NetLedger expands hosted software

Software maker NetLedger has introduced applications aimed at helping small companies share information with partners about sales leads, orders and inventory over the Internet.

NetLedger released the new applications, called Advanced Partner Center, on Thursday. The privately held company, which is majority-owned by Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison, sells hosted business-management applications for small companies. Advanced Partner Center is part of NetLedger's Oracle Small Business Suite, a line of accounting and sales software.

NetLedger's new set of applications can help businesses cut costs related to communicating with resellers and distributors, fine-tune marketing campaigns, and form more accurate sales forecasts, the company said.

NetLedger competes with Corio, Salesforce.com and others in the hosted-applications market. Users of hosted applications access the programs over the Internet as they would a Web page--rather than licensing and installing applications on their own computers. The task of housing and maintaining the software is then left to its developer or a third party.

The price of Advanced Partner Center starts at $50 per partner a month.