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April 2008

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SugarCRM and BT, Wanted Hires Cunningham, Resco CRM, Etelos and Web 2.0, NetSuite CRM and BT

April 22, 2008

By David Sims David at firstcoffee d*t biz   The news as of the second cup of coffee this morning, and the music is the criminally underrated guitarist J.J. Cale, specifically the magnificent, wistfully haunting “Magnolia,” from the J.J. Cale Live album.   SugarCRM, a vendor of commercial open source customer relationship management (CRM) software, has announced a new reseller partnership with BT.   As part of this new alliance, BT, the British communications provider, will offer its 1.2 million business customers SugarCRM’s commercial software products.

CRM from Abacus, Customer Effective and Scribe, AgentSuite 4.0 Released, Jaduka Adds Audio, Cardiff and Microsoft

April 22, 2008

By David Sims David at firstcoffee d*t biz   The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Hayes Carll’s Trouble In Mind, because I get too distracted listening to Todd Snider when I’m trying to write.   Oh hey, happy “Drive A Hummer Across Your Particular Patch of Earth Day.”   Customer Effective, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and implementer of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, has been named the top reseller of Scribe Software for 2007.   Scribe Software provides data migration and integration software products for CRM implementations. Customer Effective was recognized for generating more revenue than any other Scribe partner in 2007 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM implementations.   As a reseller of Scribe Software, Customer Effective offers products that support business deployment options with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, on-premise, hosted and CRM Online.

CRM-Enabled Referral Marketing from IDS, PacificNet Sells Epro, Etelos AOP Beta, StrongMail, Mobile in CRM

April 21, 2008

By David Sims David at firstcoffee d*t biz   The news as of the second cup of coffee this morning, and the music is The Horace Silver Quintet’s Song For My Father.   PacificNet has said it has signed an agreement to sell its entire interest in Epro Telecom, a telecom, call center, and CRM company in China, for $21 million Hong Kong dollars, or about $2.6 million United States dollars, of which the company has already received partial payment.   The company expects the sale to free up cash for its gambling operations.   Additionally, PacificNet said it expects to achieve minimum $30 million revenue for fiscal year 2008. The company also revealed the receipt of a non-compliance letter from the Nasdaq on April 16, owing to the delay in the filing of its Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2007. PacificNet officials say they company intends to file its 10-K annual report within one month. …   Etelos has announced new technology that enables what company officials call “true data ubiquity and application portability beyond simple online and offline synchronization.”   Any browser-based application from the Etelos Marketplace enabled with these new technologies can exchange data with any other AOP-enabled application, they say.   Etelos has filed multiple patent applications for technology that enables browser-based applications to function offline, reconcile changes made while offline, and synchronize data with any other AOP-enabled application when returning to the cloud.

CRM and Obama, CRM in the Gulf, LS2 and Microsoft ERP, OSA Elections, Nexendi’s ERP, NetSuite’s Virginity

April 21, 2008

By David Sims David at firstcoffee d*t biz   The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Nick Cave’s Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! Thanks to the Little Green Footballs blog for the heads-up. The video for this is rather eerie, in that Cave these days is a dead ringer for G. Gordon Liddy or a pre-hair transplant Dean Koontz.   Dubai-based LS2, an end-to-end information products provider and a Microsoft Dynamics Gold Partner for ERP Offerings, has announced its partnership with CodeTheatre from Bangalore, under which it will sell the MS Dynamics NAV products in the Gulf region.   CodeTheatre will be their “offshore development arm,” according to LS2 officials, adding that the practice launch has received support from the market, with customers signing up with LS2 to implement Dynamic NAV products “based on this global delivery model.”

Microsoft Dynamics NAV is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) product helping businesses adapt industry specific functionalities relevant to the local needs of the operation.

CRM Platform from Mozes, Endeavor and Statera, Amdocs Results, Cegedim Dendrite and OptimizeRx

