You’d think these competitive comparison articles, such as this Oracle RightNow vs. Netsuite one, would be the more interesting and entertaining ones to write and research, wouldn’t you? Well, you think wrong, my friend. These are positively awful to research, and in fact, I don’t think these really accomplish anything useful.
Some people … most on wager … are familiar with the axiom of “comparing apples to oranges”, to denote comparisons where the two things really aren’t the same in enough ways for a comparison to make much sense. Well, in software, that’s almost entirely always the case, you see.
Are You Sure:
Yeah. A comparison like Oracle RightNow vs. Netsuite is kind of silly, because while there are some overlapping solutions, purposes and functionality, they’re really not the same thing, nor are they really for the same demographics.
Oracle’s solutions are all about more heavily database-centric operation, both in management and in its acquisition of outside data when it comes to BI operations and CRM operations (what little CRM it actually competently does).
Netsuite is basically a direct competitor to Salesforce, offering the same demographic targeting, the same solution sets and very similar models for how it works and what it can and cannot do. A comparison of those two makes a lot more sense (though not total), and we’ve actually done that comparison once or twice I believe.
I am a Regular Business with Regular Needs – Who Do I Want:
Well, if the big reason you’re just not sure which of these is right for you is that you want good compatibility with Oracle database frameworks and other such bells and whistles, then you’re worried about absolutely nothing significant. See, Netsuite has very solid compatibility with these technologies itself.
The only concern is that, with Oracle pushing their own solutions now … how long will it be before their later builds of their systems lock out competitors like Netsuite and Force.com? That’s a legitimate concern now, but one that’s probably causing more panic than is justifiable.
In order for oracle’s systems to work without becoming entirely OEM (which they do not want and would ruin everything), they can’t start putting lockouts in there to prevent specific competing software from offering compatibility with their basic systems.
Who’s Better:
I’m going to have to say Netsuite is far more mature, far more flexible and has a vastly larger community (something that really matters these days), where Oracle’s new kid on the block has a lot, and I do mean a lot, to prove yet.
Who’s Cheaper:
I get five different prices for the cheapest edition of RightNow and I can’t verify which one is right without bothering Oracle reps to get the information. They tend to not be very cooperative with web journalists as well, because they know darn well what I’ll use that information for, and it’s counter to a business’s unilateral view of PR.
However, assuming one of the prices I found is in fact the current correct price (or at least close), I have to say holy crap, Netsuite is way cheaper, once you’ve gotten both systems to the state you want them in for regular operation.
I’ve chastised Netsuite and Force.com for being impenetrably expensive for smaller businesses, but neither of these are remotely ideal for small businesses to be frank. But, for the moment, in the case of Oracle RightNow vs. Netsuite, Netsuite wins. RightNow may come into its own soon enough, and if so, I’ll compare them again … even if it is apples and oranges on some levels.