Agresso Adds Powerful CRM Product for Services Sector

Acquires CRM Company, Integrates to ERP Line, Promotes CRM Expert Hub; Bypasses Microsoft Partnership for Better Tie to BLINC(TM) Apps

StrategySLIEDRECHT, The Netherlands--(Business Wire)--Agresso, (www.agresso.com/), the ERP market's definition ofagility, announced today the immediate availability of Agresso CRM, acustomer relationship management solution aimed specifically at themid-market services sector that Agresso has addressed for more than 20years. Agresso CRM is being rolled out globally via either a standard,on-site license or software-as-a-service (SaaS) agreement. The newest Agresso offering for sales and marketing staff is nowoffered stand-alone or it can be integrated into the Agresso BusinessWorld enterprise resource planning (ERP) suite that is in place atover 2,700 companies globally. It is 100% web based, and can run onmultiple databases, operating systems, and stationery or mobiledevices. Agresso CRM is part of a larger corporate acquisition strategythat is intrinsic to the company's plans to grow to a $700 millioncompany by 2010. The company has been growing at 40% or more in 2007on the strength of its flagship ERP product line, Agresso BusinessWorld, which was released with advanced features in late 2005. Shortlyafter the company began aiming its products exclusively at afast-growing market segment that Agresso calls BLINC (TM) --Businesses Living IN Change -- that require the unique, dynamic changefeatures in Agresso's VITA (TM) architecture. Agresso CRM is the firstin a series of "BLINC Solution Plug-Ins" and will provide integrationto the ERP suite that is similar to that achieved by services-orientedarchitecture platforms. Agresso Selects Acquired Technology + CRM Expert Hub Strategy Agresso's parent, Unit4Agresso in the Netherlands, evaluated awide scope of global CRM partnership strategies, including an alliancewith Microsoft. Agresso had also acquired a robust European-basedcompany with a strong CRM product, CCS of Spain, nearly a year agothat brought a base of 1,700 customers. Nearly 10 percent of thosecustomers are in a SaaS model. "We carefully reviewed the business requirements of our targetmarket against all of our options to acquire the best possible CRMsolution," said Jose Sanchez, managing director of Agresso Spain and amember of the Unit4Agresso Board. "It was our original intention topartner with Microsoft who we thought might come closest to meetingthe CRM needs of mid-market, services organizations. However, neitherthe Microsoft CRM product line, nor any others we reviewed, were asrobust as our acquired CCS technology. Plus, through an additionalacquisition, we have assembled a large, sophisticated implementationteam." Beyond its rich functionality and favorable market positionAgresso CRM offers five distinct advantages that lead againstcompetitive software offerings:

-- An ultra-thin web interface, including a web-based executive -- An ultra-thin web interface, including a web-based executive

dashboard;

-- Support for multiple operating systems, including Windows, -- Support for multiple operating systems, including Windows,

Linux, Unix and Mac (Microsoft CRM supports only Windows);

-- Support for multiple databases, including Oracle, DB2, My SQL -- Support for multiple databases, including Oracle, DB2, My SQL

and SQL Server. (Microsoft CRM supports only SQL Server);

-- A right-priced and better feature/function match-up to -- A right-priced and better feature/function match-up to mid-market service company requirements - versus those of

