Open-Source Software Vendor Certifies ERP Suite For Apple's LeopardOpen-Source Software Vendor Certifies ERP Suite For Apple's Leopard

In a corporate IT world dominated by Windows and Unix, companies that run their businesses on Mac OS systems are in the minority. But a start-up company called xTuple is rallying that minority with an ERP suite that it says works just as well on the Mac OS as any other operating system.

XTuple applications, which include accounting, inventory management, manufacturing, purchasing, and sales analysis, among others, were built with open-source components such as the PostgreSQL database, the Qt toolkit for C++, and the OpenRPT report writer. XTuple will announce this week that it's certified its OpenMFG suite and its simpler, free PostBooks accounting software on Mac OS X Leopard. "We've had a growing number of customers asking for this, who are existing Mac OS customers looking to upgrade," said Ned Lilly, xTuple's president and CEO, in an interview.

Six-year-old xTuple doesn't have anything against Linux, Unix, or Windows, Lilly said; its software works just as well on those platforms. But with so few ERP packages compatible with the Mac OS, the company's business is particularly strong and growing among the Apple loyal. About one-third of xTuple's customers are using Macs, Lilly said. He won't disclose revenues, but says "around 70 or 80 young companies are customers." In addition, the company has had about 30,000 downloads of its free PostBooks software, which Lilly called "ERP lite," since it became available in the summer.

OpenMFG is an open-source hybrid; xTuple charges license fees and works with resellers, but customers have access to the full source code, can make changes to source code, and submit improvements and modifications back to xTuple. "We think we've come up with an elegant way to make real, serious ERP available and affordable for the small and midsize market," Lilly said. "By tapping into the community dynamic, we've got all these partners and customers, who've worked with other ERP systems from SAP and Oracle on down, as we refine and enhance our products."

Pneumat Systems, which makes cleaning equipment for storage vessels and provides cleaning services, is an OpenMFG customer. "As much as I possibly can, I run Macs," said IT director Greg Nelson. "They're simpler and easier for me to maintain and keep running." Nelson said he set up OpenMFG on an Apple G5 server, "and I forgot about it; it just runs."