Getting closer: IBM and Lawson bring ERP to midsize food & beverage makers

When Lawson Software acquired Intentia, one clear synergy was a commitment to software developed on IBM platforms—especially System i, formerly known as the AS/400.

So it's not surprising that Lawson is expanding its relationship with IBM to market solutions for midsize companies in two industry verticals for which the Intentia enterprise system—now called Lawson M3, for Make, Move, and Maintain—is said to be particularly well-suited: food & beverage, and fashion.

Brian Sterrett, a Lawson company VP, points out that the enterprise vendor—an IBM partner for more than 30 years—also is an OEM for IBM WebSphere, and that, “with increased direct sales and alliances, we're better able to compete with SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft—all of which are looking at this midmarket space.”

The announcement highlights IBM's recognition of the importance of the small and medium business (SMB) marketplace in today's IT landscape, says Brig Serman, VP of strategic alliances for IBM. It is said that midsize companies today are investing more, as a percentage of revenue, than even the very largest corporations.

The IBM/Lawson agreement seeks to package complete enterprise software solutions tailored to the needs of the food & beverage and fashion sectors. This packaging and the availability of IBM Consulting Services constitute much of what will appeal to customers about the arrangement, say the vendors. In addition, IBM has sales resources in place, including SMB-focused sales territory managers who offer a quick and efficient way of reaching this client base.