April 18, 2008

By David Sims David at firstcoffee d*t biz   The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Coleman Hawkins’ Body and Soul album, the jazz album you want for party background if you want something “not too _____,” fill in the blank.   Endeavor Commerce, a Microsoft Certified ISV Partner since 2002 and makers of SmartCatalog, have announced their partnership with Statera, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and National Systems Integrator Partner for Microsoft Dynamics CRM.   Statera will now provide prospective and current CRM customers with a Web-based selling engine to empower all selling channels and customers to quote and order fast and accurately.   Endeavor Commerce and Statera have begun marketing the combined product and are co-sponsoring “Get a Sneak Peak at CRM 4.0” events in Dallas & Denver. The Sneak Peak events will “demonstrate the both the benefit of CRM 4.0 as a customer-centric product where information is integrated across all systems then presented to information workers in role-specific contexts,” as well as SmartCatalog as an interactive selling suite, according to company officials.   “We are thrilled to a have Statera as a partner”, said Sean Myers, President and CEO of Endeavor Commerce, calling Statera a “strategic alliance for us given their strength in the Western US CRM market… we anticipate a long and successful partnership.”   Endeavor Commerce has recently released SmartCatalog Portal Edition, which company officials say offers out of the box capability to generate leads and extend Sales/Product Configuration and Guided Selling across sales channels via the Web.   Endeavor Commerce is scheduled to announce another major release of the SmartCatalog product in the next two weeks.

CRM Smack from Zoho, Infusionsoft Tour, SugarCRM and Zenoss, Apatar and CDYNE, Voxify and Genesys

April 18, 2008

By David Sims David at firstcoffee d*t biz   The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Johnny Cash’s gospel album, God. It’s a toss-up whether this or Willie Nelson’s country gospel album, Troublemaker is a better listen, maybe Nelson’s for including more old standards.   Zoho’s resident evangelist Raju Vegesna believes his company’s new enterprise CRM can hit Salesforce.com where it hurts — in affordability. “As with other Zoho applications, Zoho CRM is very affordable. The Personal Edition is free for three users; Professional Edition is $12 per user per month; and the Enterprise Edition is $25 per user per month,” he wrote recently.

CRM Win for CMiC, Open Solutions and Millington, Kaleidico and Twitter, Virginia Tech Foundation and Dovarri

April 17, 2008

By David Sims David at firstcoffee d*t biz   The news as of the second cup of coffee this morning, and the music is Warren Zevon's 1976 album titled Warren Zevon, his de facto debut.   Open Solutions has announced that Millington Savings Bank has selected the latest version of its relational core data processing platform, The Complete Banking Solution: DNA, to address enterprise-wide data processing needs.   Open Solutions sells enabling technologies for financial service providers throughout the United States, Canada and international markets.   Founded as Millington Building and Loan in 1911, Millington Savings Bank has $300 million in assets and four branches in Millington, New Jersey. The bank is migrating from Open Solutions' TotalPlus outsourced core data processing platform to The Complete Banking Solution: DNA and will continue to outsource via Open Solutions' Cherry Hill, N.J.

CRM Vendor Now ‘Infusionsoft,’ OpenSpan and Oracle, Aspen and Xtime, Maximizer Results, Concentrix CRM Help for SMEs

April 17, 2008

By David Sims David at firstcoffee d*t biz   The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is different versions of Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns and Money” First Coffee’s found on YouTube. Waddy Wachtel and Blondie Chaplin’s version as Joint Lawyers was pretty good, as was Jordan Zevon performing with The Wallflowers on David Letterman. Ol’ Warren’s solo acoustic version isn’t bad either:   Infusion Software, a vendor of eMarketing software, has announced the company has changed its name to Infusionsoft, and its Infusion CRM product has been rechristened Infusionsoft.   “Our new corporate identity represents a brand unification,” said Clate Mask, President and CEO of Infusionsoft, adding that “now is the right time to capitalize on Infusionsoft’s momentum.”   Infusionsoft offers an eMarketing tool “designed for entrepreneurs that enables them to convert more leads into customers automatically,” according to company officials, who say the “hands-free automation tools inside Infusionsoft that execute what would otherwise be complex, marketing sequences empower entrepreneurs to grow their businesses without having to grow staff.”

“Until now, small businesses have only had CRM, or separate, incompatible tools as the only option when it comes to marketing to new and existing customers,” said Mask. “We provide a way for the entrepreneur to grow his business by automating his marketing to prospects and customers.”   The company’s URL remains intact. Along with the name change, Infusionsoft has updated its corporate identity including changes to its Web site.

