Bell Industries' CRM, J. Scott's CRM, FrontRange, Autobytel, Fineos

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David Sims
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Bell Industries' CRM, J. Scott's CRM, FrontRange, Autobytel, Fineos

By David Sims

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The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Ornette Coleman's Change Of the Century:

Wrapping up the big CRM news of the week, Bell Industries, Inc. has announced that its Technology Solutions division has received a number of new services contracts that are anticipated to provide approximately $30 million in incremental revenues during 2007 and add approximately 500 new jobs within the next six months.

In July, Bell will begin providing large scale integrated CRM (customer relationship management) products for a leading broadband phone organization. In addition, Bell officials say, the company has entered into new services relationships with a leading computer manufacturer and a major consumer products manufacturer.

John A. Fellows, chief executive officer of Bell Industries, said "our recent efforts to secure leading operational and business development talent are beginning to pay off." While Bell anticipates start-up costs associated with these new engagements, Fellows said, he expects them to be "fully operational" by the end of 2006, and "significantly contributing to our financial results" for 2007.

"Going forward, we will continue to concentrate on enhancing service levels for our existing clients, while pursuing new engagements in the technology services sector," Fellows said. "We are confident that Bell's Technology Solutions business is properly positioned to emerge as a leading technology, product and services provider in the years ahead."

CRM services to be provided include systems development, customer support, and sales and technical support programs. Bell plans to perform the majority of these services through a new facility located in Springfield, Missouri.

Fellows added that the other new services relationships are expected to lead to increased revenues for both the depot repair and wireless device management operations. In addition, he said Bell has added a new client to its advanced exchange depot and repair operations and will also soon be providing depot repair services for a major U.S. retailer.

The retailer has not yet been identified.

Michael Barker, senior vice president of operations for Bell's Technology Solutions unit, said the company remains focused on "improving and expanding our CRM, depot repair, reverse logistics, wireless device management and product sourcing offerings."

Following the recent expansion of the product sourcing group's business development organization and a heightened operational focus, Barker said, "I am confident that with our new resources, we can begin to capture relevant market share."

Bell Industries is comprised of two diversified business units, Bell's Technology Solutions business and Recreational Products Group. Bell's Technology Solutions business sells technology products and services, while Bell's Recreational Products Group distributes after-market parts and accessories primarily to the recreational vehicle and boating markets.

J. Scott & Associates Inc., an Atlanta based national staffing firm providing CRM to its clients, has been recognized by one of its Big 5 clients for "adding an enormous competitive edge, both when it is essential to ramp up resources in a short period of time as well as targeting executive resources."

JSA’s Director of Sales Jason Lawrence attributes the firm’s continued success to “having built long term relationships with our clients and truly understanding their needs."

J. Scott & Associates offers its clients knowledge of the healthcare industry coupled with experience in ERP packages, CRM products and Supply Chain Management.

Hey it's a Saturday, things are pretty mellow around here, we'll run kissy-face Valentines like this, we're in a good mood. Be nice for a change. First Coffee's wife just dropped $200 at a yard sale this morning, haven't done that in a while. Got a lot for it, though, good deals from a couple moving back to the States in a couple weeks.

FrontRange Solutions, a vendor of IT Service Management, Voice Applications and CRM products for small to mid-sized enterprises (SME) and distributed enterprises, and Denali Advanced Integration, an IT vendor, have announced that Denali is the newest reseller and service provider of the FrontRange IT Service Management modular product and award-winning HEAT products.

"The products from FrontRange will complement our strategy in the areas of Service Management, Help Desk and IT Infrastructure Support applications, while capitalizing on the latest .Net platform enhancements," according to Miles Austin, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at Denali.

Denali, headquartered in Redmond, Washington, combines their Microsoft expertise with FrontRange offerings. The company focuses on products delivery in the U.S. Pacific Northwest region. It's been named one of the Top 50 Fastest-Growing companies by VARBusiness magazine for the past two years.

FYI:

Autobytel Inc., a vendor of CRM and other Internet automotive marketing services, has announced that as previously reported on Form 8-K, James Riesenbach, who assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer and President of Autobytel on March 20, 2006, was granted options to purchase 1,000,000 shares of common stock of Autobytel, par value $.001 per share.

Assuming Riesenbach remains actively employed by Autobytel through each stated anniversary date then his options vest, as to 333,333 of the shares, on March 20, 2007, and thereafter, options to purchase 11,111 of the shares will vest on each monthly anniversary thereafter ending on February 20, 2009, options to purchase 11,114 of the shares will vest on March 19, 2009, and options to purchase 200,000 of the shares will vest upon each filing by Autobytel of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for each of the fiscal years ending on December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2008 provided in respect of this clause Riesenbach and Autobytel have satisfied reasonable performance criteria established by the Board or a committee thereof in its sole discretion after consulting with Riesenbach.

Got that? Good.

Fineos, a vendor of CRM and other packaged software products for the insurance and banking industries has announced two executive appointments in support of its strategic growth in Asia Pacific.

Philip Small has been appointed to the Fineos board of directors, with specific responsibility for Asia Pacific, and Mike Brosche has been named Business Development Director, Australasia.

Small has served as an advisory director for Fineos since 2003. He has more than 25 years experience in insurance and banking software and has a detailed knowledge of the market in Asia Pacific, having held a number of senior management positions as a technology executive in the region. He was most recently president of CSC's Financial Services Group in Asia Pacific, a position he held until 2001.

Brosche will be responsible for all aspects of business development for Fineos in Australasia. Prior to joining Fineos, Brosche held a number of senior business development and consulting positions with CSC, IFDS, an outsourcer of collective investment systems, and Paxus Corporation, where he worked and lived in Australia and Europe.

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