The term Enterprise refers to the entirety of a Simphony application. Simphony supports multiple properties, and administrators can configure each property somewhat independently. Each property can also coexist with other properties. The Simphony Enterprise offers a single application for configuration of multiple stores, and allows these stores to report centrally to a single Enterprise database.
A true Enterprise Simphony configuration includes more than one property, such as a franchise environment. In addition, its flexibility is ideal for multiple-property environments even if operations differ from one property to the next. In a true Enterprise, the importance of the EMC configuration hierarchy is apparent to the administrator. Some module components are configured at the Enterprise and then used in various properties and revenue centers.
Although Simphony can be installed for large multi-property environments, it can also be installed at a single property. This type of installation, sometimes called a single-property Enterprise, is functionally the same as a true Enterprise. However, modules that are configured at the Enterprise can technically be considered property level modules in this environment because the Enterprise consists of one property.