By David Sims
David at firstcoffee dot biz

The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is various It's A Beautiful Day cuts:

Fujitsu Computer Systems Corporation, a vendor of business process management and service-oriented architecture, and Seagull Software, which sells software to transform legacy business applications, has announced that CentraSite now integrates with LegaSuite, Seagull's flagship product.

Under a cooperative marketing program agreement, Seagull Software can refer CentraSite to customers through its various channels. CentraSite is the industry's only vendor-neutral, standards-based SOA registry and repository.

In September, Seagull Software announced it had become a strategic sponsor of the CentraSite Community, and the referral agreement and integration are the first steps resulting from that sponsorship.

The integration of CentraSite with LegaSuite, according to Seagull officials, means that companies creating an SOA can "expose their legacy assets to their entire corporate development community, as well as the global development community."

There, got all that?

Fujitsu and Seagull Software are among 22 sponsors that contribute to the CentraSite Community, which can be accessed at www.CentraSite.com.

Don Addington, CEO and president of Seagull Software, explained that CentraSite enables services to be "effectively managed and made available for reuse." The benefit for customers, he sees, is that as they build out their SOA infrastructure, "they can minimize the risk in migrating to a SOA environment by maximizing the reuse of their proven, legacy applications."

Robert Sepanloo, senior vice president of the Enterprise Software and Solutions Group, Fujitsu Computer Systems, said the partnership helps "remove complexity and the risks involved in migrating from legacy applications to modern, SOA environments. This helps expand market adoption of SOAs and accelerates individual SOA projects."

Seagull Software plans to offer a CentraSite Jump Start Program to allow customers to explore the benefits of putting their SOA assets into CentraSite.

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Avaya, which sells call centers and communications applications, systems and services, has introduced new Avaya Customer Interaction Suite capabilities which, according to company officials, "enable businesses to deliver superior customer service."

The Basking Ridge, New Jersey-based vendor is introducing Avaya IQ for its Customer Interaction Suite, a reporting and analytics product designed to "integrate disparate data inputs" and "analyze and link the data to the company's overall business objectives." 

Avaya IQ lets businesses assess what company officials call "the complete customer contact experience," defining both good and bad agent behavior and delivering real-time information allowing companies to adjust customer care.

The components of the Avaya Customer Interaction Suite are Call Center, Interaction Center, Voice Portal, and the new reporting and analytics platform, Avaya IQ.

The Wall Street Journal has printed the full text of a rather impressive memo Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz e-mailed to company executives on Valentine's Day. In it Schultz laments the fact that Starbucks' rapid expansion -- " from less [sic] than 1,000 stores to 13,000 stores and beyond" in the past ten years, as he writes -- has necessarily included a dilution in the quality of "the Starbucks experience."

Amen. You simply can't have 13,000 stores, be shooting for 40,000 around the world, and expect everything to be the same as it was in your first store in Seattle. It will lead, as Schultz says, to "the watering down" and "commoditization" of the brand.

By David Sims
David at firstcoffee.biz

The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is It's A Beautiful Day's blazing live album Creed Of Love:

Investigo, which sells a practice management system to the financial services industry, has announced a partnership with Investment Scorecard, Inc., which sells performance analytics, policy monitoring and client reporting products for wealth management firms.

Under terms of the deal, the companies will offer integrated functionality within their respective applications, and are co-marketing the combined product to more affluent investors and their wealth management advisors.

"The market continues to demand greater efficiency and hence, a wealth management platform that integrates front office and back office components for an end-to-end capability," said Investigo CEO Tom Rozman.

Investigo is a Web-based practice management system with an open architecture that allows integration with software applications, while providing data aggregation and standardized portfolio accounting and reporting.

Investment Scorecard provides outsourced wealth analytics, performance measurement and client reporting, as well as insurance and investment policy monitoring products to help wealth advisors monitor investment portfolios and manage risk.

By David Sims
David(at)firstcoffee.biz

The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Paul Simon's There Goes Rhymin' Simon:

Vancouver-based Colligo Networks Inc., a vendor of offline collaboration products for mobile users, has announced the release of Version 2.0 of the Colligo for SharePoint product family that supports the 2007 Microsoft Office System and Windows VistaT.

Company officials say organizations can use it to "extend the reach of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0" to users who need access both online and offline -- "letting these businesses increase the adoption and utility of SharePoint with their workforce."

The Colligo for SharePoint product family consists of Colligo Reader for SharePoint and Colligo Contributor for SharePoint. The Reader provides offline read access to SharePoint sites and is free for individual users. Contributor is designed for businesses, and adds Microsoft Outlook integration, 2-way synchronization, and advanced security and deployment options.