market leaders more oriented to tier one or manufacturing

companies; and

-- Agresso's proven low cost of ownership, both pre- and post-

implementation, which continues to earn it superior

third-party commendations by both technology analysts and

customers alike for its ongoing change capabilities. Agresso Establishes CRM Service Hub Agresso has established a CRM Service Hub of more than 100full-time professional services experts. This team collectively hasdecades of years of CRM experience selling, implementing andsupporting Siebel and Microsoft products, as well as the originalproduct underpinning Agresso CRM. The Agresso CRM Service Hub is basedin Spain and will lead the roll-out of the new offering to Agressosubsidiaries and partners throughout the world. "Our CRM Services Hub knows the competitive CRM technologylandscape, the mid-market's requirements and the fastest and best waysto implement our solution," said Ton Dobbe, VP of product marketing,Unit4Agresso. "Best of all, we are integrating Agresso CRM as a BLINCERP Solution Plug-In, meaning companies now can get the combination ofworld class CRM with ERP post-implementation agility." Market Research Firm Cites Agresso CRM Product's Leadership Agresso's new CRM solution is part of the larger acquired CCS ERPproduct line that has been evaluated independently against othervendors in the mid-market by European technology evaluation firm,Penteo ICT Analyst. Penteo provides independent expert analysis ofmarket trends and market research, and issues vendor positioningdiagrams about technology solutions and vendors. Penteo isheadquartered in Spain, where it is the market leader, and has officesin London and Paris. "Our Report 'SMB Business Solutions Spanish Market 2007' positionsCCS Agresso and its technology (which now includes Agresso CRM) as a'Star' in the Universe Map," said Albert Delgado, General Manager ofPenteo. "Stars are players providing services, solutions or technologywith remarkable viability, features and functionality performance.Penteo believes that 'Stars' are sound players that lead theirmarkets. Agresso is a leader in the Universe Map, as a result of abroad functional coverage for medium-sized businesses and strongsupport." About Agresso Agresso (www.agresso.com/usa) is a $225 million enterpriseresource planning (ERP) subsidiary of Netherlands-based Unit 4 Agresso

(Dutch Stock Exchange EURONEXT-U4AGR) and one of the topfive providers of ERP solutions for professional services and publicsector organizations. Agresso offers a uniquely integrateddata/process/delivery architecture designed specifically forBusinesses Living IN Change (BLINC) (TM). Agresso is known as "The ERPMarket's Definition of Agility" as it allows an unlimited amount ofongoing, post-implementation changes without the typical external ITcosts and intervention that nets billions of dollars in revenue to themarket leaders. Over 2,700 companies and organizations in 100countries deploy Agresso Business World for both operational supportand strategic management. The company's role-based, Web Services andServices-Oriented Architecture (SOA) enabled solutions include:Financial Management, Human Resources and Payroll, ProcurementManagement, Project Costing and Billing, Reporting and Analytics andBusiness Process Automation.AgressoJudith Rothrock, CMOJudith.Rothrock@agresso.com 858-847-9840 Copyright Business Wire 2007

Microsoft CRM 4.0 released

Software giant Microsoft has now released the latest edition of their CRM software CRM 4.0.

This release was codenamed Titan and the company managed to keep their promise by releasing it in this year itself.

The company said that the software would be available to their customers and hosting partners to download online.

Software giant Microsoft has now released the latest edition of their CRM software CRM 4.0.

This release was codenamed Titan and the company managed to keep their promise by releasing it in this year itself.

The company said that the software would be available to their customers and hosting partners to download online.

Microsoft said that this new edition features multitenant architecture which would enable them and their partners to host CRM in much higher volumes.

This would help them compete more efficiently with rival companies in this segment like Salesforce.com.

The company added that the hosted edition of the service codenamed CRM Live would be available sometime later next year. said that this new edition features multitenant architecture which would enable them and their partners to host CRM in much higher volumes.

This would help them compete more efficiently with rival companies in this segment like Salesforce.com.

The company added that the hosted edition of the service codenamed CRM Live would be available sometime later next year.

Biz IT Pro's Microsoft CRM Training Completed for SourceMedia

Business IT Professionals, (Biz IT Pro), a vendor of Customer Relationship Management training and products, has announced the completion an intense, customized series of training sessions for SourceMedia, a New York-based B2B publishing company.

Steve Noe, president of Biz IT Pro, conducted CRM training to more than 70 of SourceMedia's sales staff. The sessions dealt with the benefits CRM provides to their sales success and productivity, an working understanding of Dynamics CRM and Source Media's customizations and clear and simple processes to make CRM easy to integrate into their day to day sales, according to the Bizians.

