Consona ERP Announces Made2Manage® Product Direction

Management Team Unveils the Plan for Made2Manage .NET

INDIANAPOLIS, June 2, 2008—Consona ERP, a leading provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and services for small and midsize manufacturers, today announced that Made2Manage Version 7.0 (v7.0) will be built on Microsoft .NET Framework Version 3.5 (v3.5) technology.

“We’re excited to offer the usability, performance and expansion advantages of the Microsoft .NET Framework v3.5 to our customers,” said Scott Malia, general manager of Consona ERP. “Our customers require high-quality technology, product availability, and service. The Made2Manage product development team has pioneered the use of Microsoft platforms since 1986 to meet these needs, and this is another step in delivering robust, affordable ERP software.”

“Our customers are happy with how Made2Manage ERP is helping them run their businesses,” said Frank O’Nell, director of product management for Consona ERP. “This product was developed for the special requirements of custom manufacturers in machine design and production and metal fabrication. We continue to focus on their functional and technical needs.”

O’Nell continued: “Our v6.0 release, currently in beta, will add significant new functionality in the areas of customer relationship management (CRM) and planning and scheduling. Enhancements to our field service and manufacturing execution systems (MES) modules are currently in development. Moving to the .NET Framework v3.5 will accelerate our efforts to deliver even more customer-requested functionality.”

Steve Bailey, CTO for Consona ERP added, “We recognize the technical advantages for our customers in adding the Microsoft .NET Framework v3.5 option to Made2Manage ERP. Also, we are excited at the progress our programming resources have made over the last 18 months. We have already started the Made2Manage v7.0 .NET project with an outstanding set of development tools that match our specific needs, including established class libraries that support the transition from Microsoft Visual Fox Pro to the .NET Framework-managed code.”

Matt Carter, product manager for Visual Studio at Microsoft Corp., stated that Microsoft continues to invest in providing outstanding tools for development and quality assurance. ”Microsoft is committed to providing development resources that will assist Consona ERP in adding the .NET Framework option for its Made2Manage customers,” said Carter.

Although Microsoft has announced it will discontinue support for VFP in 2015, Scott Malia said that enhancements to the Visual FoxPro version of Made2Manage, as well as ongoing compatibility with future versions of both Windows Vista and Microsoft SQL Server, will extend the life of Visual FoxPro-based products well beyond Microsoft’s timeframe.

“We’ll continue to support the Made2Manage Visual FoxPro application,” Malia said. “And if our customers want to take advantage of the benefits of a .NET Framework-based architecture, Made2Manage .NET will be available.”

“Our product direction will always be driven by customer needs,” added Malia. “We will continue to build new releases using Consona’s proven customer-driven product development process, and we will continue to offer a full set of services that complement every upgrade option our customers have.”

About Consona Corporation and Made2Manage ERP
Consona Corporation (Consona, formerly known as M2M Holdings, Inc.) is a worldwide leader in providing customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and services to the enterprise. The Consona ERP business unit includes two leading products that enable over 2,500 customers to continuously improve their business processes. Made2Manage ERP is a quality-infused, comprehensive software application that helps manufacturers with mixed-mode production processes integrate every aspect of their business around a single, enterprise-wide system. Made2Manage ERP offers functionality that meets the unique market specifications of more than 30 manufacturing industries, including industrial and commercial machinery, rubber and plastics, electronics, transportation equipment, measuring and controlling devices, furniture and fixtures, fabricated metals, and durable goods. For further information, visit www.made2manage.com, e-mail info@made2manage.com, or call (800) 626-0220.
Product and service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

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