Hosted im tool

NetSuite on Thursday is expected to fill out its online development platform, part of its strategy to deliver industry-specific applications through partners. The newly named NetSuite Business Operating System (NS-BOS) adds to the company's existing hosted development platform, notably with an integrated code debugger called SuiteScript D-Bug, which will start to be available next month. With the NS-BOS, NetSuite is targeting independent software vendors (ISVs) with expertise in specific industries that are looking to create a software-as-a-service offering. In particular, the company is trying to enlist client/server application providers that need to create a hosted offering. As part of its so-called vertical industry push, the company hired Michael Ni as vice president of industry solutions who will spearhead business development with ISVs. ***

Google is working on a tool that will let you convert documents into a presentation much like Microsoft's PowerPoint does, according to the Google Operating System blog. The tool is dubbed "Presently," which is a play on the name of Google's Web-based word processor Writely, according to the blog posting. A Google representative said: "We're continually exploring opportunities to expand our offerings but we have nothing to announce at this time." Google has been releasing more and more productivity applications and other services as free, online versions, starting with Gmail. Last year ***

It appears that enterprise software maker SAP has changed its tune on the topic of launching hosted business applications. While SAP has offered little insight to this point on its strategy around so-call on-demand software, and previously denied that it had immediate plans to launch a set of hosted applications, Chief Executive Henning Kagermann hinted recently that the company may indeed by creating such a product. In a call with financial analysts last week, Kagermann revealed that SAP is now building a product to be delivered under the "software as a service" model. "We are in preparation and you will see something soon," Kagermann said of SAP's hosted plans. "These things take some time and we need to make our business models right. ***