Customer Relationship Management (CRM) news

Desk.com Makes Help Desks More Mobile, Social

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Salesforce.com unveiled a new customer service help desk tool this week. Desk.com works with customer requests delivered over a social network. It is the byproduct of Salesforce.com's acquisition of Assistly last year. However, it is no mere product integration, said Alex Bard, former Assistly CEO and now vice president and general manager of Desk.com.

3 Painfully Common Misuses of CRM

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Every tool has a purpose. That's never more clear than when you see a neophyte do-it-yourselfer trying to use a tool for a purpose other than what it was designed for. For instance, anyone wielding a hammer while trying to fix a car's engine is probably not going to succeed.

Salesforce.com Plugin Lightens Sales Data Entry Load

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:40:00 GMT

The hard part of selling isn’t the actual sale. Any good salesperson will tell you it’s the monotonus data entry and admin tasks that get in the way of productivity. Now, online selling platform maker SalesCrunch said it has integrated its next-generation meeting application CrunchConnect into Salesforce.com, with the promise to "…radically reduce the tedious data entry associated with customer relationship management."

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Vendor Videos With a Spark of Personality

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:00:00 GMT

I take briefings from all sorts of vendors every day, from established companies with a new release to emerging companies with what they hope will be The Next Great Idea that the market will seize on. I am always happy to give my opinion and advice, and sometimes it's even taken. But I am usually reticent to write about most of them simply because it's not my job to provide free advertising.

Federal CIO Aims to Goose US Agencies Into Mobile-izing

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The sharp growth in the use of smartphones and tablets has spurred the U.S. government to keep pace with the private sector in the use of mobile devices. While federal agencies have been incorporating mobile technology for several years, the rate of adoption could be -- and should be -- far greater, contends Steven VanRoekel, the federal government's chief information officer.

JETNET Complements Helicopter Products With New Services

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:53:11 GMT

JETNET LLC, the world leader in aviation market intelligence, is attending this years HAI Heli-Expo 2012 in Dallas, Texas, February 12th - 14th, booth #9763. JETNET plans to feature a new complement to their comprehensive global database of piston and turbine helicopters: an aviation-tailored customer relationship management system, JETNET CRM.

Oracle Adds RightNow to Cloud Wars Arsenal

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Oracle has closed on its $1.5 billion acquisition of RightNow, developer of a cloud-based customer self-service application. Oracle announced the deal in October 2011. For Oracle, the deal makes eminent sense: It fills in a missing gap in its cloud-based CRM functionality and gives it a broader base from which to compete against Salesforce.com.

New App Boosts Epicor's Tablet Chops in Retail Setting

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

At the National Retail Federation's annual convention,Retail's BIG Show 2012, Epicor debuted its latest mobile offering: the Epicor Retail Clienteling application. It is an add-on for Epicor's existing CRM app, said Dave Burton, product director of CRM services -- meaning a retailer has to be an Epicor customer to use it. However, the app comes with a few additional features designed for the tablet form factor.

Oracle Finalizes RightNow Purchase, Positions Public Cloud to Compete with SalesForce

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:44:00 GMT

After a short delay, Oracle has completed its deal to acquire RightNow, a cloud-based provider of call center automation, sales force automation and customer relationship management solutions.

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5 Ways to Sell Salespeople on CRM

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The way the concept of CRM is defined during the sales process can sow the seeds of its ultimate failure. Because the decision makers are often sales managers rather than actual salespeople, the pitch is usually made that CRM makes it easier for the managers to manage their sales staff. Which is true. But what's in it for the sales staff?

Biz Stone, 500 Startups And Others Put $1M In CRM For Web Businesses Intercom

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:00:03 GMT

CRM and 500 Startups incubated company Intercom has raised a seed round of $1 million from angel investors including twitter co-founder Biz Stone, Huddle founder Andy McLoughlin, Dan Martell, 500 Startups and Digital Garage. Intercom's customer relationship management tool (CRM) is designed specifically for web businesses. The web-based SaaS features Google Analytics-like integration so that its database of customers is always automatically up-to-date, tracking every interaction. With its flexible filtering function, users can be segmented into groups for whom the business has different goals (i.e. converting free users into paying customers).

Good on You

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

My Aussie friends have an interesting saying that seems part compliment and part benediction: "Good on you." They pronounce it with an accent on the second word so that the phrase becomes a single word in the mouth, more like "goo-don you." At any rate, good on you.

Retail Autopsy: What Killed Borders, Circuit City and Hollywood Video

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The Borders near me closed the other month. Wasn't surprising. Ditto for Circuit City. Gone. A few years prior to that it was Hollywood Video that rolled its end credits. The problem is, none of them had to go. They each died of self-inflicted wounds. Sure, a lot of their CEOs came out and blamed Iraq, the economy, e-commerce, etc., for their failures.

Guardians of the Grid: Agencies Unite to Bulk Up Utility Cybersecurity

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

It's one thing to have a computer system at a major bank, retailer or government agency invaded by cybercriminals. At best, such hacking incidents cause minor annoyances, and at worst, they result in high-cost privacy invasions. But what if the hackers get into the power systems that make the entire Internet possible?

It's Showtime for CRM

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

CSC and Infovisionix announced a new agreement at Retail's BIG Show 2012 in New York City. Under the agreement, Infovisionix's suite of retail reporting and analysis tools will be incorporated in CSC's Retail Enterprise Intelligence offering. The new capabilities will help retailers understand and improve key operational and customer performance metrics.

When B2C and B2B Worlds Collide

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Having spent more than 20 years in the tech industry, I've seen many trends (and related buzzwords) come and go. One trend that I continue to see each year is the "consumerization of IT." While it hasn't always been referred to by that label, consumer demand has manifest itself across a variety of sectors in the industry, from PCs and email to the cloud.

Blackbaud Gears Up for Next Enterprise CRM Release

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

This was a big week for the Nasdaq-listed Blackbaud: The company announced its plans to acquire Convio, which offers a fund-raising application for nonprofits, for $275 million. The feature sets of the Convio application and Blackbaud's CRM software for the nonprofit space are complementary, to a large degree. The newly acquired technology will help Blackbaud further develop its user base.

What's Good for Social Business Is Good for Social CRM

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

I'm ensconced at the Swan and Dolphin Hotels at Walt Disney World in Orlando this week for IBM's concurrent Lotusphere/IBM Connect shows, and all the announcements here paint the picture of a company and a partner ecosystem that is going all-in on collaboration. Big Blue's fuddy-duddy reputation is being completely overhauled, it seems.

