Thursday, December 28, 2006

Automation With Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0

Nice meeting you!


123Together and Microsoft CRM, PacificNet and Jai Alai, Cognos Q3,...
TMCnet - Dec 29, 2006
biz

The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Elton John's "Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock 'n' Roll):"

123Together. com, a vendor of Hosted Microsoft (.
http://news.tmcnet.com/news/it/-crm-bpo-call-center-/2006/12/29/2201615.htm


Automation With Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0
WebProNews - Dec 28, 2006
Automation with CRM (Customer Relationship Management) can be invaluable in such cases and provide very rapid return on investment. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3. 0 in particular is eminently suited to a high degree of automation and allows employees to more easily and more effectively use existing customer and account data to integrate marketing and sales efforts. The automation tools provided by Microsoft CRM automate routine tasks such as direct e-mails, communication management and the management of a variety of sales processes. Such processes include account and contact management, qualification of leads and opportunity management and the maintenance of a database of customer and account information. This is available to sales personnel online or offline either in the office, at the customer premises or in transit through portable communications devices such as PDAs, palms, computers, mobile phones and laptops. Automation with CRM achieves this and brings the benefits of instant communication and information retrieval, which promote customer satisfaction and loyalty... Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3. 0 in particular is eminently suited to a high degree of automation and allows employees to more easily and more effectively use existing customer and account data to integrate marketing and sales efforts. The automation tools provided by Microsoft CRM automate routine tasks such as direct e-mails, communication management and the management of a variety of sales processes. Such processes include account and contact management, qualification of leads and opportunity management and the maintenance of a database of customer and account information. This is available to sales personnel online or offline either in the office, at the customer premises or in transit through portable communications devices such as PDAs, palms, computers, mobile phones and laptops. Automation with CRM achieves this and brings the benefits of instant communication and information retrieval, which promote customer satisfaction and loyalty. Automation with CRM can analyze factors such as the proportion of time spent by a sales force between administrative task and direct sales-related work and hence the effectiveness of the sales force and any remedial actions required to improve this.
http://www.webpronews.com/expertarticles/expertarticles/wpn-62-20061228AutomationWithMicrosoftDynamicsCRM30.html


CRM News: Blog News: Bloggers Debate Ethics After Microsoft Giveaway
CRM Buyer - Jan 2, 2007
CRM Buyer features CRM product information, reviews and comparisons. It is an independent source updated each day.
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/De5e2Tmvj158SK/Bloggers-Debate-Ethics-After-Microsoft-Giveaway.xhtml


CRM News: Wireless: Ford 'Syncs' With Microsoft's Bluetoot...
CRM Buyer - Dec 29, 2006
CRM Buyer features CRM product information, reviews and comparisons. It is an independent source updated each day.
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/9srgmPHAFQ4F4V/Ford-Syncs-With-Microsofts-Bluetooth-Based-System.xhtml


CRM News: RSS News: Microsoft's RSS Patent Application Raises...
CRM Buyer - Dec 28, 2006
CRM Buyer features CRM product information, reviews and comparisons. It is an independent source updated each day... Patent andTrademark Office could be interpreted to give the software giant broad rightsto RSS, or really simple syndication, technology. The possibility that Microsoft might wind up charging license fees forany RSS-type application has caused denizens of the blogosphere to take up arms against the Redmond, Wash. -based conglomerate.
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/Q3kHTNQMsR4vtP/Microsofts-RSS-Patent-Application-Raises-Hackles.xhtml


TechWeb: The Business Technology Network
TechWeb - Jan 3, 2007
and Microsoft (CRM). The company is headquartered in Mt. and maintains branch offices for sales and support in Placentia and San Jose, Calif. , Chicago and Schaumburg, Ill. , Indianapolis and Mishawaka, Ind.
http://www.techweb.com/showPressRelease.jhtml?articleID=X567102


Tech: The Look Ahead to 2007
BusinessWeek - Dec 28, 2006
Both companies are releasing new versions of their main computing operating systems. Microsoft (MSFT) will release.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2006/tc20061228_363228.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_technology


