Leading UK Creative Digital Agencies Jump On NetSuite's SuiteCommerce Platform

LONDON, Sept. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- NetSuite Inc. (NYSE: N), the industry's leading provider of cloud-based financials / ERP software suites, today announced partnerships with a host of UK creative digital agencies which specialise in customised eCommerce and mobile websites to enhance user experience, as well as loyalty programmes, promotions and SEO. The new partnerships include agencies Lightmaker, Group FMG, Webexpectations and Pod1 aimed at enriching NetSuite's new SuiteCommerce platform, launched at SuiteWorld 2012.

These partnerships form part of the new NetSuite Agency Programme; an alliance of leading creative digital agencies which have teamed with NetSuite to provide commerce businesses with the chance to combine superior interactivity, functionality and aesthetics with the highly flexible Web storefront and unique back-office integration of NetSuite's SuiteCommerce platform.

Operating directly on the core NetSuite Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) business management application, SuiteCommerce is designed to address the limitations and complexity of first-generation commerce systems; enabling businesses to streamline business processes, grow relationships using built-in marketing tools and immerse customers in a richly interactive and intuitive shopping experience.

The new UK-based partners unveiled today at NetSuite's Cloud Event in London by NetSuite CEO Zach Nelson include:

Lightmaker (http://www.lightmaker.com) is a digital design agency which provides digital strategies, user experience consulting, content management, search engine and email marketing, web analytics and basket checkout optimisation. Lightmaker works with leading brands such as Sony, Disney and Manchester United to optimise user experience across any eCommerce platform, including mobile. George Anger, Managing Director, Lightmaker comments: "We work with NetSuite to ensure that our customers' web stores are designed around real users' motivations, wants and goals, with simple and slick navigation tools and useful browsing features on any device. This, combined with NetSuite's world class commerce platform, helps our customers convert site visits into sales".

Group FMG (http://www.groupfmg.com/) is a global provider of high impact marketing & media solutions; an agency that integrates consulting, content and commerce across all channels such as digital, mobile, social, broadcast, gaming, packaging and point of sale. To guide brands through change, Group FMG provides marketing consulting services, enables commerce and produces rich media/digital assets, and local and social content, ensuring a uniform multi-channel brand experience. Its clients include Staples, Marks & Spencer, Boots and Sainsbury's. Dilip Keshu, CEO, Group FMG says: "NetSuite's cloud based offering integrates content, commerce and financials, making it "complete" in its scope and depth. We think our clients can greatly benefit from the combination of SuiteCommerce and our creative services and commerce skills". 

Webexpectations (http://www.webexpectations.com/) is a full-service web design agency that specialises in designing professional eCommerce websites which are supported by NetSuite's new SuiteCommerce platform. Webexpectations has designed websites for NetSuite customers for more than ten years and its membership in the NetSuite Agency Programme is the latest milestone in a long collaboration between the two firms. Russell Sutton, Managing Director, Webexpectations comments: "Our experienced NetSuite designers are focused on creating engaging, intuitive websites that can deliver an easy and enjoyable shopping experience while enhancing the sales performance of our customers' websites. With NetSuite's new SuiteCommerce platform, we can offer our clients an even more exceptional commerce solution which enables them to effectively manage their interactions with other businesses and consumers via a cloud platform, through multiple devices". 

Pod1 (http://www.pod1.com/) is an award-winning digital agency originally founded in the UK. Announced at NetSuite SuiteWorld 2012 in May with services available to US businesses, Pod1's eCommerce design and marketing expertise is now available to UK customers, enabling businesses to benefit from sophisticated, user-centric webstores, as well as enhanced SEO capabilities, targeted email marketing and strategic advice for online marketing. The agency brings over a decade of experience to the NetSuite Agency Programme, combining the proven results of its powerful marketing and design advice with the comprehensive capabilities of NetSuite SuiteCommerce. Its clients include TAG Heuer, Salvatore Ferragamo, Harvey Nichols, Denon, Kenneth Cole, and Yahoo!. "We take a strategic approach to online business that generates significant return on client investment, and NetSuite SuiteCommerce is one of the most powerful platforms available to us to meet that objective – enabling our customers to have the most sophisticated of webstores, while integrating this into an end-to-end commerce system to drive business growth and success", said Fadi Shuman, Pod1 CEO & Co-founder.

"NetSuite's partnership with some of the UK's top creative digital agencies is a significant milestone in the introduction of the SuiteCommerce platform. Staying competitive in the vibrant UK online and traditional retail environment requires keeping at the edge of innovation whilst maintaining profitability", said Andy Lloyd, General Manager of Commerce Products, NetSuite. "Businesses are now able to easily combine award-winning web storefront designs on multiple devices, including mobile, with end-to-end integration of back-office functions. This enables them to deliver a top quality shopping experience that can increase customer engagement and loyalty, build brand presence and ultimately drive sales".

SuiteCommerce plays an integral role in NetSuite's "Commerce as a Service" (CaaS) initiative. It aims to provide commerce businesses with a central system to manage all transactions with consumers and other businesses on multiple touchpoints (website, smart phone, tablet, in-store, social media site, etc.), to deliver a unified multichannel customer experience. Integration with back-office financials, CRM and order and inventory management allows companies to improve business efficiency, leverage customer data to deliver a personal shopping experience based on purchase history, and use product data for strategic merchandising (for example, promoting high-margin products or excess inventory).

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SOURCE NetSuite Inc.