IBM Integrations Sweeten SugarCRM

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:05:00 GMT

Rapidly expanding customer relationship management company SugarCRM announced integrations with IBM, including support for IBM DB2 database software and a move to IBM SmartCloud Enterprise.

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Customer Experience Problems: More Diagnoses Than Prescriptions

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Customer experience is leading off the year as an idea that we need to pay more attention to. In the last week, two important publications have surfaced that highlight this importance. SAP gurus Reza Soudagar, Vinay Iyer and Volker Hildebrand collaborated on a new book, The Customer Experience Edge: Technology and Techniques for Delivering an Enduring, Profitable and Positive Experience to Your Customers .

The Shrewd Madness of Crisis Leadership

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:00:31 GMT

There is an interesting discussion brewing about the nature of Silicon Valley companies. Are they "tech" companies, as Zuora CEO Tien Tzuo asserts, or are they "... companies in other industries that happen to make heavy use of technology," as CBS Money Watch blogger Erik Sherman says? The gentlemanly disagreement started over the appointment of PayPal President Scott Thompson as the next CEO of Yahoo.

US Cautions on 'Boot Up' Cyberthreat

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The routine is almost universal. Every day, millions of workers turn on their computers, take a second or two for a sip of coffee as their desktop or laptop "boots up," and then get to work. In those few seconds, the basic input-output system, or BIOS, of the computer loads the protocols that actually run the PC -- in effect, acting the same as the worker's shot of coffee.

Kundra Casts His Lot With Salesforce.com

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Salesforce.com has snagged a marquee name for its executive ranks: the former chief information officer of the United States, Vivek Kundra. Kundra, who left his post with the Obama administration last year, is joining Salesforce.com as executive vice president of emerging markets.

Ensuring Software Quality Across a Global Supply Chain

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Companies commonly rely on a myriad of software suppliers, from internal teams that share and re-use code to third-party commercial software suppliers and outsourcing development partners. Companies are increasingly being held accountable by their customers for the quality and security of the complete product. Yet third-party code typically isn't tested with the same level of rigor as internally developed code.

Avaya Mobilizes Smooth Collaboration in IP Office 8.0

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Avaya has released its IP Office 8.0 -- the latest iteration of its trademark unified communications platform for small and mid-sized businesses. The new application comes with a number of new features, some of which focus on the company's core competency of communications, collaboration and presence.

If Customers Will Pay, Why Aren't We Selling?

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Do customers suffer from a split personality? I say this not because of encounters with clearly rattled fellow shoppers during the holiday season. I say it because of the numbers that consistently come out when customers are surveyed -- and the other numbers that seem to be in the forefront of most buyers' minds.

Riding the Tumultuous Retail Waves

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The retail space is changing. Twenty years ago we used to shop and buy in person at retail stores. Ten years ago, the Internet started a change Wave. We could buy online but were not ready yet. So we shopped online, but we still bought in person at stores. Now we have reversed this trend completely. Today we shop in retail stores to see and touch, but we buy online because prices are lower.

New Challenges in Store for Customer-Facing Gov Websites

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:22:35 GMT

Just how much information about the U.S. government is available on the Internet is anybody's guess. But U.S. citizens should be comfortable knowing that if they are persistent enough, they should find much of what they are looking for regarding the federal government online -- whether it's tax information from the Internal Revenue Service, benefits data from the Social Security Administration, or some obscure economic table.

Taking the Alternative-Lending Path to Financial Prosperity

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

It's been difficult in recent years for many people and small businesses to get the loans they need from banks and other traditional lenders, but there are a variety of alternative models. One is person-to-person lending, offered by companies like Prosper, which essentially lets individual people become lenders. "We look at Prosper as a new way of banking," said Chris Larsen, Prosper's CEO and cofounder.

Salespeople: Let's Get Reactive

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

It's the beginning of the year, time for sales kickoff meetings and presidents' clubs at some location within 10 degrees of the equator. These signal events will reward those diligent and fortunate enough to have made or exceeded quota while focusing the attention of everyone on this year's mission.

The New Cyber Savannah

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Peter C. Whybrow, M.D., is a neuropsychiatrist and director of the Semel Institute for Neuorscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, or at least he was when he published American Mania: When More Is Not Enough in 2005. In the book he quotes numerous economic thinkers and writers from the last 300 years, including Adam Smith and Alexis de Tocqueville, as he analyzes how we behave in modern business.

CRM in 2012: Big Changes in the Wind

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

The CRM landscape is shifting gears -- and it looks as though 2012 will be the year that will see investments in technologies to cash in on a veritable explosion of social media, mobile and integration opportunities. The winners in 2012 will be those that can figure out new ways to distinguish themselves on the customer service front, said Ajay Kapoor, vice president of customer service for Avaya.

Social Media Suicide or who you should not be online

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:00:49 GMT

The political ranter/conspiracy theorist, the angry life individual, the used car salesman, or the social media hussy.

Just Released: "Brain Force Holding AG (BFC) - Financial and Strategic SWOT Analysis Review"

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 12:50:38 GMT

It is provides business solutions such as Enterprise Resource Planning , Customer Relationship Management , and Business Intelligence and Corporate Performance Management .

Now Available: Triton Corp Ltd (523387) - Financial and Strategic SWOT Analysis Review

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:33:55 GMT

The company is principally engaged in providing IT and IT enabled services. It also focuses on providing business process outsourcing services ranging from voice services, web enabled services to back office processing; knowledge management to customer relationship management and other value added services.

New Market Report Now Available: EDB Gruppen A/S - Strategic SWOT Analysis Review

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:42:26 GMT

The company offers a wide range of solutions for eBusiness, customer relationship management, supply chain management, business intelligence, portals, electronic document management and infrastructure solutions and products.

It's an Intuitive, Integrated, Cloudy, Mobile World

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Mobility, intuitive cloud-based tools, iPads, iPhones, and social media have forever transformed the sales ecosystem. Across all industries and sectors, salespeople are no longer chained to a desk or landline, and managers and executives agree that integrated technology makes selling more efficient.

Appointment of Consumer Protection Head Ignites Political Furor

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:39:03 GMT

President Barack Obama named Richard Cordray as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau via a recess appointment on Wednesday. It was a controversial move for the president, prompting Senate Republicans to accuse him of making a power grab and abusing executive authority. Indeed, Republican resistance to confirming the former Ohio attorney general for the post prompted the recess appointment.

Oracle's Downward Spiral

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:40:17 GMT

Let's be frank: The main reason Oracle's latest quarterly revenues nosedived was backlash from users fed up with two years of price hikes on products, technical support, maintenance and licensing contracts -- and not because of a correction in the overall server hardware market. Yes, it's true that the latest quarterly financials of other high-technology bellwethers also disappointed.