Applications: SaaS breaks down the walls
InfoWorld - Jan 1, 2007
AppExchange itself, launched in 2005, is an application-sharing service that exposes Salesforce. com’s APIs to third-party application providers. If anyone has any doubts that SaaS will start to encroach on traditional enterprise software, one need only take note that holdouts SAP and Microsoft both announced SaaS versions of their CRM solutions this year. As with SaaS, most developments in the enterprise application arena were continuations of efforts started in 2005, such as the move to integrate BI (business intelligence) into ERP and CRM applications, efforts to extend the use of BI dashboards and score cards to the departmental level, and the push to create a single, enterprisewide view of all customer data, called master data and master customer management. In master data management, vendor approaches differed in unsurprising ways. SAP offered NetWeaver as a single consolidated solution to master data management, while IBM took the federated approach, demonstrating how data could remain in its unique silos but still be accessed through IBM’s WebSphere middleware. One of the more interesting developments in enterprise software came from the federal courts.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/01/01/01FEtoyapps_1.html


OmniVue Business Solutions Achieves 2006 Top 100 Pacesetter Designatio...
TechLINKS - TechLINKS (press release) - Jan 3, 2007
“We’ve been charting along an aggressive five-year plan and doing our best to stay on target. It’s really rewarding to see our efforts recognized by the very people we’re working so hard for, the CFO’s, Finance Managers and Controllers who are utilizing technology to streamline their operations,” explained Jeff Pyden, Managing Director, OmniVue Business Solutions. OmniVue is a Gold Certified Microsoft Business Solutions partner who specializes in implementing, hosting and managing best-of-breed Microsoft Dynamics GP, SL and CRM software. OmniVue partners to achieve long term success by maintaining their clients’ financial and operational systems, enabling them to focus on their business. For more information, visit... “We’ve been charting along an aggressive five-year plan and doing our best to stay on target. It’s really rewarding to see our efforts recognized by the very people we’re working so hard for, the CFO’s, Finance Managers and Controllers who are utilizing technology to streamline their operations,” explained Jeff Pyden, Managing Director, OmniVue Business Solutions. OmniVue is a Gold Certified Microsoft Business Solutions partner who specializes in implementing, hosting and managing best-of-breed Microsoft Dynamics GP, SL and CRM software. OmniVue partners to achieve long term success by maintaining their clients’ financial and operational systems, enabling them to focus on their business. For more information, visit.
http://www.techlinks.net/CommunityAnnouncements/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/177160/OmniVue-Business-Solutions-Achieves-2006-Top-100-Pacesetter-Designation.aspx


ITP.net {Features: Mr Vista}
عالم التقنية - Jan 3, 2007
jpg|~|Fakhoury believes Vista has got what it takes to help companies develop|~|The recent launch of Microsoft Vista represents the culmination of years of research and development effort costing billions of dollars. However, the launch timetable and process was not as smooth as it could have been. A lack of quality security solutions from third party vendors for Vista was cause for concern for CIOs throughout the Middle East. Today, the issue of IT security is one that must be taken seriously as the work of hackers intensifies and companies continually face a barrage of new and increasingly damaging viruses. There is at least one man, however, who feels Vista has got what it takes to help develop companies in a safe and secure manner and Charbel Fakhoury, Microsoft Gulf general manager, should know better than most... “First, people need to create a more conclusive environment for employees to work together internally, with their customers, with their partners externally. “So it’s not only about your internal group. How can we really extend this relationship to both your partners and your clients? Secondly, am I looking for better customer relationship management (CRM)? “Do I want to have communication with my customer base through the internet, through the web, through e-mail, through fax, and how do I build that relationship to go to a wider community? It doesn’t have to be, ‘today I’m getting my 10,000th customer’. It can be how can I get one million customers?“Third, is your company looking to have a compliant environment because today governments are putting pressure on companies to have more clarity about the content of their operations and how their business is run. So they even have to show e-mails, invoices - websites have to be compliant. Also, if you look at content management, how do companies manage their content that is driven internally, that is published on their website, that is sent to their customers? “What goes out, what goes in, any publication of the wrong information on the website can be used against you. Any wrong facts sent to customers can be detrimental to the business.
http://www.itp.net/features/details.php?id=5828&category=