CRM’s Autonomy Info Gov, Qurius and Eiffel, Fineos and BT Insurance, SkySuite and NetSuite, CRM Study by Tier1

April 15, 2008

By David Sims David at firstcoffee d*t biz   The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Elton John’s underrated double live album with his smoking mid-70s band, Here and There:   CRM vendor Autonomy has introduced Autonomy Information Governance, what company officials describe as an “information governance platform that automates real-time policy management based on forming a conceptual and contextual understanding of all enterprise information.”   Autonomy’s capability is being marketed as a step towards “reducing risks inherent in information” by “applying policy based on understanding what an e-mail, document or phone recording says instead of relying solely on its metadata,” company officials say.   In the wake of the amended Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, sub-prime mortgage and credit crisis and highly publicized internal fraud cases, organizations are “under increased pressure to consistently implement information policies for finding, holding and disposing of information in a timely manner,” Autonomy officials say.   Most global 2000 organizations “have defined and updated their information management policies,” they say, adding that “the complexities of implementing and enforcing these policies is challenging even the world’s leading companies.”   “Most organizations are under the misconception that their current technologies are enough; that is until they’ve had one really bad experience,” said Browning Marean, Partner, DLA Piper US LLP.   Autonomy Information Governance provides an environment to visualize and control policy-driven information in the organization through “a vendor-neutral infrastructure using more than 400 out-of-the-box data repository connectors that allow management in place and retrieval of e-mail, documents, audio, or video information across the entire enterprise,” company officials say.   “Developments in the global regulatory and legal environment are compelling many corporations to start taking a unified approach to IT governance, IT compliance, and IT risk management,” said Vivian Tero, Research Manager, Compliance Infrastructure, IDC.   . . . .   Qurius has obtained what company officials call a “significant assignment” from Dutch consultancy firm Eiffel -- in 2008 Qurius will implement a complete Microsoft Dynamics based platform.

CRM’s Autonomy Info Gov, Qurius and Eiffel, Fineos and BT Insurance, SkySuite and NetSuite, CRM Study by Tier1

April 14, 2008

By David Sims David at firstcoffee d*t biz   The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Elton John’s underrated double live album with his smoking mid-70s band, Here and There:   CRM vendor Autonomy has introduced Autonomy Information Governance, what company officials describe as an “information governance platform that automates real-time policy management based on forming a conceptual and contextual understanding of all enterprise information.”   Autonomy’s capability is being marketed as a step towards “reducing risks inherent in information” by “applying policy based on understanding what an e-mail, document or phone recording says instead of relying solely on its metadata,” company officials say.   In the wake of the amended Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, sub-prime mortgage and credit crisis and highly publicized internal fraud cases, organizations are “under increased pressure to consistently implement information policies for finding, holding and disposing of information in a timely manner,” Autonomy officials say.   Most global 2000 organizations “have defined and updated their information management policies,” they say, adding that “the complexities of implementing and enforcing these policies is challenging even the world’s leading companies.”   “Most organizations are under the misconception that their current technologies are enough; that is until they’ve had one really bad experience,” said Browning Marean, Partner, DLA Piper US LLP.   Autonomy Information Governance provides an environment to visualize and control policy-driven information in the organization through “a vendor-neutral infrastructure using more than 400 out-of-the-box data repository connectors that allow management in place and retrieval of e-mail, documents, audio, or video information across the entire enterprise,” company officials say.   “Developments in the global regulatory and legal environment are compelling many corporations to start taking a unified approach to IT governance, IT compliance, and IT risk management,” said Vivian Tero, Research Manager, Compliance Infrastructure, IDC.   . . . .   Qurius has obtained what company officials call a “significant assignment” from Dutch consultancy firm Eiffel -- in 2008 Qurius will implement a complete Microsoft Dynamics based platform.

The Importance of CRM and Customer Service in Health Care

April 11, 2008

The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Louis Jordan’s Anthology:   Management consultants Katzenbach Partners and study co-authors Jenny Machida and Traci Entel have released a study, “The Empathy Engine: Achieving Breakthroughs in Patient Service,” reminding us that as a business, health care stands in need of the same standards of customer service as coffee shops or airlines.   Poor service drives Americans to switch health care providers, or drives them away from better-qualified providers, leading to inefficiency, higher costs and lower quality of care, according to the report, based on a survey of 1,003 Americans.   At the Beryl Institute’s recent “Power of Impressions” Conference in Dallas, Chris Bevolo, partner in GeigerBevolo said “as consumers are asked to spend more of their own money to receive care, they will consider the entire spectrum of value, from access and expertise to service, convenience, and price.”   The institute was created by The Beryl Companies, which for 20 years has sold outsourced call center services in health care.   The Katzenbach report recommends health care providers become “empathy engines,” in the words of the study’s authors, “transforming their organizations to allow frontline employees to focus on patient problems and innovate.”   And this applies to hospitals, clinics, payers, vendors and pharmacy chains as well.   Machida, an Engagement Manager at Katzenbach Partners, says it’s important to “provide an experience that keeps people in the system, that really solves their problems, and at the same time makes the entire system more efficient and effective. In practice that means managing the health care organization so that it really listens and cares.”   “The good news is that most health care workers are naturally empathetic,” adds co-author Entel, a Principal at Katzenbach Partners.   Americans do pay attention to customer service in health care.