Bad Employee Attitude in a Social CRM World: It's Payback Time

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

In our careers as consumers, we've all encountered employees from time to time who display a shocking lack of manners, aggressive ignorance of what their company sells, or a toxic attitude that suggests we're seen as an enemy rather than a customer. "How in the world did this person get this job?" we might ask as we hang up the phone or flee the store. "And how in the world is this person allowed to keep this job?"

Google Ventures, Mark Cuban And Others Invest $1M In Social CRM Startup Nimble

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:25:33 GMT

Customer relationship management startup Nimble has raised $1 million in funding from notable investors Mark Cuban, Jason Calacanis, Don Dodge, Dharmesh Shah and more! Nimble CEO Jon Ferrara views Nimble as a combination Hootsuite, Yammer and Salesforce. Unlike CRM tools like Salesforce, which Ferrara equates to stagnant databases of customers, Nimble takes into account that today's salespeople are social.

The Road to Resilience

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Welcome back to the discussion. At the top of my list is the idea of resiliency, which I consider a more practical form of sustainability for business. We are now encountering a wave of sustainability-oriented ideas in the popular culture. Forty miles per gallon is the new 30, someone said, and I have seen or heard the word "sustainable" used tentatively more than once in advertising.

Hey Big Spenders: Federal Infosec Market Poised for a Growth Spurt

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Cybersecurity is such a pressing issue that the U.S. government will be dedicating a good chunk of its annual information technology budget to protecting data systems from breaches, hackers and other threats. Tthe number of cybersecurity incidents reported by federal agencies has increased from 5,503 in 2006 to 41,776 incidents in 2010, according to the GAO.

Webinars - kick start your consulting business and solution selling plus

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:59:45 GMT

starting your consulting business, solution selling, and don't waste time with social media

The 5 KPIs of PMO Proof

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:00:00 GMT

For many companies, the role of the PMO seems like an enigma. Sure, everyone knows that PMOs exist to streamline project operations so time and money aren't wasted, but what do they actually do? Failure to answer this question has led many companies to question the value of the PMO in the years after its establishment. However, the burden of proof is on the PMO -- not the executives.

Amazon Surges, Netflix Paddles Against Customer Satisfaction Current

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:23:59 GMT

After seven years of a neck-and-neck race for first place in customer satisfaction, Amazon has pulled decisively ahead of Netflix, according to ForeSee's annual Holiday E-Retail Satisfaction Index. Amazon moved ahead 2 points to reach the top spot with 88 on the index's 100-point scale. Netflix slid 7 points to 79. Amazon's 88 score is an all-time high for the 14-year-old index.

Shall We Dance? A Tale of Executives and PMOs

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:00:00 GMT

"It takes two to tango." Ronald Reagan said this of the contentious relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union in the final stages of the Cold War. Unfortunately, this also applies to executives and project management offices. At times, it seems they are destined to face off against each other, but this should not be the case.

My New Year's Poem for 2012

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:10:57 GMT

Are you making New Year's resolutions or resolving to be a doer?

Recap, technologies, leadership, productivity for Friday December 23

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 08:44:48 GMT

Late in posting but 4 minutes to a smarter you

Time Tracking and Invoicing for Consultants

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:41:31 GMT

Don't leave money on the table

The Beginning of the Bounce

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:00:00 GMT

There was an interesting article in the January 2012 edition of Vanity Fair , a magazine I've come to enjoy though for many years regarded as another of those things my wife would like more than I would. But VF carries an interesting blend of current events and politics, as well as the glossy pictures and stories of pop-culture icons that seem to be necessary to sell a magazine these days.

Feds on Successful IT Procurement: This Is How It's Done

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:00:00 GMT

Federal information technology managers -- often cited for poor execution of procurement practices -- now have some project role models to follow for successfully managing IT investments. The federal General Accountability Office has issued a report on seven case studies of successful government IT procurement projects.

The Role of CRM in Logistics Companies' IT Strategies, Part 3

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:00:00 GMT

The logistics industry is facing challenges in adopting a sustainable and profitable CRM strategy, and there is inertia when it comes to replacing or augmenting disparate CRM solutions adopted by different business units, like retail, as well as various channels, like phone, Web, email, etc.

Zoho Offers CRM Users an Easy Way In

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:00:00 GMT

Zoho has rolled out a major update to its CRM app, completely redesigning the user interface and adding new social and productivity features. It is a massive overhaul, Zoho evangelist Raju Vegesna told CRM Buyer -- one the company plans to extend to other applications throughout its business suite of products.

Friday Recap 12-16-2011 Big Thoughts, Tech Tools, and 4 minutes to smarter you

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:43:11 GMT

Yes, I said it, 4 minutes to a smarter you

Microsoft and Nissan Establish Strategic Relationship

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Microsoft Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. on Monday announced a strategic relationship to collaborate and create a next-generation dealer management system based on Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Using the powerful foundation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM and the automotive industry expertise of Nissan, the two companies will blend dealer and customer relationship management and social collaboration tools into a solution that will help Nissan develop a stronger relationship with its customers, drive dealer sales and increase market share on a global scale. The solution will then utilize the Windows Azure platform, taking advantage of the economies of scale and flexibility offered by Microsoft's public cloud offerings. "Customer loyalty and retention are essential to the success of any business. Microsoft Dynamics CRM helps businesses better understand and build deeper relationships with their customers and partners," said Kirill Tatarinov, president, Microsoft Business Solutions. "We look forward to working with Nissan to deliver a solution that effectively connects with their customers and to win in today's business environment while also helping organizations such as Nissan meet the specific needs of the automotive industry."

Microsoft and Nissan Establish Strategic Relationship

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Microsoft, Oracle and Salesforce Named Best ROI for Customer Relationship Management

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:40:36 GMT

Technology research company Nucleus just released its bi-annual assessment of CRM applications and probably unsurprisingly, named Microsoft, Oracle and Salesforce.com the leading vendors in the space.

Read full story...

Nothin’ But .NET?

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:00:00 GMT

With all the applications .NET allows you to create—from customer relationship management and product inventory applications to websites and cloud partnerships, to name just a few, you can't afford for your .NET applications to go down. It could cost millions in lost revenue directly through lost orders or sales, and indirectly through lost consumer confidence. Continue reading →

Nothin’ But .NET?

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:00:00 GMT

Fujitsu Opens Its Cloud Store with CRM

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:01:16 GMT

Fujitsu's cloud store is open for business, beginning with customer relationship management. The company said earlier this week that its new, cloud-based Business Solutions Store will offer new subscription-based business services in a single platform marketplace.