Barry Jinks, President & CEO of Colligo Networks, said version 2.0 "incorporates feedback from users and we believe it delivers a significant productivity advantage for mobile professionals such as sales people, consultants, managers, and project teams in a variety of industries."

Tony Rizzo, Sector Head, Mobile Software, with The 451 Group, a technology industry analyst company, has written recently "as SharePoint 2007 builds on its customer base, Colligo is going along for the ride -- its services are a true addition to the SharePoint platform."

In addition to compatibility with the 2007 (and 2003) Microsoft Office System, probably the most significant upgrade the product has is the integration with Microsoft Office Outlook.

By David Sims

David(at)firstcoffee.biz

The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is a sturdy ol' album, Crosby, Stills & Nash:

CRM consultant Paul Greenberg, author of CRM at the Speed of Light and Chief Customer Officer of BPT Partners, has announced the finalists for the 2007 Steppin' Out Awards.

(cue the Joe Jackson Night and Day theme music…"we… so tired of all the darkness in our lives… get into a car and drive… steppin' out…" through Joe's elegantly dinner jacketed bass lines you can almost see New York in the '30s and '40s, can't you? See, there's Damon Runyon holding court at Lindy's with all the guys and dolls… feuilletonist S.J. Perelman keepin' 'em in stitches telling about his recent trip to the dentist and declaring "cuspid's last stand… Dotty Parker and Bob Benchley… Paul Greenberg draining a martini or two with Harold Ross… well, guess you had to be there…)

From a field of nearly 40 culled candidates for the award the likes of Microsoft, salesforce.com, NetSuite, Neighborhood America, Rearden Commerce and Zoho, a division of AdventNet made the final cut for what Greenberg describes as "the potentially disruptive impact that they could have in 2007 and beyond."

The Steppin' Out Awards, sponsored by BPT Partners, LLC,  began with the 3rd edition of CRM at the Speed of Light in 2004. The awards "not only bridge the gap between the traditional CRM vendors and the newer Web 2.0 based customer-focused vendors, but also look at more than just features and functions of a company," Greenberg says:

"This award takes into account the business models, what in fact the companies are actually doing strategically, what kind of culture the company has to execute their strategy and what kind of offerings and pricing models are being presented," he said, noting that the award particularly focuses on companies' "willingness to be innovative and the impact that their innovations have had and are likely to have on the customer community and business as a whole."

Neighborhood America, a Naples, Florida-based enterprise social networking company, was cited by Greenberg as one which "does not fit the traditional mold of a CRM company, but at the same time, has a technology and strategy that can potentially change the customer landscape in the near future."

Neighborhood America CEO Kim Patrick Kobza said Web 2.0 has "created a societal expectation that customers can meaningfully interact with companies that provide the products and services that affect our lives. This expectation is highly disruptive to traditional notions of business/customer relationships."

The finalists will be required to fill out a questionnaire that will be the major factor in choosing the ultimate winner of the 2007 Steppin' Out Award vendor category. The winner will be announced by the end of March 2007.

Prior to the announcement of the winner, each of the finalists will have an extensive individual profile on Greenberg's worthwhile blog, Pgreenblog, (http://the56group.typepad.com) a lifetime supply of Turtle Wax and Rice-A-Roni, the San Francisco treat.

The other Steppin' Out categories are service providers and practitioners.

By David Sims
David(at)firstcoffee.biz

The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring:

Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins have announced that Atlanta-based Studiocom Interactive has been awarded the beverage and food marketer's digital marketing duties for 2007, which will include developing "long-term strategies for Customer Relationship Management," Dunkin' Brands officials say.

Studiocom will provide "online strategy and creative support for selected new product launches, plan and buy all online media, and redesign the two brands' consumer websites," Dunkin' officials say, adding that the WPP-owned agency will develop long-term strategies for CRM surrounding the Dunkin' stored value Card, and Baskin-Robbins' Birthday Club program.

Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, and enhanced e-Commerce efforts will also be part of the overall agreement.

"In today's world having a strong and creative online presence is critical for business," stated Will Kussell, Chief Operating Officer of Dunkin' Brands.

Studiocom President, Carlos Pimenta said Studiocom's new Boston office personnel will be collaborating with the brand's agency partner, Hill Holliday, Connors and Cosmopolous in developing online extensions for select product campaigns.

Dunkin' Brands has more than 13,000 franchises in 50 countries worldwide -- 7,293 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants, 5,838 Baskin-Robbins restaurants and 280 Togo's restaurants with system-wide sales of $6.4 billion at the end of 2006. Dunkin' Brands, Inc. is headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts.

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PacificNet Inc., a vendor of Customer Relationship Management, mobile internet, e-commerce and gaming technology in China, has announced today the appointment of Daniel Lui as Chief Financial Officer.