"We had implemented Microsoft Dynamics CRM, but our sales people didn't understand how to use the new system." said Azam Abuzar, senior director of corporate systems for SourceMedia. "Steve literally saved the day by giving us the education we needed to use our CRM solution efficiently and productively."

In August the Cary, North Carolina-based Biz IT Pro announced they will develop a CRM product, based on the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform, for QRPS, Inc., an administrative consulting firm.

Biz IT Pro will use Scribe Insight, an end-to-end integration tool for converting data from ACT! to Microsoft Dynamics, to improve productivity and client experiences for QRPS.

"We had reached our limit of usability with the ACT! database. Moving to CRM will allow us to redesign how we store our proprietary information, while substantially improving our productivity," stated Forrest Knowles, President, QRPS.

QRPS provides customer service by using technology to streamline administrative processes, company officials say. Biz IT Pro will conduct data integration for the firm, to aid in their ability to maintain their "high-touch service philosophy and personal support."

Earlier this summer Biz IT Pro announced that it now is a Scribe certified partner.

Scribe Software Corporation provides data integration and migration software products for CRM and ERP. Using Scribe's tools, Biz IT Pro will migrate their client's data from applications, such as Salesforce, Goldmine and Act!, into Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

"Scribe Software provides rich integration solutions that are powerful enough for large customers, yet affordable and accessible to small and mid-sized businesses," stated Steve Noe, president of Biz IT Pro. "I am excited about being certified with Scribe and how this relationship will benefit our customers."

Microsoft CRM drives service and sales for Concor Technicrete

Specialist contractor to the mining and construction industries, Concor Technicrete, has implemented Microsoft Dynamics CRM with Mobility to improve services to clients and streamline its sales process.

The CRM solution was implemented and configured by Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, IS Partners. The project entailed the implementation of customised contact management, sales force automation and basic case management.

"The integration of Windows mobile devices has ensured a dramatic improvement in customer service, as sales people are now able to initiate and follow through on the entire sales process at the customer site, from credit checking and quotation delivery through to placing of an order," says Heath Turner, CRM director at IS Partners.

Previously, sales people had to call a central office number and request quotes to be generated. This process was inefficient and did not provide the best possible service to customers.

The Microsoft-based CRM solutions has also addressed Concor Technicrete’s requirement for a common platform where all customer and prospect information could be captured, stored, retrieved and analysed. Sales teams now have the ability to collect leads routed to them, track prospects from initiation to sale and maintain information about existing customer relationships.

"The CRM solution has ensured consistent execution of the organisation’s sales methodology through the application of workflow, while also providing accurate sales reporting and forecasting capabilities. It has also enabled management to oversee sales teams’ activities and have access to their customers’ information," Turner says.

Basic complaint management will further ensure that any queries and service related issues are captured against a customer and assigned to the person responsible. Microsoft CRM has also been integrated with the existing JD Edwards system for customer account information and credit checking.

Source:computingsa.co.za

Tenrox's Microsoft CRM-Compatible Version 9.2 Released

Tenrox, a vendor of workflow-driven project workforce management products, has announced the release of version 9.2, the latest upgrade to its integrative project and workforce management with financials product.

Among more than 30 enhancements claimed by company officials, Release 9.2 features "new integration with Microsoft (News - Alert) Project Server 2007 to provide users with improved tracking, planning, and reporting capabilities, as well as enhancements that include deeper integration to Microsoft Dynamics CRM."

There are new parameters for customizing and controlling billing details and user input, easier at-a-glance access to project status through Dashboard Task Lists and Project Plan Milestones, as well as more powerful forecasting capabilities, the Tenroxians say.

Release 9.2 is fully compatible with Microsoft Project Server 2007, Tenrox officials promise, allowing customers to use Tenrox's Timesheet and Expense reporting, project process management and cost and revenue accounting products within Microsoft.

This February Tenrox announced the availability of Release 9.1, then the latest version of the company's Project Workforce Management product.

Release 9.1 had such features as a Project Planning Module and integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0. In addition, several enhancements were made to project status views, shift and work schedule support, the ability to create custom dashboards and more.