For independent software vendors (ISVs), said cloud business vice president Andre Kiehne in a statement, "partnering with Fujitsu is the equivalent of a 'backstage' pass, since it provides them with easy access to a growing and truly global cloud solutions marketplace."

'Standard Feature Set'

The Business Solutions Store will include offerings from both Fujitsu and its partners, provided as software-as-a-service. A single interface will be available to set up new applications in the cloud-based Store.

This platform marketplace is the latest in Fujitsu's growing cloud environment. The company started recruiting ISVs last year to participate in a revenue-sharing model, in order to increase the number of business apps it could provide in the cloud. The company has been pushing its Global Cloud Platform as a way for ISVs to jump-start their ability to offer cloud-based services, without any initial investment. The revenue split with partners has not been disclosed.

With its CRM Cloud Services, Fujitsu is offering the first of its business apps, alongside those of partners. CRM Cloud Services, based on open source technology, provides what the company described as a "standard feature set" but at a "more affordable entry point," although the exact features are not yet detailed.

Both the Business Solutions Store and the CRM Cloud Services will be rolled out into various global markets early next year.

Pricing, Small Vendors

The CRM app was originally an in-house app for the company, which Fujitsu decided to build after it surveyed the prices and functionalities of others. Some observers have questioned whether Fujitsu, which is better known as a service provider in Japan than in other countries, will be able...

SugarCRM Community Edition Update

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 18:57:08 GMT

The developers of the open source customer relationship management system SugarCRM have announced an update of the community edition of their software. Highlights include improvements in contact import and email archiving. There are also new and improved tools for administrators and developers.

...

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SugarCRM 6.3 Lends More Tools to Developer Community

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

SugarCRM sweetened things up a bit with today’s release of version 6.3. The latest iteration of the customer relationship management platform demonstrates deeper integration with third party apps, faster feedback for real-time collaboration and tighter admin control.

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Oracle aims at Salesforce in buying RightNow

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:26:26 GMT

Software giant Oracle is acquiring RightNow Technologies Inc. for $43 a share, or a total of about $1.5 billion, to expand its Internet-based offerings and offer a challenge to customer relationship management powerhouse Salesforce.com.

Why Oracle paid $1.5 billion for Rightnow

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:39:14 GMT

Oracle continued its buying spree today,A paying roughly $1.5 billion for Rightnow Technologies , a provider of SaaS-based A call center automation, salesforce automation and customer relationship management services.

6 Steps for Building a Successful Customer Experience Model

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:15:00 GMT

Marketers are beginning to realize that they can’t provide consistent, personalized experiences to their customers without understanding how their customers experience their brand across all of their customer touch points. In response, platform vendors are rapidly developing ways for web content management (WCM), analytics, customer relationship management (CRM), and marketing automation (MA) tools to work together to collect, measure and analyze customer insights. These solutions provide the sales, marketing and communication teams with the information they need to create the best possible digital experiences and ultimately better gauge and perfect the quality of the customer experiences they provide.

Read full story...

Oracle Unveils Public Cloud and Social Network (NewsFactor)

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:53:39 GMT

NewsFactor - Oracle is getting deeper into collaboration and the cloud. Earlier this week, the technology giant announced that it is launching a Public Cloud containing its Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application, its Human Capital Management (HCM) application, and a social-networking environment.

Oracle Unveils Public Cloud and Social Network

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:53:39 GMT

Oracle is getting deeper into collaboration and the cloud. Earlier this week, the technology giant announced that it is launching a Public Cloud containing its Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application, its Human Capital Management (HCM) application, and a social-networking environment.

The announcements, made at the company's OpenWorld conference in San Francisco, position the company in the quickly growing market of cloud-based services and collaboration for businesses, areas that Salesforce, Amazon, Google, SAP, IBM and others are fast developing.

CRM, HCM

The services are part of the company's new Public Cloud for enterprises, which includes its Fusion applications such as CRM and HCM, a Social Network for working with business partners and customers, plus services for Java and, of course, database.

The Public Cloud is intended to provide integrated services that are managed, hosted and supported by Oracle. Pricing will be based on a monthly subscription model, and each app can also be purchased independently. Common services include resource management, security, data exchange and integration, virus scanning, white-list management, and centralized, self-service monitoring.

For the cloud version of CRM, customers can begin with using one module and then expand to the suite. It features the ability to combine customer and product data with all CRM processes, which the company said was a "first" for cloud-based CRM.

Similarly, the HCM Cloud Service allows for starting small and then expanding over time, and includes core HR, payroll and benefits management capabilities. Features include tracking employee information via employee dashboards, maintaining worker directories, integrating employee provisioning with identity management, and delivery of management for compensation, incentives, performance and goals.

Integrated Apps

The new Oracle Social Network is designed so that businesses can find and collaborate with suppliers, partners, and customers, using information from human resources and private social networks. A range of collaboration tools includes personal profiles, groups, activity feeds, status...

Keeping the Customer in Customer Relationship Management

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:50:05 GMT

With so many Customer Relationship Management vendors making similar promises -- and with some even offering solutions that are on the bleeding edge -- companies may have a difficult time discerning which provider to ink a deal with.

How do you choose the best CRM solution for your company? And, taking it a step further, how do you implement that solution in the most effective, efficient way possible? Those are the types of questions Green Beacon Solutions helps its clients answer. Green Beacon recently offered some CRM selection and implementation best practices on the Microsoft Dynamics blog that are worth review.

Among the best practices are: get upper-management sponsorship, stakeholder participation, pick your CRM team wisely, determine success metrics, define business objectives, customer identification, customer understanding, customer-strategy integration, data and map requirements and standardized data, create customer engagement programs, collect data, monitor and adjust the customer experience, evaluation and purchase, and communicate.

Articulate the Customer Experience

Let's dive into the lesser-explored best practices, such as customer differentiation, customer understanding, and customer experience goal definition. Green Beacon Solutions suggests further identifying your customers by defining segments -- your high-value and high-potential customers: "Know who you want to serve. Understand what that customer wants? Prioritize. What is the customer worth and what is their potential worth to the company?"

On the customer understanding front, Green Beacon says it's a matter of understanding what they want and how they want it from you. Then there's the all-important customer experience goal definition.

"You and your company are the users, but the solution is about your customer. Articulate the customer experience," Green Beacon suggests. "How should their experience feel? Identify important business interactions, e.g. high volume or high cost. Identify interactions that are important to the customer -- high involvement and high perceived importance."

Consider Customer Cycles

What about customer...

