CRM News

networkworld.com
27 June, 2008

::: Real estate firm uses Zimbra for all its agents :::

Back in 2005, Joe Trifoglio, CIO of Zip Realty, needed a new email system for his 2,500 real estate agents spread out across 14 major metropolitan areas. His homegrown, open-source e-mail client worked well, but he needed something that would work on top of his custom built CRM system, known internally as ZAP, the Zip Agent Platform. Prior to shopping for a new messaging system, Trifoglio’s real-estate agents toggled between their e-mail and CRM app, and had to manually input a lot of information (such as appointments) between the two. The company has chosen Zimbra as it is based on open source and Java and is compatible with his existing systems.

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blogs.zdnet.com
June 27, 2008

::: Coveo G2B for CRM :::

Newton, Mass.- and Quebec-based Coveo G2B for CRM has been developed using the Coveo Enterprise Search-platform technology and it aims to allow businesses a single view of their customers. It is a part of the company’s G2B Information Access Suite.

With this application, businesses can cull information from sources such as salesforce.com, Siebel Systems, corporate intranets, tech support emails, customer support databases, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Other features include content analytics that enables graphical viewing of customer data so that planning, forecasting, and resource management becomes easier.

The application is an interesting example of a mashup that could open the way for more such applications that will not only give us a unified view of the customer but also tell us about the most appropriate channels to reach out to them.

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insidecrm.com
June 24, 2008

::: Take CRM in your pocket :::

Most sales reps spend a good deal of time on the road doing business, so it makes sense for them to be able to update CRM data on-the-fly using a mobile device. That’s what Vaultus Mobile Technologies Inc., a Boston-based software company, is helping companies do. Vaultus helps large firms take CRM (and other applications) on the road. Its unique data compression enables users to view information even when they don’t have access to an Internet connection. “Our approach is that any mobile worker should not only have real-time access to CRM data, but if they are on a plane or a train, away from wireless coverage, they should have offline access to data as well,” Vaultus CEO David Birnbach said.

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crm.tmcnet.com
June 24, 2008

::: CRM Old-Timer EGain Hits Decade Mark :::

EGain Communications, a vendor of multi-channel customer service and knowledge management software, today marked the 10-year anniversary of EGain OnDemand, the hosted version of its EGain Service software suite. EGain officials say the company has been selling its set of deployment options for customer service software, including on-premise, on-demand, and managed service, since 1998. EGain OnDemand, which company officials refer to as “the industry’s first-ever hosted enterprise applications software,” is based on “the Power of One,” they say, “the concept of one unified platform for multichannel customer interaction and knowledge management.”

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pcworld.com
June 23, 2008

::: Salesforce offers toolkit for Google APIs :::

Taking its nascent relationship with Google one step closer, Salesforce announced Monday that it has released a toolkit for working with Google’s data services APIs. The move is a natural progression from Salesforce’s April announcement that it had integrated Google Docs into its CRM platform. The new toolkit lets developers tap Google APIs - including the ones for its calendar, spreadsheet and word processing applications - from within Salesforce’s Force IDE (integrated development environment) and use the data in new applications. The Force IDE is part of Force.com, Salesforce’s hosted “platform as a service” for software development.

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voicesofcrm.blogs.techtarget.com
June 20th, 2008

::: Jeanne Bliss on chief customer officers :::

An interesting podcast by Jeanne Bliss in which she discusses the important role of the Chief Customer Officer.

A chief customer officer needs to be like Tom Sawyer, says Jeanne Bliss, author of “Chief Customer Officer, Getting past Lip Service to Passionate Action.” The role of chief customer officer, customer experience officer, or simply a group of people responsible for the voice of the customer with in an organization, has been around for many years and is gaining traction. However, creating the position and finding the right person to fill it comes with some challenges.

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searchitchannel.techtarget.com
June 19, 2008

::: What will Oracle’s price hikes mean for Oracle customers? :::

Oracle’s decision to raise its list prices by 15% to 20% is cause for concern for both existing and prospective customers. But there are opportunities to offset those hikes, according to industry analysts. Oracle’s new price list, updated June 16, includes increased pricing for its new 11g database Enterprise Edition (from $40,000 to $47,500 per CPU) and for BEA Weblogic, now named Oracle’s lead app server (from $17,000 to $25,000 per CPU).

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computingsa.co.za
Jun 18, 2008

::: CRM spending is up, but are you maximizing the value of your investment? :::

Spending on customer relationship management software is high and growing, according to analysts. But with increasingly tough economic conditions in many developed economies, Celona Technologies’ Tony Sceales looks at how companies can ensure that they maximize on this investment. Research by Merchants Consulting indicates that 18% of UK customers have withdrawn their custom from a business based solely on a bad experience with a call center, and 69% more would consider doing so. More than half the European consumers surveyed recently by Oracle said they felt let down by ineffective use of CRM technology.

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adweek.com
June 17, 2008

::: Strategis Adds CRM Software Firm Satuit :::

Satuit Technologies, a provider of CRM software that helps companies automate their sales forces and reduce costs, has hired Strategis, an independent shop in Stoughton, Mass., as its first lead agency. The agency will work with the Norwell, Mass.-based client to develop a brand image that will “reflect not only who the company is today, but also what the company aspires to be in the future,” said Strategis founder and president George Irish. The scope of the work includes presentations, corporate identity materials, trade show booths, marketing support materials, white papers and case studies as well as a print advertising and direct response campaigns.

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baselinemag.com
June 06, 2008

::: The missing piece of the CRM puzzle :::

Most businesses understand the importance of strengthening customer relationships and building loyalty. Many companies implement advanced customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and some offer “good customer” discounts or perks such as frequent flier miles and cash back on credit card purchases. All of these things do strengthen customer relationships and loyalty, but a recent experience has made me realize that even sophisticated technologies and alluring award programs aren’t enough. The missing piece in the CRM puzzle is respect. We all want the companies we do business with to treat us with consideration, to listen to our problems and to do the best they can to solve them. We want them to value our business.

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