Tony Tong, Chairman and CEO of PacificNet, noted that Lui has experience working in China and Hong Kong, as well as experience working with Big-4 accounting firms including a position as an auditor at KPMG and manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

By David Sims
David(at)firstcoffee.biz

The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is John Coltrane's Giant Steps:

TeaLeaf Technology, a Customer Experience Management (CEM) products vendor, has announced that TeaLeaf CX has been selected by uSwitch.com to "provide a comprehensive understanding of each customer journey on its website," according to TeaLeaf officials.

London-based uSwitch.com officials hope the move will "further improve the user experience and increase conversions of consumers searching for the best utility, financial services, or communications services supplier to suit their requirements."

USwitch.com is not a supplier but acts as an independent advisor, giving consumers a view of what's on offer for home services such as gas and electricity, broadband, landline calls, credit cards and current accounts by offering a comparison of prices and features.

TeaLeaf CX will provide uSwitch.com with a better understanding of transactional processes on its Web site so that uSwitch.com can address issues as they occur. This 360-degree view into its customers' experience, uSwitch.com officials hope, will improve how they resolve issues and increase customer satisfaction.

Narisa Wild, Head of User Experience at uSwitch.com, says TeaLeaf is "architected with straightforward and painless installation taking only two days -- this made it easy to deploy."

…

Satuit Technologies, Inc., a customer relationship management (CRM) vendor focusing on the investment market, has announced what company officials are terming its" second consecutive year of record growth."

Worldwide revenue growth for 2006 exceeded 68 percent, supported by "a strong expansion in Europe where revenues more than doubled," officials said.

Satuit officials credit the growth to the company's "continued focus and commitment to the financial services sector," The growing trend for hosted products also played a role in the company's growth, they say, with SatuitCRM On-Demand outpacing the On-Premise product at a rate of nine out of every ten deals.

By David Sims
david(at)firstcoffee.biz

The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Stephen Stills' first solo album, cleverly titled Stephen Stills, currently listening to "Go Back Home," on which he's got a guest guitarist named Jimi Hendrix:

Could abusive e-mail messages be a problem for your CRM? Cloudmark, Inc., a vendor of carrier-grade messaging anti-abuse products, is introducing Cloudmark Authority for Mobile Operators, an end-to-end messaging security platform designed to block all categories of mobile threats.

The security risk for businesses increases as mobile devices provide hackers and phishers with a new, often unsecured channel for infiltrating corporate systems, company officials say, adding that "mobile devices are now used to store and access CRM, ERP, and other applications so mobile messaging attacks have the potential to compromise highly confidential corporate data."

Cloudmark predicts mobile messaging threats will escalate in the next 12-24 months as more consumers receive their personal e-mails on mobile devices. In North America alone, the number of mobile e-mail users will jump more than 300 percent from 2006 to 2009 based on Gartner Group estimates, driving traffic on wireless networks up significantly.

The percentage of e-mail determined to be spam, phishing or virus attacks reached 95 percent in 2006 according to statistics compiled from Cloudmark's Global Threat Network. This same rate of abuse will extend to mobile devices that access personal or corporate e-mails.

As a result, Cloudmark officials believe, mobile operators offering e-mail services will experience large volumes of unwanted and potentially damaging traffic entering their network, costing millions of dollars in network upgrades, operations, and customer support.

In addition to consuming valuable bandwidth, mobile threats can potentially damage device software, invade consumer privacy and breach corporate security. According to a recent report by the TowerGroup, more than 200 mobile virus attacks have already been identified, with that number expected to double every six months.

By David Sims
david@firstcoffee.biz

The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Emerson, Lake and Palmer! Yes! High school rock revisited!

Automotive CRM vendor Autologica S.A., a specialist in business management software for automotive dealers and distributors (known in the industry as Dealer Management Systems), has announced that they will open an office in San Juan, Puerto Rico next April, to "help dealers in the region through their mix of software and specialized training," company officials say.

"Our goal is to become the leading DMS for medium-sized dealerships, a segment that has trouble accessing a quality system due to the high costs that currently prevail in the market," said Ana Drovandi, Autologica's Sales Manager.

Autologica currently provides its dealer management system globally to Toyota, Renault-Nissan, Ford, GM, BMW, John Deere, Mitsubishi, and Isuzu dealerships, among others.

The company offers a version of its DMS adapted to regional needs -- it resolves vehicle importation inventory management; duty, tariff, tax handling; distributor vehicle management; multi-location inventory management and other functions.

"We already have several clients in the region and this office will help us serve them better, and also new dealers from throughout the Caribbean and Central America that we'll be adding," said Drovandi.