Oracle OpenWorld 2011 Showcases CRM Pavilion (NewsFactor)

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:32:19 GMT

NewsFactor - Oracle will once again host an Oracle CRM Pavilion at its annual OpenWorld conference. The Pavilion will highlight what Oracle is calling a "select group" of independent software vendors (ISVs) and system integrators (SIs) focused on customer relationship management (CRM) system integration.

Oracle OpenWorld 2011 Showcases CRM Pavilion

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:32:19 GMT

Oracle will once again host an Oracle CRM Pavilion at its annual OpenWorld conference. The Pavilion will highlight what Oracle is calling a "select group" of independent software vendors (ISVs) and system integrators (SIs) focused on customer relationship management (CRM) system integration.

Oracle said it is only choosing the cream of the crop for its CRM Pavilion at OpenWorld, which runs Oct. 2-6 at Moscone Center in San Francisco. The Pavilion will showcase companies that have demonstrated proven customer success, traction with Oracle's sales organization, and synergy with Oracle CRM's product direction.

These companies will be on hand to demonstrate their solutions, discuss integration concepts, and show customers how to leverage Oracle CRM integration capabilities to make the most of their CRM deployments.

Meet the CRM ISVs

Anthony Lye, senior VP of CRM at Oracle, explained that the CRM Pavilion at OpenWorld is a great way for Oracle CRM customers to see what its partner solutions can bring to the table. "Working closely with these partners has led to many customer successes and product innovations that solve very complex requirements."

Oracle works with its partners to collaborate on product integrations that leverage domain expertise to create deep integrations that are ready to meet customer needs.

A few of the vendors that will be on hand at the CRM Pavilion include Buzzient, an enterprise-class social media analytics firm, Dun & Bradstreet, Fellow Consulting, which develops customizable mobile and offline solutions, Clicktools, Augme Technologies, and BigMachines.

Oracle's CRM Pavilion will also host system integrators who have worked with key CRM ISVs to deploy combined solutions, including IBizSoft and Wipro.

Making Social-Media Connections

Zeus Kerravala, vice president at Yankee Group, says the CRM Pavilion is one more proof point that demonstrates how large the ecosystem around CRM has become.

"CRM is not just contact management anymore. Social media is becoming...

Schwab Launches New Unit for CRM Integration

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:52:23 GMT

Intelligent Technologies. That's the name of a new business unit announced last week by the Charles Schwab Corporation, set up to provide CRM-based integration solutions for independent registered investment advisors (RIAs).

One of the unit's key offerings will be an open-architecture platform, called OpenView Gateway, that facilitates the exchange of data between Schwab and the CRM (Customer Relationship Management) programs used by investment advisors.

Intelligent Integration Initiative

The business unit builds on a multi-year initiative the company announced in the spring of 2010, called Schwab Intelligent Integration, which was designed to assist advisors in improving their systems and workflow integration. The initiative was centered around key principles of CRM-centricity, intelligent integration, and platform choice, supplemented by support and guidance from Schwab.

Schwab vice president of technology solutions Neesha Hathi noted at the IMPACT conference last year that CRM platforms have "unique capabilities such as workforce tools and the ability to showcase an advisor's entire relationship with a client," which is why Schwab decided to build its Intelligent Integration around CRM.

After surveying advisors, Schwab chose to work with three CRM providers for the initiative -- Salesforce.com, Junxure, and Microsoft. Schwab's executive vice president Bernie Clark indicated that more than half of the company's investment advisors use one of those three CRM systems.

OpenView Gateway will be launched in a beta test this month, working with Junxure 9 CRM software. As part of the initiative, Junxure will offer Schwab clients a discounted technology solution, providing training and consulting services to help advisors implement the OpenView Gateway. Junxure currently has more than 9,000 users in the U.S.

'Ground-Breaking Effort'

Junxure president Greg Friedman said in a statement that his company's work on the Gateway will provide, for the first time, "real-time data available immediately within a CRM environment." He calls the effort "ground-breaking," predicting that it will change how investment...

Salesforce Alternatives: 5 CRM Services for Small Businesses

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 03:39:48 GMT

Customer relationship management programs have a bad reputation for being overly technical, burdensome to implement, and a chore to use.

Vodafone spending €11m in customer relationship management

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 10:01:00 GMT

Vodafone Malta said today that it will invest €11m by next March to take its customer relationship management to new levels. CEO Balesh Sharma said the investment was part of a larger capital investment programme that reflected the company's growth. He said that total investment in Malta by Vodafone since its setting up was now around €200m.. "We will be overhauling out CRM systems and this will help us reach our ultimate aim and commitment to keep providing the best user experience to our customers, " said Mr Sharma. Michel Macelli, Vodafone head of finance, said Vodafone was committed to remain at the forefront of technology. "We were the first to deploy 3G and HSDPA in Malta and we also have our own submarine cable linking Malta to the rest of Europe. Last year we upgraded out network to 14.4Mbps in download and expanded the network's capacity to cater for the increasing traffic generated by USB keys and smartphones. We also completed the upgrade of our radio network and introduced HSDPA and HSUPA technology" he said. ANDROID VILLAGE Vodafone also announced that android fans and smartphone users...

Yammer Further Socializes Salesforce.com Data

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:30:00 GMT

You heard it right: Salesforce and Yammer are working together for the greater good of customer relationship management (CRM). But don’t mistake this collaboration for an actual partnership — it’s very clear that the competition is still on.

Read full story...

What is CRM?

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 12:32:10 GMT

CRM stands for customer relationship management, which sounds like a good thing.

