite as a key component of their accounting degree curricula. Purdue University; University of California, Los Angeles; University of Toronto; Mapua Institute of Technology; De La Salle University and University of San Carlos in the Philippines are among some of the institutions that have embraced NetSuite, for many of the same reasons that thousands of companies worldwide have switched from on-premise software to the NetSuite cloud—to keep pace with 21st century business and computing trends, avoid integration hassles, and escape the vicious cycle of software upgrade and the high maintenance costs caused by on-premise software such as SAP, Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains and QuickBooks. The NetSuite cloud business solution is predominantly introduced in the third and fourth year of degree programs, meaning that the next generation of managers, entrepreneurs, and business professionals can come to the job market with a stronger understanding of business operations and a clear understanding of the power of cloud computing. For more information about SuiteAcademy, please visit http://www.netsuite.com/suiteacademy.  

NetSuite has been working with universities for years because higher education sales and accounting programs are increasingly recognizing that the same trends affecting the global business community are reflected in the classroom environment. As the demand for cloud-based business management solutions grow, tomorrow's business leaders must be ready to hit the ground running with an understanding of the cloud computing revolution.

"SuiteAcademy enables business and accounting programs to significantly improve the quality, flexibility and accessibility of their instruction by freeing students and instructors alike from the complexities and hassles of outdated, conventional on-premise software," said Marty Reaume, NetSuite Chief People Officer. "By adopting NetSuite into their curricula, institutions can free their students to work on real-world business programs any time and from anywhere, instead of tying them to outdated software in a computer lab."

"SuiteAcademy" works with academic institutes to ensure students are better prepared for life after school.  SuiteAcademy gives students the same access to NetSuite software that companies have been benefiting from for years.  Combined with professor developed curriculum, students can expect to learn the entire business process end to end, and learn how NetSuite customers are able to make better and faster business decisions.  Faculty new to the program can have access to online training and downloadable material, allowing them to develop custom content for their courses. Faculty can also benefit from a community forum that allows them to share ideas with SuiteAcademy administrators and other program participants.

Feedback from universities that have already adopted NetSuite in their rubric indicate that the world's leading cloud ERP/financial suite has enhanced the learning experience for students by providing more practical experience and a better understanding of process flows and revenue cycles throughout an entire organization. Because NetSuite is delivered through the cloud, it can be accessed from anywhere on campus or anywhere in the world, and not just constrained to the confines of the universities computer lab.

"There is no substitute for hands-on experience. NetSuite is a great software service. Utilizing it for sharing with the higher education community provides a great opportunity for effective teaching and student learning," said Professor Robert Sorensen, Purdue University. "My students can now go to job interviews and say they have experience using NetSuite."

"With a continually evolving global business environment, it's critical that our students possess the relevant skill sets to succeed in business once they graduate," said Dr. Rey Vea, president and CEO of the Mapua Institute of Technology. "As cloud computing is on the cutting edge of the IT and business communities, and NetSuite is a leading cloud computing company located in Makati, we have developed courses using NetSuite's technology to help us prepare our graduates for today's and tomorrow's business environment."

Today, more than 10,000 companies and subsidiaries depend on NetSuite to run complex, mission-critical business processes globally in the cloud. Since its inception in 1998, NetSuite has established itself as the leading provider of enterprise-class cloud ERP suites for divisions of large enterprises and mid-sized organizations seeking to upgrade their antiquated client/server ERP systems. NetSuite excels at streamlining business operations, as demonstrated by the 2011 CODiE Award for Best Financial Management Solution, as well as a recent Gartner study naming NetSuite as the fastest growing financial management systems vendor in the world. NetSuite has continued its success in delivering the best cloud business suites to businesses around the world, enabling them to lower IT costs significantly while increasing productivity, as the global adoption of the cloud is accelerating.

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For more information about NetSuite, please visit www.netsuite.com.

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SOURCE NetSuite Inc.