CRM and Biz IT Pro, Kaleidico and ZipSearch, VoltDelta and PossibleNOW, Synthos and IFS CRM, Cool Vendor Cardiff, HarvestGold and Summa, Opera on Android

April 10, 2008

By David Sims David at firstcoffee d*t biz   The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is whatever’s playing n the Starbucks sound system here on the front deck along Istiklal Caddesi in Istanbul, one of the great pedestrian thoroughfares in the world, and since the music currently happens to be The Doors, the most wretchedly overrated hack band in history, whose inane, pretentious lyrics make Rush look profound by comparison, it’s time to go with the iPod:   Business IT Professionals, a North Carolina-based CRM training firm, has added custom, online courses to their service offerings. To introduce the launch of these courses they’re offering a free session of MS CRM 101 on Friday, April 18 from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Visit www.bizitpro.com/biz_it/announce for the scoop.   Biz IT Pro’s online courses are aimed at individual clients and include live presentations, hands-on exercises and student handouts.   “When we work with businesses, we always stress the importance of high-level training,” said Steve Noe, president of Biz IT Pro. “Training your team is the best investment you can make to ensure the success of your CRM project.”   Courses include MS CRM 101: User Training, MS CRM 201: Sales Training and MS CRM 202: Marketing Automation. In addition to their online courses Biz IT Pro instructs clients using Microsoft’s Official Curriculum as well as custom courses.   “Although Microsoft provides a wonderful curriculum for the average CRM user, it doesn’t always delve deep enough into the process most sales people use for converting prospects to clients,” Noe said. …   “One of the major themes of the recent LeadsCon 2008, an annual gathering of the online lead generation community, was how to improve lead quality and sales performance,” according to officials from Kaleidico, who recommend improving “the feedback loop between sales and marketing.”   Well, the Kaleidicians have announced the launch of this capability within their icoSales lead management product.

CRM Excellence for Inova, Starbucks’ Good CRM Idea, Kintera’s NASDAQ Warning, AMC and Sloan, EnterpriseDB and Compiere CRM, TGO and Microsoft

April 10, 2008

By David Sims David at firstcoffee d*t biz   The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music, which I suspect will be the music more than once in upcoming workdays, is the Rolling Stones’ Shine A Light, which ranks as the second-best live Stones set First Coffee’s heard, second only to the untouchable Get Yer Ya-Yas Out:   Inova Solutions has received the 2008 CRM Excellence Award bestowed by Customer Interaction Solutions magazine. The winning case study features Inova Solutions’ OnTrack displays and LightLink integrating software and the resulting impact on call center productivity, quality and morale.   Inova’s OnTrack displays use 70 percent less power than other displays “without sacrificing brightness,” company officials say. Significant power savings, easy installation, simple operation and fast trouble-shooting translate into a low total cost-of-ownership, while displaying key information that motivates action.

CRM from Cegedim for Pharma, Dovarri Share Purchase, eSolutions and Salesforce.com, Mindshift, ClubHotel CRM

April 3, 2008

By David Sims David at firstcoffee d*t biz   The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Willie Nelson’s The Troublemaker. This is a morning when I need to hear it to calm me down after the security guards “lost” the key to the tennis court.   Cegedim Dendrite, a vendor of CRM and other pharmaceutical industry products, has announced what company officials are calling “an expanded strategic relationship” with Microsoft, to “help ensure brand messages reach prescribers and patients with the greatest impact.”   By incorporating functionality from Microsoft SQL Reporting Services, Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007, and Microsoft SharePoint Server 2007, Cegedim Dendrite’s CRM will offer analytical capabilities for pharmaceutical firms’ sales and marketing.   Subhash Vaid, Vice President, CRM Solutions and Analytics, Cegedim Dendrite, said the alliance with Microsoft “will help those companies turn massive amounts of data into useful information.”   Cegedim Dendrite’s CRM products are marketed to life sciences companies as sales and marketing tools, helping them “target prescribers with brand messages by using various e-marketing techniques and providing sales reps with Sales Force Effectiveness tools,” Cegedim officials say.   Cegedim Dendrite currently uses Microsoft technology in most of its products. Its flagship SFE product, Mobile Intelligence, is based on the Microsoft .NET Framework.
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