The System of Record Approach to Multi-Master Database Applications

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 19:51:24 GMT

Multi-master database systems that span sites are an increasingly common requirement in business applications. Yet the way such applications work in practice is not quite what you would think from accounts of NoSQL systems like Cassandra or SQL-based systems like Oracle RAC. In this article I would like to introduce a versatile design pattern for multi-master SQL applications in which individual schemas are updated in a single location only but may have many copies elsewhere both locally as well as on other sites. This pattern is known as a system of record architecture. You can build it with off-the-shelf MySQL and master/slave replication. Let's start by picking a representative software-as-a-service (SaaS) application: call center automation. Call center software integrates with a local PBX or VOIP to allow agents to answer and make phone calls for telemarketing campaigns in a systematic and automated way using standard procedures known as "agent scripts." Admins set up agent scripts and define lists of people to call as well as marketing campaigns. Finally and perhaps most importantly, managers receive a wide variety of detailed reports that allow them to optimize current work, examine historical performance, and make predictions about the future for planning purposes. Here is a typical application architecture. Figure 1: Call Center Application Architecture Bear in mind that this is a greatly simplified view. Like most business applications, call center automation systems may contain hundreds of database tables and many types of user services. There are also practical complications that go beyond the application itself. Call center automation is vital to the businesses that use it. Customers want assurance they can continue processing on another site if a SaaS vendor site goes dark. This means we have to think about maintaining applications and data on multiple sites.The ideal solution for most SaaS vendors would be to have call center data and applications for all customers live on multiple sites at all times. Multiple live sites mean that failover is instantaneous since both applications and database servers are already up and running. Constant update means there is little or no data loss on failure. Customers could connect to the nearest site. Here is a picture of that dream that includes two sites and two customers, Acme Inc. and Pinnacle, Ltd. Figure 2: Dream Architecture for Call Center Automation This solution has only one problem. It is impossible to build. Readers may nod wisely and say this is because of CAP Theorem limitations, but that somewhat misses the point. Let's say we use a NoSQL DBMS like Cassandra that permits updates in multiple locations and reconciles the data using eventual consistency. However, there's a catch: as we saw above, much of the value of call center automation is in operational queries and reports. That drives you back to an RDBMS with cross-table joins, aggregation functions, referential integrity, and convenient SQL-based report writing tools. For this reason alone, Cassandra is a non-starter for call center automation. What about a SQL DBMS? MySQL obviously has all the features you need for query-intensive solutions on smallish data sets (e.g. hundreds of millions of rows, not many billions or trillions). The problem is multi-master replication. Updating the same table from two or more places on a LAN is already quite difficult: witness the complexity of Oracle RAC or MySQL Cluster. The problem becomes intractable when you combine complex SQL transactions, referential integrity, and high-latency WAN connections. If you want full SQL semantics you cannot have updates on multiple sites. This is a serious dilemma and not just for call center automation. The same problems or worse affect a multitude of valuable business applications including market automation, credit card processing, customer relationship management (CRM), time/expense tracking, accounting, and many others. Fortunately we are not really stuck. If we give up some requirements customers do not really want anyway, there is a perfectly good solution that will work for a wide range of problems. Data warehousing architects long ago developed the notion of a system of record. Bill Inmon's classic Building the Data Warehouse defined system of record as follows:The definitive and singular source of operational data. If data element abc has a value of 25 in a database record but a value of 45 in the system of record, by definition the first value is incorrect and must be reconciled. System of record applies to multi-master systems in the form of a simple rule. We just assert that every customer has master data in one and only one location and copies everywhere else. When particular customers update information they do so on their own master. Customers can have masters on different hosts or sites, but the system of record rule says that no customer has one in two places. This eliminates conflicts between masters, and multi-master replication now works without a lot of difficulty.System of record thus meets the original requirement of having data on multiple sites, which was to handle a site failure. We can store data economically using off-the-shelf MySQL. We can update copies within and across sites using master/slave replication. We can shard customer data into independent schemas. The result looks like the following. Acme has a master in San Jose, whereas Pinnacle has its master in New York. System of Record Architecture for Call Center Automation Using the system of record approach simplifies other problems as well. Standard backup and restore techniques still work. If you mess up a customer copy, you re-provision from the master shard. You can implement failover across sites and also fail over locally onto slave copies, which can be complete copies containing data for all customers.Meanwhile, most users are fine with a single site. Pinnacle is close to New York, which is why the SaaS vendor puts Pinnacle's data there and gives them the New York site DNS for login. It is also possible to run reports on the cross-site copies as well. You can even run full applications provided you forward writes to the system of record, as shown above for Acme.The real issue in implementing system of record architectures is that existing replication and clustering tools are not quite up to the job of handling cross-site applications build on system of record. We are extending Tungsten to handle some of the obvious problems in building these types of systems using MySQL. Locating the customer master and connecting applications to it. Moving the customer master from one location to another. This happens more often than you would think, for example to minimize multi-master replication which can introduce problems beyond conflicts. Detecting accidental updates to copies and preventing them from either reaching the DBMS and/or preventing them from propagating to other locations. Proving a clean failover model that works on both cross-site as well as local copies of data. Recovering corrupted copies of customer data from the master. I will discuss two of the upcoming Tungsten features in follow-up articles. The first is assigning a shard master in the Tungsten Replicator using the new shard API. The shard API enables multi-master but enforces system of record constraints to avoid messing up data should you accidentally update in the wrong location. The second feature is cross-site management and connectivity using Tungsten Enterprise. This handles failovers within and between sites and automatically connects applications to the active master regardless of which site or DBMS it lives on.The need for availability is pushing an increasing number of SaaS vendors and other application providers to operate systems across multiple sites. Applications like call center automation depend on the features of SQL and cannot be implemented using NoSQL DBMS's like Cassandra. The system of record architecture eliminates replication conflicts and enables multi-master updates to work on ordinary SQL databases between sites. If you are building complex SQL applications and thinking about going multi-site, this design pattern should be in your toolbox.

Getting Started with Roo

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 19:10:21 GMT

Spring Roo goes a step beyond the Spring Framework by bringing true Rapid Application Development to Java. This concise introduction shows you how to build applications with Roo, using the framework’s shell as an intelligent—and timesaving—code-completion tool. You'll get started by building a sample customer relationship management application, complete with step-by-step instructions and code examples.

Insurance sector CIOs plan to increase IT spend on CRM and private clouds

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:02:06 GMT

Almost half of insurance company CIOs are expecting to increase IT spending next year, focusing on investment in customer relationship management and private cloud deployments, according to research.

Oracle Adds InQuira Knowledge Management Technology to CRM Offerings

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:59:00 GMT

Oracle (news, site) may be trying to strengthen its position in the highly competitive customer relationship management (CRM) market. The company announced that it is acquiring InQuira, creators of analytics and knowledge management offerings for CRM.

Read full story...

SMBs to increase tech spend, 35% intend to enter cloud for first time

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 23:40:48 GMT

A new survey says 70 percent of SMBs intend to increase their technology spend in the next 12 months, with one-third of them saying they'll bump spending by at least 10 percent.

Trade Association CompTIA said the primary impetus cited by the respondents to its Third Annual Small and Medium Business Technology Adoptions Trends study for the increased outlays were to improve customer interactions, mobility options and operational efficiencies.

The increased spending, CompTIA said, may come from large, one-time purchases. In the aggregate, expect SMB IT budgets to increase by an average of slightly over 5 percent, with some firms' growth rates much higher and some flat.

"Technology is more accessible, more affordable and more available to SMBs than ever before," said Seth Robinson, director of technology analysis at CompTIA. "SMBs may not have an abundance of capital to invest, so they have to make every dollar count. But the majority is willing to spend money on new technologies, especially solutions that give them capabilities on par with a larger enterprise. Technology plays an integral role in the life of a small business."