Blog: Jill Dyche: December 2006 Archives
B-EYE-Network - Dec 30, 2006
(Yeah, we know, it's a mixed metaphor, but you'll get the point when you read the blog. ) Remember those old commercials where a boy on a bicycle eating a candy bar crashes into a cute girl licking her peanut butter sandwich? Bang! Then, reeling, they turn to one another and variously exclaim, “Hey, you put peanut butter in my chocolate!” and “Hey, you put chocolate in my peanut butter!” As a kid, I wondered whether bumping heads with a boy was worth the discovery of a peanut butter cup. As a grown-up, my answer is a hearty, “Yes! Especially with a glass of cold milk!”In another fateful combination, data quality vendors are pairing up with CRM vendors to create a veritable confection of functionality. While many IT executives have paid lip service to the importance of data quality to customer-focused programs, they’ve been flummoxed about how to link data standardization and cleansing processes with incumbent CRM systems.
http://www.b-eye-network.com/blogs/dyche/archives/2006/12/


ApplianceModule links plant floor and backroom systems., Online...
Industrial News Room - Jan 3, 2007
The xCoupler module with SQL Server 2005 can be setup in 60 minutes or less to configure specific plant floor devices with a database to develop commands, reports, alerts and other instructions. They provide a robust, simple and low cost way to support initiatives such as business intelligence, data warehousing, enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, supply chain management and others. xCoupler modules are appliances that snap into a ControlLogix PAC (programmable automation controller) from Rockwell Automation and provide bi-directional data translation between plant floor devices and SQL Server 2005 databases connected to the module via Ethernet. They eliminate the security, virus and data integrity problems associated with complex PC-based multi-tier systems used to exchange plant floor data with business systems... To empower customers around the globe with fast product support, streamline transactions, and reduce procurement and product support costs, Online Development uses the latest Internet-based CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and help desk tools. Online Development is a Rockwell Automation Encompass Partner and an IBM Business Partner. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Online Development is privately owned and has offices in Cleveland, Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio and Barcelona, Spain. Online Development, Inc.
http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/502533


2007: The Year Customer Churn Reshapes Industries
CRM Buyer - Dec 29, 2006
This is just one of several industries that will be reordered by churn. Energy and utilities will find churn changing their industries, as well. Changing Your CustomersThe challenge for many companies with CRM systems already in place is how to respond to churn when it happens, without resorting to plummeting pricing or product bundles that appear very attractive to customers yet don't make long-term financial sense. Many CRM systems aren't agile enough to create strategies on the fly for responding to customer defection; they are built with the implicit assumption customers will always be there. There are literally dozens of metrics to measure the upward progression of prospects to customers through pipeline analysis and customer lifetime value once they start buying, yet many old-school CRM systems do not take into account customer churn. This inflexibility of legacy CRM systems fails to support business strategies aimed at fighting to retain customers first. The revolution that will happen in 2007 as it relates to CRM is the further integration of analytics, sales force analytics and customer data management, all applicable to selling, service and marketing.
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/planning/54906.html


The PlayStation 2 Still Rocks
BusinessWeek - Dec 28, 2006
The PS2, meanwhile, long ago turned profitable as component prices have plunged and development costs have been written off. Even at $130 a pop, Sony earns about $8 on each PS2 it sells, compared with an estimated loss of $250 per PS3. (Nintendo is believed to break even on the Wii, while Microsoft takes a loss on the Xbox 360. ) And Sony will rake in some $1. 4 billion this year from license fees paid by game makers and sales of its own game titles for the PS2 and its predecessor, the PSOne, Goldman, Sachs & Co.
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/dec2006/gb20061228_090512.htm?chan=tc&chan=technology_technology+index+page_more+of+today's+top+stories