The product used the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 feature set to provide an end-to-end integrated product that can be hosted or deployed on-premise.

Release 9.1 is "based on customer feedback from the Tenrox User Conference and customer advisory board," according to Rafat Hilal, Vice President of Research and Development, who noted that improvements are designed to provide end-users with "additional flexibility, ease-of-use, configurability and alternatives for CRM integration."

New features and enhancements include the Tenrox Project Planning module, described by company officials as "a simple intuitive tool that addresses the most common project planning requirements."

source:callcenterinfo.tmcnet.com

Endeavor Releases SmartCatalog Portal Edition for Sage, Microsoft CRM

By David Sims,

Endeavor Commerce has recently announced the release of SmartCatalog Portal Edition for Sage SalesLogix and Microsoft (News - Alert) Dynamics CRM.

The release offers "out of the box capability to extend Sales Configuration and Guided Selling to customers, partners and distributors via the Web," company officials say.

With the addition of Portal Edition, SmartCatalog now enables companies to deploy what Endeavor officials say are "100 percent accurate quote and order generation across all sales channels -- including employees, partners, distributers and customers."

SmartCatalog helps companies with their partners' and distributors' processes, as well as internal sales processes, in making channel boundaries transparent to customers.

SmartCatalog Portal Edition is a Web-based application integrated with CRM to allow external users to create their own quotes and orders as well as manage their online profile. The Portal Edition may exist as an addition to SmartCatalog Sales Edition or may function as its own standalone application.

"Portal Edition is the result of collaboration with our partners and customers and offers significant and immediate benefits," said David Reeder, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. With Portal Edition, our customers can offer the same quoting and ordering tools directly to their customers and partners making the complex sale simple across all channels."

Reeder considers Portal Edition "a great example of our CRM acumen."

At the beginning of July Endeavor announced version 6.1 of its SmartCatalog for CRM application.

SmartCatalog has seen "significant market growth" in 2007, company officials say, having recently won five new global enterprise customers. For the first half of 2007 overall revenue grew more than 90 percent, with software sales revenue growth at 155 percent.

SmartCatalog 6.1 offers a new end-user application containing features making the product more flexible, scalable and easier to use for both on-line and off-line users. SmartCatalog's new end-user application is architected using the ASP .Net 2.0 Framework.

Using an Outlook style of navigation, the user experience of SmartCatalog is designed to be consistent with Microsoft Office applications. The new sales messaging guides on-line and off-line CRM users through the quoting process offering rules-based alerts. This enhancement lets users to take advantage of cross-sell and up-sell opportunities.

SmartCatalog is billed by company officials as allowing enterprises to "increase revenue, decrease cost, and increase customer satisfaction by enabling intelligence at the point of sale."

Source:callcenterinfo.tmcnet.com

Tenrox's Microsoft CRM-Compatible Version 9.2 Released

Tenrox, a vendor of workflow-driven project workforce management products, has announced the release of version 9.2, the latest upgrade to its integrative project and workforce management with financials product.

Among more than 30 enhancements claimed by company officials, Release 9.2 features "new integration with Microsoft (News - Alert) Project Server 2007 to provide users with improved tracking, planning, and reporting capabilities, as well as enhancements that include deeper integration to Microsoft Dynamics CRM."

There are new parameters for customizing and controlling billing details and user input, easier at-a-glance access to project status through Dashboard Task Lists and Project Plan Milestones, as well as more powerful forecasting capabilities, the Tenroxians say.

Release 9.2 is fully compatible with Microsoft Project Server 2007, Tenrox officials promise, allowing customers to use Tenrox's Timesheet and Expense reporting, project process management and cost and revenue accounting products within Microsoft.

This February Tenrox announced the availability of Release 9.1, then the latest version of the company's Project Workforce Management product.

Release 9.1 had such features as a Project Planning Module and integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0. In addition, several enhancements were made to project status views, shift and work schedule support, the ability to create custom dashboards and more.