CompTIA said another major trend for SMBs will be their adoption of cloud computing solutions.

Nearly one-third of SMBs have adopted cloud computing technology, with medium-sized businesses (42 percent) showing the highest utilization. Another 35 percent of all SMBs plan to use the cloud in some form in the next year.

Storage and backup solutions are the most heavily used cloud applications with 71 percent of SMBs using the cloud in this way. Email (62 percent), document management (59 percent), collaboration (56 percent) and customer relationship management (53 percent) are other popular options.

Among SMBs now using cloud computing, 92 percent of firms say their experience has been positive or very positive; and 97 percent report that their move to the cloud has produced the desired result, with cost and flexibility most frequently cited as benefits of a cloud solution.

For more:
- see this release

South Africa: Source Appoints Saunders As New MD

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:39:56 GMT

Lee Saunders is the MD of the new customer relationship management offering, Source.

Avaya's New Contact Center Goes Social

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:28:20 GMT

Customer relationship management is going social. Avaya is helping to reinvent customer relationship management in its newly released Aura Contact Center 6.2, with tools to improve customer service using social media and other new channels.

The new Avaya Contact Center suite includes capabilities for collaboration with experts, an expanded integration of social media, and an improved scalability.

Evolution into 'Transmedia'

Onkar Birk, general manager of the Avaya contact center division, says "today's consumers use many more modes of communication -- e-mail, text, video and social media." Birk said that these media will evolve into a "transmedia," where there is a seamless transfer of information across channels of communication, and "companies must effectively integrate all of these modes for consistency."

Avaya pointed out that 40 percent of consumers prefer alternative methods of contact for customer service, such as e-mail, chat or text.

To address this need, Avaya's new Contact Center provides customer account history to "the right agent" in a real-time collaboration session. The company noted that this arrangement "reduces a customer's need to repeat information and increases first contact resolution," which can improve customer satisfaction, help to create a differentiated service, and increase revenue.

When a customer is engaged in the new Avaya environment, an agent's portal shows relevant experts who can assist or handle the inquiry, and the experts' availability. Managers can then create groups of experts, or access them one by one, to solve a problem. Agents can also communicate with customers through relevant Twitter tweets and Facebook updates, using the Avaya Social Media Manager.

'Socialization of CRM Apps'

The Social Media Manager allows for automated scanning of social media content and analysis of the content for relevance. There is also "sentiment tracking," which assigns a score to such social media communications as tweets, allowing trends to be identified in real time. The Manager...

Consona Report Explores How to Revive Knowledge Management

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 03:24:52 GMT

Consona Corporation , a reputed provider of customer relationship management and enterprise resource planning software and services, has co-authored with the Technology Services Industry Association and released a report entitled "Ongoing Maintenance Required for Effective Knowledge Management." Written by John Ragsdale, vice president of ...

Architelos Announces TLD "Front-Office" Management Services

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:47:00 GMT

Architelos, Inc. today announced its Top-Level Domain (TLD) Management Services (TMS) for registry "front-office" operations it will offer new TLD contract winners. TMS is an outsourced solution for new TLDs as well as small registries, so they can quickly launch and/or manage their business operations, while off-loading much of the costs and risks.

TMS provides all the necessary pre-configured software systems, with the option to outsource operational personnel and/or executive management.

TMS: Front-End Support, Back-End Connectivity

TMS provides ICANN compliant, secure, pre-configured software systems, with the option to outsource operational personnel and/or executive management. TMS is designed to work with most registry infrastructure providers, thus protecting the TLD applicant's freedom of choice. The software systems are SaaS-based and include the business-critical functions required in a registry that are not provided by a back-end registry operator.

These core systems include:

Automated contracts management and compliance work flows
Automated registrar/channel sign-up
Registrar ramp-up and management
Sales and marketing portals
General Ledger integration tools for registration financial data and forecasting
Industry specific customer relationship management features
Business intelligence reporting and dashboard tools
Management escalation alert systems

"There will be a real need for solutions tailored for the business operations of a TLD," Architelos CEO Alexa Raad said. "Given the scarcity of expert talent and the potential launch of many TLDs at once, many applicants should plan now for how they will staff, resource and manage their registries should they be awarded a new TLD."

Outsourcing a registry's back-end is only half the needed solution, according to Architelos COO John Matson, who has developed new business models for the TLD marketplace and authored a study benchmarking new TLD launches. "Applicants still need a suite of front-office systems and talent to successfully win, launch and operate a new TLD," Matson said.

Architelos will selectively launch and manage a portfolio of TLDs but will offer all new TLDs the option to outsource the operational personnel.

"We are defining a market, one that we are well positioned to address," said Raad, who has both launched a new TLD, .MOBI, and led a major registry, PIR, the .ORG registry.

ERP + CRM 3.0 = SYSPRO Integration Platform for 360 Degree View

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:23:29 GMT

Many know SYSPRO ERP, but few know that they actually fully integrate with a home grown CRM solution to provide relevant and effective CRM (Customer Relationship Management) without signing out of SYSPRO = CRM 3.0: Relevant and Effective Customer Relationship Management The customer is no longer king. With a majority of industries transitioning into online businesses, customers are no longer royalty - they thoroughly research products by reading reviews, watch how-to alternatives and browse multiple stores at once rendering customers the true epitome of an economical middle class. This shift in customer behavior naturally demands a close pursuit by business owners. Companies need to become more customer-centric in their business approach not only to gain customers, but also to maintain a loyal customer base. And unlike purchasing or accounting departments, sales and marketing departments rarely have predetermined instructions in dealing with customers. These reasons contribute to the growing industry of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems amongst B2B services today.

ERP + CRM 3.0 = SYSPRO Integration Platform for 360 Degree View

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:23:00 GMT

CRM: The Most Important Relationship is with the Customer, Not the Data

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:00:00 GMT

When we discuss Customer Relationship Management (CRM) it’s often in the context of technology. But technology is only one element, and not the hardest one to grasp.

Read full story...