Oracle sees an on-demand world
ARNnet - Dec 29, 2006
IDG News Service talked to the man who heads up Oracle's on-demand operations, Juergen Rottler, the company's executive vice president of Oracle Customer Services. An edited transcript of that conversation follows. What's Oracle's take on on-demand software?
There's a lot of interest and hype in the marketplace around on-demand, particularly in the salesforce automation space, whether it's RightNow [Technologies] or Salesforce. com or our Siebel CRM On Demand. Oracle is the only company that can offer an overarching on-demand platform for all applications and for all business processes and for different technologies -- database and middleware -- it doesn't have to just be applications. At last month's OpenWorld conference, Oracle Chief Executive Officer Larry Ellison described the company's on-demand business as the same size as Salesforce. com's; is that correct?
It's very hard to compare our businesses; it's a bit like an apples-to-oranges comparison... Who do you see as your primary competition both now and in future?
Ultimately, it will be the same people we compete against today. SAP has been a bit unfocused and haphazard and it'll take them some years to come up to scratch. We're waiting to see if Microsoft can successfully enter the market. The rest of the competition are niche players. The challenge for them is can they broaden their products and be relevant in a broader context? We're a huge company that can provide an individual on-demand service or a multitenant solution securely; others don't have those options. Some players won't be around in future. Oracle has yet to really talk up its on-demand business, is that likely to change?
You will see us continue to raise the noise level a little.
http://www.arnnet.com.au/index.php/id;2116203840;fp;2;fpid;4


Netage Introduces Dynamo Enterprise 5.1 with New Features for Deal,...
PR Web - PR Web (press release) - Dec 30, 2006
""Our client base has dramatically increased in both size and scope," continues Draganov. "Now we are in over 130 alternative asset management firms worldwide, with several key deployments of over 50 users and a few over 100 users across multiple offices worldwide. Dynamo is now a mature application, trusted by industry leaders enough to take on and replace generic CRM vendors like Siebel. "Summarizing the key Dynamo Enterprise 5. 1 features and benefits:... About the Dynamo Enterprise PlatformDynamo™ Enterprise is a relationship management software platform for alternative asset investment firms, such as hedge funds, private equity firms, real estate funds, and institutional investors and funds of funds. Built on the Microsoft. NET platform and SQL Server, it centralizes knowledge about contacts, investors, deals, and third parties in an Outlook® interface integrated with email, calendar, tasks and activities. About Netage SolutionsNetage Solutions, Inc. has been a global provider of software for the alternative investments community - private equity and hedge funds, funds of funds, venture capital and institutional investors - since 1998. Intuitive and industry-specific, our solutions improve the productivity of deal and investor relations teams worldwide. Our clients manage funds with over $200 billion, report their results to over 10,000 investors, and employ over 1,000 professionals.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/12/prweb493708.htm


See you later.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

GreenHomes America Goes Live with Microsoft Dynamics CRM from...

How are you?


BEST OF ECT NEWS Sage CRM's Dave Batt on New Migration Products
CRM Buyer - Dec 24, 2006
Our first product was for Goldmine. We planon delivering two other competitive migration productsin the upcoming quarter. CRM Buyer: For which vendors?Batt: Two vendors we are considering are Salesforce. comand Microsoft CRM. CRM Buyer: It's not likely that Salesforce. com -- and certainly not MicrosoftCRM -- will be acquired. So, what case can you make for customers to jump to Sage?Batt: We will target areas that their customers don'tfeel comfortable with.
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/54868.html


