VAI Unveils S2K Smart Center -- A Breakthrough Enterprise User Experience for the Social Collaboration Age

New Configurable Web-based User Experience Improves Decision-Making and Collaboration by Uniting Real-Time Social Tools with ERP Applications

RONKONKOMA, NY – September 25, 2013 – VAI, a leading provider of ERP software to the midmarket, announced S2K Smart Center, a configurable web-based user experience that supports single sign-on, common navigation, uniform look and feel across the entire family of VAI’s S2K ERP software solutions as well as seamless navigation across multiple applications deployed on-premise or in the cloud. This new user interface combines deep industry processes and analytics with new social collaboration tools to create a more satisfying, easier-to-use software experience that helps midmarket customers make better-informed business decisions much faster than ever before while increasing productivity and collaboration throughout their organizations.

Today, midmarket organizations need to do more with less and become as productive as possible while providing the highest levels of customer service. To do so, they need easy and immediate access to the tools and information they need to do their jobs within one browser session. Traditional ERP systems can often hinder productivity, overwhelming users with a wealth of applications and functions that may not be relevant for them. With S2K Smart Center, each knowledge worker can customize their own ERP applications and add new social collaboration tools, thus leveraging a role-based user experience that allows them to access business functions with proactive, real-time decision-making using a common look and feel.

For example, users can configure their computer screens with the exact applications and information that is important to their specific job function, thereby doubling their productivity and allowing them to respond instantly to business demands. Furthermore, S2K Smart Center instantly notifies users of To Do’s, Alerts and Company News from a dynamic home screen. From this one comprehensive screen, users can easily collaborate about tasks with one another while reacting to pressing business issues. And, S2K Smart Center also includes Instant Messaging, allowing users to chat with colleagues and business associates in real time. Lastly, users can sync their Microsoft Exchange or IBM Lotus Notes/Domino contacts, calendar events and email with VAI’s S2K CRM software using RIVA’s middleware service.

“Midmarket customers seek a vastly improved user experience, easier access to social collaboration tools and cloud technology without paying for higher-priced solutions designed for larger enterprises,” said R “Ray” Wang, principal analyst, Founder and Chairman of Constellation Research, Inc.

Many midmarket customers are excited to try and test S2K Smart Center, knowing that it will greatly improve productivity across their organizations.

“We think S2K Smart Center will be a valuable addition to our ERP infrastructure, giving us new social tools and access to a powerful cloud environment that will enable us to make better business decisions faster than ever before,” said Frank Valley, CFO/COO of Berk Enterprises, a leading paper products manufacturer based in Warren, Ohio.

Organizations that are adopting cloud offerings for critical business operations will gravitate to S2K Smart Center, which deploys a true cloud-based solution. The ability to host data in the cloud and access it from anywhere and at any time has become vitally important – especially as more organizations rely on smart phones and tablets. As such, VAI will allow customers multiple options to access their S2K Enterprise infrastructure through S2K Smart Center including:

• On Premise
  · Users can purchase their own in-house IBM Power System to run S2K Enterprise
• Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
  · Users can purchase their ERP applications and host them via the cloud on their own partition in VAI’s Data Center for a monthly hosting fee
• Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
  · Through a monthly subscription, users can access S2K Enterprise software via the cloud on their own partition on VAI’s Data Center

In addition, S2K Smart Center was designed to help mobile workers double their productivity. S2K Smart Center was built on standards-based technologies such as HTML5 and AJAX, which allows web apps to run on any platform with a modern, standards-compliant browser. And, S2K Smart Center’s portal screens have a responsive design that will automatically resize to the specific device, whether it’s a desktop, laptop, tablet or any mobile device.

“S2K Smart Center will give midmarket ERP organizations a major step forward by dramatically improving productivity, collaboration and efficiencies across their organizations,” said VAI Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Joe Scioscia. “VAI has seamlessly blended proven ERP and business applications with modern social tools, making it as easy for users to interact with co-workers and business associates worldwide as it is to use the application itself. By socializing the enterprise in the most affordable way possible, we are giving midmarket ERP customers an unprecedented opportunity to produce immediate, measurable improvements in productivity, return-on-investment and performance while lifting employee morale and satisfaction. This is a win/win all around.”

S2K Smart Center is available immediately through the IBM Websphere Portal and pricing begins at $2,500 for a 20-user pack. For more information on pricing and availability, click here.

About VAI (Vormittag Associates, Inc.)

VAI is a leading independent mid-market ERP software developer renowned for its flexible solutions and ability to automate critical business functions for the distribution, manufacturing, specialty retail and service sectors. An IBM Premier Business Partner, VAI is the 2012 IBM Beacon Award Winner for Outstanding Solutions for Midsize Businesses. VAI continues to innovate with new solutions that leverage analytics, business intelligence, mobility and cloud technology to help customers make more informed business decisions in real-time and empower their mobile workforces. VAI is headquartered in Ronkonkoma, NY with branch offices in Florida, Illinois and California. For more information, visit www.vai.net, follow @VAISoftware on Twitter or “like us” on facebook.com/VAISoftware.