"What corporations want is a snapshot view of the business. They are trying to get integrated CRM applications, business intelligence, and find ways to better utilise information," he said.

"We're trying to push mobile apps, CRM and sales management onto handheld devices." Consolidation among ERP and CRM vendors is also driving new relationships at partner level. Red Rock, for example, recently acquired Jigsaw Services in order to extend its Oracle capabilities into the JD Edwards space.

"With the dust settled after the consolidation of leading ERP players such as Oracle and PeopleSoft, there is now some real jostling as service providers look to claim their space in the mid-market," Rubinsztein said. "Demand is increasing rapidly. The ERP market continues to benefit from a widespread acceptance of the idea that businesses must have integrated information systems to be competitive."

Users should benefit from the push towards an integrated technology stack and single data model. Rubinsztein expects the rollout of Oracle's Fusion applications suite, slated for 2008, to attract the mid-market crowd.

MOVING DOWNSTREAM

Typically, enterprise applications have only attracted really heavy-hitters but they are now becoming a more realistic option for a growing number of mid-market organisations. In the push towards integration, companies are asking for standardsbased technology.

"They want compliance and standards, including service oriented architecture (SOA), as they move away from proprietary technology stacks," Rubinsztein said.

IBM's Hope said integration was a top theme with SMB customers and pointed to partners with modules that could integrate more than CRM. Hot software applications in the SMB space included managing content and security as well as portal and Web integration, she said. Sage regional business manager, Ken Prokopec, said it's not only important for partners to customise specific business environments, given many businesses are choosing to install customised versions rather than upgrade existing CRM solutions, but also to offer integration with common business applications.

The company's latest offering can be linked to applications including Microsoft Office, Lotus Notes, Palm OS, and Pocket PC and Blackberry handheld devices, among others. The idea is to make it easier to access customer information at any time via a greater number of devices.

IDC software market analyst, Chris Chong, agreed SMBs looking to group disparate systems into a single point of information.

"SMBs are looking for an automated integration solution at the back end and ERP applications are high on the list," Chong said.

They were opening up to process optimisation, and were ready to jump on the applications refresh bandwagon, Chong said in his report, Australian Enterprise Applications Buying Behaviour and Intentions Survey for the SMB Market 2006. SMBs were now buying more enterprise applications, planning to apply them expansively into more business areas, and exploring the adoption of more advanced technologies, he said. Chong cited the low penetration of critical business activities, a significant improvement in SMB attitude to the use of enterprise applications, and an impending refresh of pre-millennium software installations across the board for this trend.

The SMB category also needs help in managing compliance, he added, and ERP was one way to add a level of control and transparency across systems. For users, choice is a good thing and midmarket products are no longer cut-down versions of their larger cousins.

"The products in the current competitive landscape are more stable and viable for the SMB market," Chong said. "There are lots of options out there even though there's lots of vendor consolidation. There are now lots of SMB products.

"Let's not forget the host of ISVs in both the ERP and CRM space, which are heavily focused on local and regionalised markets."

The local developer ranks includes Pronto, a company that knows a thing or two about mid-market needs after 30 years in the industry, according to marketing manager, Michael Panosh.