GreenHomes America Goes Live with Microsoft Dynamics CRM from...
PR Web - PR Web (press release) - Dec 21, 2006
As energy conservation continues to be a top priority across the country, GreenHomes America is meeting customer's needs by delivering solutions to help customers improve the indoor comfort, health and safety of their homes while at the same time reducing energy usage by at least 25%, guaranteed. The heightened demand for their services lead them to quickly consolidate their disparate customer management databases for a single repository that easily integrates with their existing business and financial management systems. By implementing Microsoft Dynamics CRM, GreenHomes America now has a scalable solution that provides real-time visibility into their daily operations. All departments within the organization now enjoy the benefits of an integrated solution that enables them to be proactive in their customer service efforts and helps improve efficiencies throughout the company. Microsoft Dynamics CRM enables them to easily access and manage their customer communication, quickly schedule home energy advisors, manage lead generation programs, capture sales pipeline information and trend customer data. By leveraging technology in all facets of their business GreenHomes America is able to consistently deliver the highest level of service to their customers. Brett Knox, President of GreenHomes America explains, "We selected Iteration2 because they have a strong track record for successful implementations and an exceptional service delivery team.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/12/prweb493457.htm


123Together.com First to Offer Free Microsoft Outlook 2007 with Their...
PR Web - PR Web (press release) - Dec 27, 2006
com First to Offer Free Microsoft Outlook 2007 with Their Exchange Hosting Service. com, the leading provider of Hosted Microsoft Exchange, Sharepoint and CRM services is now offering a free license of the new Microsoft Outlook 2007 E-mail client to every user of their Exchange Hosting service. (PRWeb) December 29, 2006 -- 123Together.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/12/prweb494056.htm


CRM News: Must Read: Solid-State PCs: Computing's Next Horizon
CRM Buyer - Dec 21, 2006
CRM Buyer features CRM product information, reviews and comparisons. It is an independent source updated each day... This will be the next new horizon in computing," he predicted. No Microsoft KillerEven if Linux were to become the primary OS for solid-state PCs, the new technology probably would not destroy Microsoft's dominance in any so-called operating system war. Hoffer does not think a solid-state PC would destroy Microsoft. "The notion of shifting architecture of the PC won't impact on Microsoft," he surmised. "Developers won't abandon Macs or Windows computers. We will still need a viable desktop workstation. When Microsoft is confronted with new technology, it is infamous for developing its own brand and continuing to control the market, said Partridge.
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/must-read/54830.html


Victoria Murphy Barret On IT
Forbes - Dec 24, 2006
His vision is quickly becoming reality. Young companies aren’t buying traditional software. Older companies are trying out the new stuff where possible, and could switch big time when Oracle (nasdaq:... Many Web software firms targeting classic business problems like inventory management and spending patterns will go public in 2007. Others will be bought or merge. The big question: Will there be a Microsoft of Web software? Benioff, of course, has one answer. More On This TopicCompanies:.
http://www.forbes.com/2006/12/09/information-2007-predictions-sneakpeek_sp07_19_victoriabarret_information.html


Gears of Success
BusinessWeek - Dec 26, 2006
He then teased us about downloadable content, saying, "Without getting into lots of details, the teams at Epic and Microsoft Game Studios have a robust plan for downloadable content in the coming weeks and months. Let's just say that the already ardent Gears fan base will not be disappointed. Geared Up for Sequels?In trying to make Gears of War a success, Microsoft spared no expense in its ad campaign. The game had its own elaborate microsite which provided back-story on the game's protagonist Marcus Fenix and set the stage for the situation on planet Sera. Finally, the marketing campaign was punctuated by a TV ad that features a surprisingly lugubrious music choice in Mad World, but it's hard to argue with the result. "One of the great things about the Gears effort was that it was a fully integrated marketing effort," explained Subramoni. "Advertising, PR, Promotions, CRM, sponsorships, etc... Finally, the marketing campaign was punctuated by a TV ad that features a surprisingly lugubrious music choice in Mad World, but it's hard to argue with the result. "One of the great things about the Gears effort was that it was a fully integrated marketing effort," explained Subramoni. "Advertising, PR, Promotions, CRM, sponsorships, etc. were all carefully orchestrated over the past two years on a global basis by John Dongelmans, the Global Product Manager. It's hard to pinpoint the specific contribution of any one area of the marketing mix, but in totality, they all contributed immensely to the success that the title has achieved to date. Specific to advertising, the two areas that stand out are the online efforts and the television ad. "The former, specifically the microsite which was developed by AKQA Interactive, was in many ways a breakthrough piece of work, providing an immersive experience into the world of Sera (through the eyes of Marcus Phoenix) without actually being the game.
http://www.businessweek.com/@@fE4QImUQjOOu8wUA/innovate/content/dec2006/id20061226_534118_page_2.htm


