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Concur, a provider of cost control and other on-demand services for small to medium-size businesses, announced the launch of Breeze, an online expense reporting service designed specifically for small businesses. A free 30-day trial is immediately available on the Google Apps Marketplace, Google’s recently launched online storefront for Google Apps products and services.
Breeze is designed to streamline the expense management process by automatically creating expense reports using electronic data imported directly from both personal and corporate credit card charges.
The company argues that by automating the process and eliminating the need for paper receipts, spreadsheets and reimbursement cycles, Breeze reduces the time and hassle associated with expense reporting by simplifying bookkeeping and helping companies better track costs and manage cash. Review and approval capabilities of business expenses include T&E, office supplies, advertising, shipping, telecom and more. Breeze is initially available for a 30-day free trial period and will subsequently cost $8 per user per month. Available immediately for customers in the United States, the company said Breeze would reach additional geographies by the end of the calendar year.
Robert Anderson, research vice president with analyst firm Gartner, said the SMB market has traditionally been underserved when it comes to full-featured technology solutions that manage specific business processes. “Cloud computing and on-demand services are increasingly becoming the de-facto standard to deliver technology and innovations in a cost-effective and scalable manner,” he said. “Small businesses can benefit by taking advantage of features and functionality that until recently were only available to larger organizations.”
Google Apps clients access Concur Breeze via secure single sign-on through Google universal navigation, with planned deeper integration that would deliver enhanced expense data reporting and analysis into Google Apps, slated for 2010.
“We are very excited to have Concur Breeze in the Google Apps Marketplace,” said Scott McMullan, Google Apps partner lead for Google Enterprise. “Through the Google Apps Marketplace, software vendors like Concur are helping us build a rich ecosystem of integrated apps that work seamlessly with Google Apps, allowing IT administrators to leverage the benefits of cloud computing and extend Google Apps to meet more of their business needs. We are happy to make expense reporting easier for the millions of Google Apps users who have embraced the cloud.”
Elena Donio, executive vice president and general manager of emerging business for Concur, said Breeze is designed to specifically address the unique needs of small businesses looking to streamline their operations and improve efficiency with an automated expense reporting process.
“With a free trial, affordable monthly fees and an on-demand service that can be set up in minutes, Concur has removed all barriers to automation that previously existed within this market segment,” she said. “Now, any small business can experience the benefits of automated expense reporting, powered by the same technology that’s trusted by over 10,000 companies-including some of the largest companies in the world-and used by millions of employees around the globe.”