NetSuite, Inc. unveiled a stunning new user interface as part of its NetSuite
Version 11.0 release. For the first time in a Software as a Service business application, NetSuite's AJAX user interface moves the
technology beyond personal productivity and into functional product
areas such as reporting, graphing, scheduling, Excel-like editing and
document management.
In 2002, NetSuite pioneered the use of AJAX in on-demand business
applications, adding Windows-like navigation in NetSuite Version 8.0.
Version 9.0 and 10.0 continued to build on this foundation with
real-time Dashboards featuring drag-and-drop personalization. Today,
NetSuite furthers its leadership by leveraging AJAX on every
application page, delivering the most usable business application on
the market.
More importantly, NetSuite Version 11.0 takes AJAX beyond navigation
and the Dashboard, and into core functional product areas, dramatically
improving ease-of-use and productivity. These important functional
areas include:
- AJAX-Powered Reporting: Major changes to reporting include a new
dynamic, graphical interface, enabling users to preview the report
exactly as it will appear when run, as they build it -- what you see is
what you get. This powerful new report builder allows users
to easily manipulate data columns, grouping levels and formulas within
reports. The new AJAX-powered reporting capabilities also help run
businesses more effectively with the ability to search within report
results, drag-and-drop adjustable column widths, mouse-over "jump to"
links for quick report navigation, expand/collapse all hierarchical
levels, expand/collapse to a specified hierarchical level, and
pagination-free scrolling through results.
- AJAX-Powered Schedule Management: An all new group scheduler
facilitates easy scheduling of service calls or group events with
instantaneous, graphical availability feedback, drag-and-drop slider
bars for selection of time slots and the ability to add event invitees
on-the-fly.
- AJAX-Powered Document Management: File storage and organization is now
as easy online as on the Desktop with a new easy-to-use hierarchical
tree navigation and expand/collapse capabilities at any level of the
File Cabinet folder organization. Just as in reporting, search results
for files are displayed inline, allowing for quick follow-up access.
- AJAX-Powered Excel-like List Editing: Historically in Web
applications, users are forced to drill into records to view them and
toggle between that view mode and a separate edit mode. AJAX-powered
list editing blows away that limitation and allows data to be edited
directly from the list, just like an Excel spreadsheet. No
drill-through is required and productivity is greatly increased.
- AJAX-Powered "Above the Fold" User Interface: A common complaint among
users of traditional Web applications is that the need for complete
information forces them to scroll endlessly on a page. The Version 11.0
AJAX-powered user interface has been optimized to eliminate this need
for scrolling with Dashboard portlets that can be expanded or collapsed
individually, re-designed data forms that intelligently group related
information in tabs, and the strategic use of hierarchical trees to
navigate into detailed levels of information. In addition, graphical
report snapshots and trend graphs have been enhanced to make Dashboards
extremely easy to read. Bar graphs include data on each bar on
mouse-over while allowing for drill down to a specific bar for more
details, or the complete summary report for more data. Every Dashboard
now also has a "Create New" bar that links directly to the most popular
tasks, and is fully customizable so common workflows are accessed with
one click.