Epicor Places Sixth On RIS Software LeaderBoard
TMCnet - Dec 27, 2006
In October Epicor and Microsoft jointly announced the introduction of Epicor Information Worker, a new desktop productivity product that delivers Epicor's enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications on the 2007 Microsoft Office system, providing information workers improved access to business data. Scott Smith, senior manager, product marketing for Epicor, said that using Microsoft technology, "we're offering service-oriented architecture and Web services-based solutions like Epicor Information Worker. "

Rob Bernard, general manager, Worldwide ISV group at Microsoft, noted that Epicor "continues to be an early adopter of the latest technology from Microsoft, participating in numerous technical adoption programs like Windows Vista, the 2007 Office system, Office Project 2007, Windows Workflow and more. "

David Sims is contributing editor for TMCnet. For more articles please visit David Sims’ columnist page.
http://news.tmcnet.com/news/-epicor-crm-/2006/12/27/2199285.htm


CRM News: Global: Vodafone Shares Stumble on India Expansion Reports
CRM Buyer - Dec 21, 2006
CRM Buyer features CRM product information, reviews and comparisons. It is an independent source updated each day.
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/RB9qIWvhRRQjM6/Vodafone-Shares-Stumble-on-India-Expansion-Reports.xhtml


FinanceVisor - Markets > News > News Detail
FinanceVisor.com - Dec 23, 2006
Clients are now experiencing a five-time performance increase with this version. ” A new version of the SmartCatalog™ Rule Manager is scheduled for October. The Rule Manager will be completely overhauled in Microsoft. 0 Forms Application that is written in Microsoft’s C# language. The Rule Manager connects directly to any Product Catalog in order to retrieve the necessary product information required to build complex rules.
http://www.financevisor.com/market/news_detail.aspx?rid=45023


Sci-Tech Today | Windows Vista Flaw Not Cause for Major Concern
Sci-Tech Today - Dec 27, 2006
The Linux operating system, which is fast becoming Windows' chief rival for control of laptops, desktops, and servers, tends to curtail the user's power to install software, leaving those permissions in the hands of system administrators. Five More Flaws


Security firm Determina reported five more flaws in Vista, including one that would let hackers install rogue software through Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7, the Redmond firm's latest Web browser. Microsoft has touted IE7 as a "sandbox" that won't give hackers access to a user's system even if the browser itself has been compromised. Determina's discovery appears to negate Microsoft's claim. Mike Reavy of Microsoft's Security Response Center downplayed the problem on Microsoft's Web site, according to the Times. "Currently we have not observed any public exploitation or attack activity regarding this issue," he wrote. "While I know this is a vulnerability that impacts Windows Vista, I still have every confidence that Windows Vista is our most secure platform to date.
http://www.sci-tech-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=12300CLQ3SLU


Innovative Technologies in Unified Communications Applications and...
CRM Directory (press release) - Dec 21, 2006
LiteScape’s applications uniquely connect solutions from disparate vendors to enable users to link business applications to any IP device. Founded in 2004, the company is privately held and primarily funded by SOFTBANK Capital, Telesoft Partners and Blumberg Capital. In additional to being a certified WebEx and Microsoft partner, LiteScape has strong global relationships with Cisco, Avaya and many resellers including AT&T and Bell Canada. For additional information, please visit.
http://www.crmdirectory.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=609&Itemid=56


See you soon.