The product used the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 feature set to provide an end-to-end integrated product that can be hosted or deployed on-premise.

Release 9.1 is "based on customer feedback from the Tenrox User Conference and customer advisory board," according to Rafat Hilal, Vice President of Research and Development, who noted that improvements are designed to provide end-users with "additional flexibility, ease-of-use, configurability and alternatives for CRM integration."

New features and enhancements include the Tenrox Project Planning module, described by company officials as "a simple intuitive tool that addresses the most common project planning requirements."

Endeavor Releases SmartCatalog Portal Edition for Sage, Microsoft CRM

The release offers "out of the box capability to extend Sales Configuration and Guided Selling to customers, partners and distributors via the Web," company officials say.

With the addition of Portal Edition, SmartCatalog now enables companies to deploy what Endeavor officials say are "100 percent accurate quote and order generation across all sales channels -- including employees, partners, distributers and customers."

SmartCatalog helps companies with their partners' and distributors' processes, as well as internal sales processes, in making channel boundaries transparent to customers.

SmartCatalog Portal Edition is a Web-based application integrated with CRM to allow external users to create their own quotes and orders as well as manage their online profile. The Portal Edition may exist as an addition to SmartCatalog Sales Edition or may function as its own standalone application.

"Portal Edition is the result of collaboration with our partners and customers and offers significant and immediate benefits," said David Reeder, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. With Portal Edition, our customers can offer the same quoting and ordering tools directly to their customers and partners making the complex sale simple across all channels."

Reeder considers Portal Edition "a great example of our CRM acumen."

At the beginning of July Endeavor announced version 6.1 of its SmartCatalog for CRM application.

SmartCatalog has seen "significant market growth" in 2007, company officials say, having recently won five new global enterprise customers. For the first half of 2007 overall revenue grew more than 90 percent, with software sales revenue growth at 155 percent.

SmartCatalog 6.1 offers a new end-user application containing features making the product more flexible, scalable and easier to use for both on-line and off-line users. SmartCatalog's new end-user application is architected using the ASP .Net 2.0 Framework.

Using an Outlook style of navigation, the user experience of SmartCatalog is designed to be consistent with Microsoft Office applications. The new sales messaging guides on-line and off-line CRM users through the quoting process offering rules-based alerts. This enhancement lets users to take advantage of cross-sell and up-sell opportunities.

SmartCatalog is billed by company officials as allowing enterprises to "increase revenue, decrease cost, and increase customer satisfaction by enabling intelligence at the point of sale."

Microsoft to Craft Titan as On-Demand Platform

By Renee Boucher Ferguson
November 29, 2007

Microsoft wants Titan to challenge Salesforce.com's on-demand development platform.

The question is, How long will it take Microsoft, a slow-moving technology behemoth if previous releases are any indication, to catch up with Salesforce.com in a market Salesforce created?

While Microsoft has based its Titan marketing campaign on the software's multitenant capabilities, CEO Steve Ballmer said in July at the company's Worldwide Partner conference that Titan will also be used as a platform for on-demand application development.

"[We] will add CRM [customer relationship management], and we will add an application development platform for departments and small businesses called Titan. … In the case of Titan, there's an opportunity for you to build applications that would literally run on our servers," Ballmer said.

"You have to use the kind of declarative programming model, workflow model on which our own CRM product is built, but you can, of course, write your own Titan applications on either on-premises hosted or hosted in our data centers," he said.

Salesforce.com, in less cryptic language, has been marketing its platform capabilities for the past year. In October 2006 the company unveiled its Apex on-demand programming language and platform.

This year, Salesforce.com announced Force.com (dubbed platform-as-a-service), which bundles development "services," including custom user interface and logic building capabilities along with database and integration capabilities. Force.com also includes AppExchange, Salesforce.com's application marketplace that's been compared, by the company mainly, to eBay and Amazon.com for the business world.

Read more here about the introduction of the Force.com platform.

