That compares to dozens of install discs for other middleware suites, he said. Oracle, for one, is well-known for its sizable Fusion middleware stack.

ION can't do everything, but that's the point, Phillips said. "We're not trying to build trading floor applications. That's why it's fast. "

Infor10 also includes a new common user interface called Workspace. The products Infor gained through the recent acquisition of Lawson Software will also get that treatment, although the Smart Office UI favored by many Lawson customers will remain an option, he said.

In addition, Infor10 gives companies the option of running its ERP software as a cloud service, or in hybrid form, with some components remaining on-premises.

Existing customers will receive some Infor10 functionality as part of their annual maintenance fees, but other aspects, such as ION, will be licensed separately "at a reasonable charge," Phillips said.