Thursday, December 7, 2006

Fashion industry laps up IT for backend revamp

Hello!


Review: Sage Act 2007 CRM software
VNUNet.com - Dec 14, 2006
Installation can also be a fairly lengthy process, especially on thesingle-user version we tested. That’s because Microsoft’s. Net framework has tobe loaded if not already present, followed by SQL Server 2005 Express to managethe database. However, database setup is automated so you don’t have to be atechnical wizard to either install or start using the program. Another consideration is the need for a fairly well-specified computer withplenty of available memory, especially where the database is hosted on the samePC. We tested on a 3GHz Windows XP PC and found 1GB of Ram gave far betterperformance compared with the minimum 512MB specified. Although it can be used on its own, you don’t get the full benefit of ACTunless it’s shared, with support for up to 10 users in the basic ACT 2007package.
http://www.vnunet.com/articles/print/2170933


Fashion industry laps up IT for backend revamp
Economic Times - Dec 20, 2006
Designers JJ Valaya, Tarun Tahiliani, Ritu Kumar and
Satya Paul are implementing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer
Relationship Management (CRM) to keep up with the new fashion retailing and
technology trends. The IT tools might not walk the ramps but are
definitely helping designers consolidate their backstage business. Both
Tahiliani Design and Satya Paul’s desire for greater control over
inventory planning, procurement and production led them to adopt this IT
planning tool. Satya Paul has had ERP in place for some time and is
already using it to track consumer buying patters across individual stores and
across various brands... The firm
is helping to implement the ERP package for various retail businesses. “Apart from managing their burgeoning retail businesses and
supply management the IT tools help designers to deliver customised
‘just-in-time fashion’ for a clientele across international
locales,’’ says Sharmila Katre, business co-coordinator, Tahiliani
Design “There is an inclination to move from an unorganised to an
organised environment in the medium scale outfits,” says Sushant Dwivedy,
business group lead (MBS), Microsoft. Though Microsoft is gunning
for the medium and small retail businesses for their ERP solutions business, not
everyone has been able to sell the ERP that well to the Indian market. While global fashion houses are moving to sophisticated apparel ERP
and prefer to dress in BlueCherry suite, the Indian designers, keeping in line
with their affordable prêt retailing, are investing in low-cost ERP
solutions by Microsoft or SAP and giving the niche BlueCherry suite a complete
miss. The New York-based Computer Generated Solutions (CGS) company, which has
developed significant parts of BlueCherry software at their India site, has
decided not to launch this product in India. Though the company
claims it has been providing BlueCherry to some of the top apparel manufacturers
and retailers in North America, it feels that Indian corporates, retailers and
design houses are not ready for this sophisticated solution. Pricing is the one
of the main issues for the product.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/856668.cms


Chinese Tech Bubble Survivor
Forbes - Dec 20, 2006
The company's software division has more than 5,000 customers worldwide in manufacturing, financial services, health care, home building, real estate, and wholesale and retail distribution. Software products include Pivotal CRM, c360 CRM add-on products, industry solutions and development tools for the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform.
http://www.forbes.com/finance/2006/12/20/china-internet-software-pf-ii-in_jd_1220gurusow_inl.html?partner=rss


Non-Synchronized CRM Used Widely For Staffing, Report Finds
TMCnet - Dec 11, 2006
Click here to learn more. The recruiters who use only Microsoft Outlook and an ATS were the most likely to name a need for enhanced placements, i. improved access to qualified candidates and faster rates of placement. Respondents who relied on rudimentary front-office technology had the most need for upgrades to enhance placement rates, the survey found. Seventy-one percent of respondents felt that sourcing candidates from multiple job boards and sites, directly from their front-office software, would improve their placement rate, and eighty-seven percent of respondents agreed that an integrated front-office would have a positive impact on revenue growth; while 15 percent thought that such an integration would have a substantial impact on revenue growth.
http://news.tmcnet.com/news/-bullhorn-staffing-crm-/2006/12/11/2155391.htm