At its partner conference this summer, Microsoft said it's building its own marketplace, expected in 2008, that will be an online environment where partners can showcase their company, applications and templates to customers, who can, in turn, download functionality and rate partner efforts. Ditto for AppExchange.

What Microsoft will offer with Titan is an on-demand, multitenant application development platform. What's not clear yet is how mature those capabilities will be.

Eric Berridge, CEO and co-founder of BlueWolf, an on-demand system integrator with close ties to Salesforce.com, has watched Microsoft's Titan release closely. He said Microsoft has made a wise move in building Titan, but the company has a ways to go in the on-demand development world.

"The reason Microsoft came out with Titan at all is a defensive move against Salesforce.com—period," said Berridge. It is a good first step and a very wise move. But I don't know if they know if they can take it to the platform level. If you look at the customization capabilities in the on-premises version [of Dynamics CRM] it never evolved to the level of flexibility that other CRM packages have, so there are some decisions Microsoft will have to make."

Berridge said that while Titan will be compatible with .Net, Microsoft's development environment, there isn't a lot of flexibility in the platform. "You can't configure an application in a multitude of ways without jumping into a programming environment, and that's limited to the CRM data model," he said.

"There are no [custom] objects, no UIs. It really keeps programming central to core CRM. And I am still questioning the maturity of [Titan's] core API [application programming interface] set. That's going to be a key component to selling into non-Microsoft accounts," Berridge said.

Ovum analyst Warren Wilson said that despite Microsoft's reputation for being slow to catch on to a few key technology movements, such as the Internet, the company shouldn't be discounted in its on-demand platform initiatives.

"Microsoft is deliberate more than slow. They've been famously slow on embracing the Internet years ago. But when they do [embrace new technology], then they're relentless," said Wilson. "We'll see the same thing with Microsoft's Dynamics applications. The fact that they're slow shouldn't give competitors any false sense of complacency."

Wilson pointed out another tactic Microsoft may take with Titan: using it as the basis for a development platform—both internally and externally—for its Dynamics ERP (enterprise resource planning) applications.

"Microsoft has been careful to avoid speculating on what might follow Titan in terms of its other Dynamics products, but with vendors like NetSuite out there with an on-demand ERP suite, with SAP launching Business ByDesign [on-demand ERP suite], Microsoft has to be thinking about enabling on-demand versions of the rest of the Dynamics family," said Wilson. "And Titan and CRM will offer at least a laboratory for how you do that, if not the actual product foundations."

While Salesforce.com has not taken the direct approach to developing ERP applications (of which CRM is a clear extension), the company has been direct in spelling out the fact that Apex and the Force.com platform are applicable for building not only CRM applications, but ERP-strength applications. At least one vendor, Coda Group, has committed to building out an on-demand ERP suite on Force.com.

Beagle Research founder Denis Pombriant said that market forces will determine whether Salesforce stays in the lead against Microsoft.

"Salesforce is going gangbusters with Force.com," said Pombriant. "They signed a 45,000-seat deal with Japan Post. What was significant about that is the deal excluded CRM; it's strictly Force.com and the applications Japan Post wants to build. The good news for Microsoft is that they've come a long way [with platform capabilities]. They're in the ballpark. But they may be somewhere between one half and one full generation behind."

source:eweek.com

Data Recovery Bulletin

Reller Lands at Microsoft's Platform and Services Division

by Barbara Darrow

November 29, 2007

Tami Reller, a Great Plains and Microsoft Business Solutions veteran, has a new job as CFO of Microsoft's Platform & Services Division.

She retains her corporate vice president title and reports to Kevin Johnson.

The news went out Thursday internally in a note from Johnson, who is president of PSD, the group responsible for Microsoft's Windows and tools franchises.

