Born Free: Open-source software in the recession

The Economist recently published an article about the increase in interest in open source software during the global economic slowdown. We agree and it’s great to see one of the world’s greatest magazines spreading the word.

The important trends going on today:

1. Open source has gone mainstream in the enterprise.
2. Enterprise-grade open source software is available from the operating system (Linux) to business applications (SugarCRM, OpenBravo, Alfresco, etc.).
3. Choosing open source has become a pragmatic business decision based on functionality, flexibility, license and maintenance cost.

Lampada Global is proud to be part of this important trend, and very excited that so many companies around the world are deploying SugarCRM. We will release the SugarCRM Plugin for Notas Fiscais Eletronicas (NF-e), which we expect to further accelerate SugarCRM adoption in the Brazilian market.

Stay tuned !

Filed under: Uncategorized

The Open Source CRM Argument: Where Does Your Company Fall?

InsiderCRM discusses the growing interest in open source and how to decide on the right solution for your company. Their summary gets it just about right:

“The benefits include:

• Free licensing
• Ability for full customization
• Active support forums
• Retaining control of your data
• Very little vendor lock-in

The good news is that CRM is becoming more affordable with the addition of open source. “Now even small companies can afford full-blown call centers, for one thing,” said SugarCRM’s Schneider.”

In more general terms, Susan J. Campbell of TMCnet notes that “Vendors operating in the open source space have a unique advantage in this current market as companies still need specific solutions to be able to effectively compete, yet lack all the necessary resources to make it happen. With open source options, these companies can take advantage of the solutions they need without significant investments or commitments to one single provider.”

Filed under: Open Source, SugarCRM

Benefits of NF-e (electronic invoices)

This post is mostly relevant to the Brazilian market. I am excited to be working on integrating the NF-e with SugarCRM. It is a technical and accounting issue with very interesting and significant economic, social and political implications.

There will be winners and losers as a result of the NF-e.

One objective is to eliminate or reduce tax evasion. Tax evaders lose. On the other hand, tax payers win, since the tax burden should be distributed as intended by law. Less evasion should mean less taxes for many people and businesses.

Another objective is to simplify the payment of taxes. Everyone potentially wins if the NF-e delivers on this promise. It can hardly fail, given how complex and expensive it is today to comply with the Brazilian tax code.

Here are some other benefits highlighted by the state government of São Paulo:

04 – BENEFÍCIOS

4.01. Quais os benefícios para quem emite NF-e?

1. Redução de custos de impressão e de armazenagem de documentos fiscais (a NF-e é um documento emitido e armazenado eletronicamente em sistema próprio da Prefeitura de São Paulo);
2. Dispensa de Autorização para Impressão de Documentos Fiscais (AIDF) para a NF-e;
3. Emissão de NF-e por meio da internet, com preenchimento automático dos dados do tomador de serviços, desde que conste da base de dados do sistema;
4. Geração automática da guia de recolhimento por meio da internet;
5. Possibilidade de envio de NF-e por e-mail;
6. Maior eficiência no controle gerencial de emissão de NF-e;
7. Dispensa de lançamento das NF-e na Declaração Eletrônica de Serviços (DES).

4.02. Quais os benefícios para quem recebe NF-e?

1. Quem recebe NF-e poderá utilizar como crédito para abatimento de até 50% do IPTU:

- 30% do ISS recolhido, no caso de Pessoa Física domiciliada no Estado de São Paulo;

- 10% do ISS recolhido, no caso de Condomínio Edilício residencial ou comercial, estabelecido no Município de São Paulo, responsável ou não pelo recolhimento do ISS, e que possua cadastro na forma e demais condições estabelecidas pela Secretaria Municipal de Finanças;

- 5% do ISS recolhido, no caso de Pessoa Jurídica responsável por sua retenção.

2. Geração automática da guia de recolhimento por meio da internet, no caso de responsável tributário;

3. Possibilidade de recebimento de NF-e por e-mail;

4. Maior eficiência no controle gerencial de recebimento de NF-e;

5. Dispensa de lançamento das NF-e na Declaração Eletrônica de Serviços (DES).

Filed under: Uncategorized

Nota Fiscal Eletrônica (NF-e) and SugarCRM

Paying taxes may never be pleasant, but more companies will do it on-time and in the right amount when the process is simple and efficient. Brazil is moving in the right direction these days with the Nota Fiscal Eletrônica (NF-e) (digital invoices automatically filed with the tax authorities).

Roberto Dias Duarte reports he is actually saving money with the new system, given the ease with which he is able to close the books and file his taxes for the year. We expect similar savings and convenience at Lampada Global after we implement the NF-e this year.

We are adapting SugarCRM to emit NF-e for Brazilian businesses, starting with our own. All businesses will be required to migrate to the NF-e in the next couple of years and we look forward to helping smooth this transition for our clients.

Filed under: Finance, SugarCRM , Finance

Economic Crisis Boosts Open Source and CRM

Matt Asay noted recently that “[I]n this environment, cash is king, and open-source software requires less cash. How much less? Well, you can always calculate just how much money you’re saving by reusing open-source code in your project, but at a high level, consider this: while open source requires no acquisition charge, it can also cost considerably less in implementation fees because open APIs, open standards, and code transparency translate into lower deployment costs.”

PC World Business Center reported on open source CRM as a cost saver as well, even before the crisis took off. Their point was that open source CRM had achieved credibility at the enterprise level and was a viable option for even the very largest organizations.

At Lampada Global in São Paulo, Brazil, we are seeing exactly this cost driver increasing our leads and revenue. In addition to seeking cost savings from open source software [and offshore outsourcing], companies are also looking to increase sales by imposing more structure on their sales process with a CRM / SFA system.

It makes sense on reflection, but we were pleasantly surprised by the increase in new business just as the global economy started to slow down.

Filed under: Offshore Outsourcing, Open Source , Lampada Global, Open Source, SugarCRM

Identify The Growth Factors

I’ve long been a fan of Will Schoter at GoBigNetwork.com. His latest post really hit home for me, as we constantly evaluate how to grow Lampada Global.

“[E]ntrepreneurs need to find their own “growth factors” to make their businesses huge. The growth factors of your business are the key drivers that, if tweaked properly, can give your company the boost it needs to grow faster and stronger. “

Will’s blog is definitely worth subscribing to.

Filed under: Management, Startups