Autologica DMS is a Windows-based software product that manages the entire dealership, and also includes integrated CRM, multi-store management, on-line accounting, Excel integration, and advanced strategic tools such as real-time performance indicators.

The company offers its software in English, Spanish and Chinese.

Founded in 1994, Autologica has a "presence" in South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Asia-Pacific and Argentina. Their website is www.autologica.net.

…

Auckland, New Zealand-based technology and telecommunications products vendor Argent Networks has announced that it has deployed its Eclipse real-time data billing product to Libercell, Liberia's national telecommunications provider, for CRM and other functions.

ArgentSDP and ArgentEclipse will provide Libercell with IN & NGN based pre-paid and post-paid voice and data billing, unified real-time rating and CRM for all mobile, fixed line, and value-added next generation services, Argent officials say.

By David Sims
david@firstcoffee.biz

The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Stephen Stills' Manassas. Something appealing about this album, it was rather quickly forgotten -- as was Stills himself -- after its release in 1972, but I find it holds up a lot better under repeated play than most of the other music from that era:

Talisma Corporation, a vendor of  Customer Interaction Management (CIM) products, has announced that it signed a company record 266 new customers in 2006, exceeding the new customer count of the previous five years combined. 

In addition to signing 63 new customers in the fourth quarter of 2006, Talisma has achieved "nearly 100 percent revenue growth in the past two years," according to company officials.

The most recent companies to join Talisma's customer base include Acclaim Games, Act Soft Inc., Applied Voice and Speech Technology, Ellie Mae, Frost National Bank, Group NBT, Hilton Hotels, Lillian Vernon, National University, P&O Ferries, Vocera, and Whitepages.

In the fourth quarter of 2006, Talisma announced that Talisma CIM 8.0 would be available early this year. The latest edition of the suite contains two new products, Talisma VoIP and Talisma Campaign, which organizations can use to engage customers and prospects to "enhance their experience, improve service quality, and uncover new business opportunities," officials say. 

The CIM 8.0 version includes enhancements to Talisma Chat, E-mail, and Knowledgebase.

Talisma has also released Talisma Answer, a complementary product to Talisma E-mail that uses IBM technology to automate the creation and delivery of e-mail responses.  Talisma Answer's release coincided with it being awarded an SSPA Innovator Award for Technology Optimization at the SSPA Services Leadership Conference.

Dan Vetras, President & CEO of Talisma, said the upcoming release of Talisma CIM 8.0 "is going to be the catalyst to keep this company at the forefront of an industry."

…

PR Newswire, a disclosure and corporate news distribution service, has announced the launch of a CRM-powered MEDIAtlas Gold service.

This service is described by PR Newswire officials as "an enhanced version of PR Newswire's MEDIAtlas offering," an online global intelligence and contact management system that serves over 1,800 clients globally.

MEDIAtlas Gold is being billed as giving users "control of all their communications 24/7 from a single interface." They can create online news release templates, select their target media distribution list from MEDIAtlas' global contact database and CRM system, distribute the release to a customized selection of media contacts, and choose additional distribution via PR Newswire's wire network.

By David Sims
david@firstcoffee.biz

The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Jaco Pastorius's eponymous debut album:

Well, it was a good Super Bowl for the first half, what with the opening kickoff return and all the turnovers, which are really kind of exciting, especially back to back, and the Manning The Bears decided to take the third quarter off and Bad Rex showed up early in the fourth quarter to throw a game-sealing pick, underlining his intent to lose the game with another stupid pick to Bob Sanders later. Worst quarterback performance in a Super Bowl since Tony Eason in 1986, who was playing against the Bears.

Compounding matters was whoever the incompetent morons running FOX Sports broadcasts here in Istanbul are, and their decision to run infomercials over live game action in the first half. The Bears are driving, it's still a game, the station cuts away to show you five minutes of some idiotic battery-operated jiggling belt Guaranteed To Eliminate Fat!, comes back and you see a punt return.

This is what happens when you have people whose abilities max out at running a bakkal try to run a TV station instead.

By David Sims
david@firstcoffee.biz

The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Louis Jordan's Anthology:

Iteration2, a Microsoft Dynamics Gold Certified Partner and 2005 & 2006 US Microsoft Business Solutions Partner of the Year, have partnered with Ideaca Knowledge Services, a Canadian-based technology consulting firm and Gold Certified Microsoft partner, to provide products to clients in extended regions of North America.

Ideaca, the 2006 Microsoft Technology Innovation Partner of the Year, specializes in the development, integration and implementation of business solutions with a major focus on Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Portals and Collaboration tools, custom application development and Business Intelligence. The firm has offices in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

Under this newly formed Strategic Partnership with Iteration2, Ideaca will implement and support their Industry Builder, Field Services for Microsoft Dynamics AX throughout North America.