Traditional invoice processing software vendors ReadSoft and Basware are looking to tap into demand for cloud solutions from small and medium enterprise with newly announced offerings being rolled out across the globe.

ReadSoft Online is a new web based offering on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform hosted in Europe that digitally processes invoices delivered as email attachments, or scanned and emailed.

Requiring no upfront processing hardware or software, the Web application extracts data from invoices and transfers it to an erp system or financial application. The image is retained in cloud storage and able to be viewed by a browser.

Linda Ameur, Partner Manager at ReadSoft Australia, said that ReadSoft Online would initially target applications in accounts payable automation, and offered the capacity to offer matching of invoices to purchase orders before processing.

“We are also looking at other applications in the future to automate other processes such as sales orders,” said Ameur.

ReadSoft Online will offer fixed rate or usage-based pricing depending on the volume of invoices being processed.

“ReadSoft Online gives companies a new choice with a quick to implement service that delivers leading back office automation. With just the operating costs to meet, ReadSoft Online makes it easier to manage the back office and plan for future growth.”

For those companies considering offloading all finance ERP to the Cloud, ReadSoft is positioning its Online platform as a self contained low risk, low cost onramp.

Meanwhile, Basware has announced the launch of Alusta, a cloud-based platform for business-to-business transaction collaboration that is delivered as a service with built-in process templates.

The Basware Alusta platform promises to give businesses the ability to start with a single process such as invoice processing and deploy additional processes and collaboration functionality as and when the business requires it, only paying for what they use.

Karri Lehtonen, Vice President of Basware ANZ, said: “ Our heritage within e-invoicing and purchase-to-pay gives us a unique understanding of the challenges enterprises and SMEs face in this new era of commerce and reinforces our position as the B2B process collaboration experts.

“Basware Alusta is a defining moment in the provision of open, secure and global commerce ecosystems for buyers and sellers, built upon best-in-class transaction processes and our fundamental belief in the benefits of the Open Network philosophy, which we believe is central to efficient and cost-effective B2B transactions.”