Hover said that the technology requirement entailed some work for the city's IT operation, since it had to swap out its Microsoft Internet Information Service Web server for WebSphere. Greensboro also had to upgrade its IBM AIX-based pSeries hardware and Oracle Corp. database software to support the new system, she said.

"You need to be on the cutting-edge, technologically, [to upgrade to Lawson 9]," Hover explained.

The technology requirements are causing Wilsons The Leather Experts Inc. in Brooklyn Park, Minn., to take "a wait-and-see attitude with Lawson 9.0 and Landmark," said Scott Christian, the retailer's director of business systems. Wilson is upgrading from Lawson 7 to Lawson 8 ERP software.

Christian said that the technology requirement for upgrading to the new versions entails "a significant change and one that I'm not sure will deliver tangible business benefits for Wilsons Leather at this time. I also believe there is a level of risk involved in making the change right now that we are not willing to accept."

After viewing demonstrations of the initial Landmark offering at the user conference, Chuck Kentfield, senior software engineer for human resources at Pacific Life Insurance Co. in Newport Beach, Calif., called it "a solid improvement in technology."