NewsFactor Network | Microsoft's Open XML Wins Approval as a...
NewsFactor Network - Dec 11, 2006
Open XML is Microsoft's foray into the open-format world and the default format for Office 2007. It saves documents in XML (Extensible Markup Language) with Zip compression technologies, not the formats that Microsoft used in prior versions of Office. As a result -- and because Microsoft will not demand royalties for using Open XML -- software from other publishers will be able to read Office documents saved in Open XML. Both Corel, which makes the WordPerfect suite of business tools, and Novell, which offers a version of OpenOffice. org, have announced support for Open XML. Only IBM, also an ECMA member, voted against Open XML as a standard, claiming the format is too complex for true multivendor use. Open-Source Competition


Famous (and sometimes infamous) for guarding the inner workings of its software, Microsoft's decision to publish the basic format of Office documents comes when a growing number of industries, not to mention a vocal set of government agencies, have called for document archives to be saved in a standard format that would be compatible with future document-creation software.
http://www.newsfactor.com/news/Microsoft-s-Open-XML-Wins-Approval/story.xhtml?story_id=023001SOKV17


Microsoft Advances Business Intelligence Solution
Xtvworld - Xtvworld (press release) - Dec 11, 2006
Redmond, WA, USA, December 11, 2006 -- Microsoft Corp has released community technology preview (CTP) for its integrated performance management application Microsoft® Office PerformancePoint™ Server 2007. Scheduled for general availability in mid-2007, Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 brings together next-generation monitoring, analytics and planning capabilities in a complete performance management application.
http://press.xtvworld.com/article15853.html


Working on the fly Chris Jenkins
Australian IT - Dec 12, 2006
"I know people have been talking about this for quite some time, in terms of the potential, but we're actually starting to see that hit. "
The increase in bandwidth available to mobile users means there is less need for customised, mobile-specific applications, especially as many corporate software packages now have a web browser interface. "It's easy for people to try it out because of the web browser enablement of so many ERP and CRM systems," Gartner's Simpson says. Hamill describes mobile access to industrial enterprise applications such as SAP and Oracle and Seibel as the "final wave" of business mobility, saying the phenomenon won't necessarily be restricted to laptops. Device makers such as Nokia and RIM are also doing a lot of work on developing interfaces to enterprise systems, he says. But despite the arrival of the big end of the application market, email and internet access remain the cornerstones of most company's mobile needs. In the smartphone arena, BlackBerry still had an edge on Microsoft's Exchange-based mobile email system, as it offers more management options and is less data-intensive, Simpson says... In the smartphone arena, BlackBerry still had an edge on Microsoft's Exchange-based mobile email system, as it offers more management options and is less data-intensive, Simpson says. Gartner's own testing showed Microsoft's systems could be up to four times as data-hungry as the RIM service - a particular problem in Australia with its per kilobyte pricing and download caps. Microsoft would eventually get its product into shape, but it could take several years, he says. Following its acquisition of IntelliSync, "Nokia has finally started to make some progress in this area," he says. "Microsoft and RIM aren't the only game in town. "
The threat from web-based email systems such as Google's Gmail also shouldn't be discounted, he says. The availability of usable email software in an increasing number of phones is also expected to open the door to more employees being able to access work email on the move.
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,20896464%5E15397%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html


2006: A year of IT highs and lows
InfoWorld - Dec 11, 2006
” --Ted Samson “I wouldn’t be surprised to see SaaS services (at) $5 per month, per user. ” -- Josh Greenbaum, EAConsult 2006 didn’t quite make it as “The Year of SaaS,” but it came darn close. Spurred by the success of firms such as Salesforce. com, Microsoft, Oracle, and SAS created SaaS CRM products with integration to their on-premises software as a differentiator. Even more important: SaaS providers, led by Salesforce, laid down a solid foundation on which to build new services in 2007 and beyond. Take, for example, AppExchange, an online market of sorts that Salesforce.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/12/11/50NNtechwatch_2.html


Take care.