Minneapolis-based Lawson Software Inc is to launch version 6.0 of its financial and distribution software in the first quarter of 1993, and with it a more international strategy. Release 6.0 is a computer-aided software engineering tool, used to generate multi-lingual, multi-national, common source code. The source code is to form the basis of an integrated set of financial and distribution management application modules for international usage. Designed to meet all financial legal requirements in all countries, the systems can deal with any currency at the transaction level, while also providing translation, re-measurement and consolidation. A flexible tax module is included, which handles such tax requirements as VAT and GST in different countries. The product is intended to meet the demands of multinational companies as well as large national organisations, by providing common applications on a worldwide basis. Lawson software runs on AS/400 hardware and in certain Unix environments: IBM Corp’s RS/6000, Digital Equipment Corp’s Ultrix, Hewlett Packard Co’s HP9000, Unisys’ U6000 and the Sequent Symmetry series. Although character-based at the moment, graphical user interfaces are to be available by the end of 1993 for version 6.0. Targeted particularly at medium to large-size businesses, where the $35m privately-owned company is eager to cash in on the trend towards down-sizing, the software is particularly popular among manufacturers, retailers and service companies in the US, and banks in the UK. It consists of high-end accounting, distribution and materials management systems, designed by means of a proprietary computer-aided-software engineering tool called Universe. Universe is commercially available, enabling clients to custom-build specialist applications, which have the same look and feel as the core software systems.
Universe report writer
The applications software consists of general ledger, purchase order management, report writer, accounts payable and receivable, ratio analysis, order processing, budgets, project accounting, invoicing, cash book, inventory as well as the Universe report writer, the Universe software engineering tool and the Universe environment. The last is a small extension to the operating system and is serial number-specific; without it the other Lawson packages do not work. All Lawson software supports such database systems as Oracle and Informix, as well as Lawson’s own relational database. However, the accounting products also include the Lighthouse executive information system, provided in response to a growing need for financial systems to supply management data. Although available only for use on AS/400 machines in the UK at present, following the release of version 6.0, all products will be able to run on Unix boxes too. While a policy of direct sales is currently operating in both the UK and the US, Lawson is in the process of setting up an affiliate network to sell and support its software in Europe. The aim is to have 10 agents in place by May 1993. UK headquarters, although still fairly embryonic in nature, were set up in 1990 in Chertsey, Surrey, to serve the European marketplace. Major customers to date include the information technology division of Lloyds Bank Plc, the Cunard Line and Matthew Gloag of Highland Distilleries fame. In addition, Lawson has introduced new licensing and pricing policies. Its open licensing policy enables users to move from one hardware environment or database to another without having to pay an additional licensing fee. The aim is to facilitate the move to open systems. Pricing is based on the number of users of the system rather than the power of the CPU. The ceiling is 24 users, after which no additional charge is made.