Under The Covers At Katango: Kleiner Perkins’ First sFund Investment

Tue, 31 May 2011 21:16:55 GMT

Last October, Kleiner Perkins launched the sFund , a $250 million initiative designed to make strategic investments in entrepreneurs building social services and apps. The partners contributing to the fund include Facebook, Amazon, Zynga, Comcast, and more. The first startup to receive investment from the sFund was Cafebots , which received $5 million in series A from Kleiner shortly thereafter. At the time of the announcement, Cafebots was in stealth mode and was tight-lipped about just what kind of social service it was building. My colleague MG Siegler did, however, learn that the startup was hoping to expose users to a new, yet referential acronym: "FRM", or "friend relationship management". Of course, not everyone is familiar with CRM (customer relationship management) and some might miss this tongue-in-cheek reference. Today, we've had the chance to learn a little more about the Kleiner-backed startup ahead of its impending launch in June, and how it's moving past "FRM" to embrace a more all-compassing descriptor of its business: "personal crowd control". Also part of the update? The company will no longer be known as Cafebots. From here on out, it's Katango.

Pardot Makes SMBs More Efficient in the Cloud with Better CRM Integration

Fri, 27 May 2011 18:38:00 GMT

Pardot, providers of cloud marketing automation software for small and medium-sized businesses (SMB), announced the latest release of their cloud-based marketing automation platform. The Spring 2011 update focuses on offering more flexibility and holistic integration for customer relationship management to make SMB marketers more efficient.

Read full story...

SAP, Accenture Launch New Mobility Solutions

Wed, 18 May 2011 18:50:54 GMT

SAP AG and Accenture are joining forces to create new enterprise mobility solutions, using the next generation of the Sybase Unwired Platform, new mobile apps from SAP, and new solutions developed with Accenture Mobility Services. The initial targets will be the oil and gas, utilities and consumer-products industries.

The announcement was made at the Sapphire Now event for SAP customers, currently taking place in Orlando, Fla. Dr. Raj Nathan, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of SAP-owned Sybase, said the new mobile solutions "will drastically reduce the costs and time needed for organizations to implement a mobility strategy."

Making Mobile a Priority

The companies cited a 2010 Forrester Research survey which found that more than 60 percent of companies are making mobile applications a priority.

Included in the rollout are the release of the Sybase Unwired Platform 2.0 and an updated version of the software development kit (SDK). Upgrades to the platform include native app development, a hybrid web container for customized application development, cross-platform support, a single sign-on for SAP systems, and encrypted web storage and data transmission.

The new mobile apps build on the updated Unwired Platform. One of the new products is a SAP Field Service mobile app designed to provide access to assignments, service orders, and service confirmation, in the field. It also provides out-of-the-box access to the SAP customer-relationship-management application, with instant field assignment alerts, enhanced service-order management, integration with a mapping service, and service order debriefs.

Features in a new SAP Retail Execution mobile app include retail visit management and scheduling, survey and auditing tools, customer account management, and product management. A Work Order mobile app provides work orders, technical object management, inventory information, and business partner information.

Other mobile apps in development are ones for human resources, procurement, finance and sales.

Accenture's Services

The companies said their solutions include an "actionable...

Cellit Announces Best Practices in Mobile Marketing for Gaming Operators

Tue, 17 May 2011 00:59:43 GMT

SOURCE Cellit How to use mobile marketing to attract customers, increase their spend onsite and get them to return CHICAGO , May 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cellit, a leading provider of mobile customer relationship management systems for restaurants, casinos, retailers and other companies today announced the findings of a comprehensive review of ...

Microsoft Set to Boost Dynamics CRM Updates

Mon, 16 May 2011 23:07:10 GMT

Microsoft says it will update its customer relationship management (CRM) software much more often than in the past.

New SAP StreamWork Aims To Boost Collaboration

Fri, 13 May 2011 15:58:07 GMT

SAP is amping up the competition against rival Salesforce.com with its latest release of StreamWork. The cloud-based collaborative application integrates with SAP business software.

Simply stated, SAP lets employees, teams and entire organizations collectively problem solve, brainstorm and make decisions within business applications using information they know and use every day -- without switching to another disconnected collaboration solution or having to rely on mountains of e-mail to drive projects forward.

"We are trying to solve a much bigger problem for companies than what a lot of the existing solutions in the market are doing," said Holly Simmons, senior director of marketing at SAP BusinessObjects. "Our customers have complex landscapes and are running many different types of applications. We are trying to address bringing social within the company and allowing them to work across all of the different software they are using internally."

No Islands of Collaboration

Simmons said the new integration capabilities expand StreamWork's reach so all types of people -- employees, clients, partners and suppliers -- can leverage secure social collaboration.

The enterprise edition of StreamWork integrates with several SAP applications, including the SAP Customer Relationship Management application for social CRM. The integration empowers sales managers to close sales more quickly. Sales teams can also collaborate directly with customers.

StreamWork also integrates with SAP's Strategy Management application, and the firm is currently planning for the integration of StreamWork with its Business Intelligence platform, which would give customers the ability to deliver collaborative BI throughout their organizations so end users can drive actionable insights.

"With some solutions, companies wind up with these little islands of collaboration and they don't want to use the products because they don't want to leave what they are doing and go sign in to a collaboration application and work in a very general way," Simmons says. "We are delivering all...

ListenLogic Launches Social CRM To Engage Customers

Fri, 13 May 2011 15:57:55 GMT

ListenLogic is listening to the market. The result is Enterprise Social CRM solutions, which ListenLogic has just announced.

ListenLogic doesn't have the customer list of a SAP or Salesforce.com, but the company has built a strong list of global 1000 brands. ListenLogic's secret sauce is a proprietary Integrated Social Intelligence Platform for customer-service engagement and marketing outreach.

"Social-media usage is exploding, and companies need to engage with customers, where they participate, in real-time," said Mark Langsfeld, founder and CEO of ListenLogic. "Customers are no longer on the phone with customer-service agents, they're using social media to seek advice and openly share experiences. For large enterprises, our Social CRM solutions make it possible to handle millions of customer interactions through social media."

Automatically Identify Issues

Langsfeld isn't just blowing smoke. The company has established a track record in the fledgling social CRM space for a highly scalable customer relationship management solution that does several things at once -- automatically.

ListenLogic's Social CRM collects, prioritizes and categorizes all social-media conversations -- meaning not just beyond Twitter and Facebook -- in real-time. Once collected, the conversations are delivered to customer-service representatives based on business rules that customer-service departments create with market outreach opportunities in mind.

As an example, ListenLogic says Social CRM can collect tens of thousands of relevant posts daily for a brand, sort and find only mentions from very annoyed customers, and send these prioritized cases to specialized customer-service representatives so they can be resolved immediately. Integrated with current CRM solutions, ListenLogic Social CRM can identify brand and future customer opportunities online and send these to marketing and outreach teams.

Vertical Expertise

"As the social-media boom continues and the social-data fire hose grows, companies are struggling to collect all the conversations and triage the outreach opportunities in a timely manner," said Vincent Schiavone, cofounder and chairman of ListenLogic. "The...

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