Reller, who came to the company by way of its acquisition of Great Plains Software in 2001, is well liked and respected, especially by the cadre of MBS employees and partners. Many expected her to take on the top job at MBS after Doug Burgum and then Satya Nadella moved on, but that job went instead to Kiril Tatarinov last summer

Reller's direct reports will include Charlie Songhurst, Rik van der Kool, according to Johnson's note.

source:entmag.com

Data backup, recovery becoming critical to all

OmniVue Business Solutions' Pyden Advances to Next Round of Inc. Award

Jeff Pyden, founder and managing director of OmniVue Business Solutions which specializes in the implementation, hosting and support of financial and operational management software -- Microsoft Dynamics GP, SL and CRM -- was selected by Inc. Magazine to advance to the next round of the publication's 2007 Entrepreneur of the Year search. Pyden's entrepreneurial story has been posted on Inc.com and can be accessed at http://www.inc.com/entrepreneur/2007/profile/index.php?pyden249

Pyden was recently honored as a finalist for the AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association) Southeastern Spirit of Endeavor Award in the Technology Innovation category. He was recognized for his achievements in making enterprise-level business software more accessible to small and midsized businesses.

Founded in 2003, OmniVue leads the Southeast in hosted deployments of Microsoft Dynamics GP (formerly Great Plains), SL (formerly Solomon) and Microsoft CRM. By offering businesses a choice in how they deploy their business management software, either on-premise or on-demand, companies are able to tailor the solution that’s best for their business with the flexibility to change as needs dictate.

A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, OmniVue is the provider of choice for businesses looking to automate and streamline financial and customer relationship management to help drive business success. , Please visit www.omnivue.net for more information about OmniVue Business Solutions.

JCP goes green with Great Plains, Datacentrix

Johannesburg City Parks (JCP) is now online with the integration of a comprehensive Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains ERP system, implemented by Datacentrix.

JCP, a Public Benefit organisation incorporated in 2001 by the Metropolitan Municipality of Johannesburg, uses Great Plains as its core financial and line of business system to manage parks, public open spaces, cemeteries and crematoria, and also to maintain street trees and its internal equipment.

The Datacentrix Microsoft Great Plains system is commissioned to ensure JCP can manage its finances in such a way that it will ensure the city's service delivery mandate within allocated budget. The JCP manages a budget in excess of R300 million per annum.

Says Karl van Eck, CFO at JCP and executive sponsor of the project: "The new Great Plains ERP system replaced and integrated inherently disparate software systems, combating the issues of manual-intensive financial tracking processes that JCP was experiencing. These processes are now supported by a full ERP system, deployed within 10 months by Datacentrix.

"While the old systems focused more on the financial side, the new Great Plains software integrates this with the operational aspect. The solution proposed by Datacentrix certainly best suited our needs and we will start seeing the real benefit from an operational perspective within the next two to three years."

According to Phokeng Mohatlane, Account Director at Datacentrix, a significant factor in the new solution's speedy implementation was the extensive experience Datacentrix has with Great Plains implementations, as well as the commitment demonstrated by JCP to the project. "The contract was awarded to Datacentrix, having fulfilled the various tender criteria that included its black economic empowerment status.

"The system uses the Field Services module to effectively schedule routine preventative maintenance on parks etc, as well as manage service calls on the servicing of JCP's own equipment," she adds. "Over 50 JCP staff members interact with the Great Plains system to maintain our parks and make the city a better place to live in."

Source:itweb.co.za

CDC Software acquires local Microsoft CRM reseller

Enterprise software service provider, CDC Software - a subsidiary of CDC Corporation - has acquired Microsoft CRM specialist Snapdragon Consulting.

Under the terms of the acquisition, Snapdragon will become part of CDC Software’s Australian consulting services arm, Praxa Limited. Monetary information about the deal couldn’t be disclosed.

In an interview with CRN, John Clough, chairman of Praxa said this acquisition aligns with Praxa’s plan to gain greater breadth in Microsoft technologies and specifically more depth in CRM.

“Snapdragon has a well-estabilished SMB and enterprise customer base which Praxa can leverage throughout Australia. The acquisition provides Praxa with greater breadth in complementary Microsoft technologies, and specifically more depth in Microsoft CRM expertise, allowing us to cross-sell our existing services to a wider customer base,” he said.

According to Clough Snapdragon will be incorporated into CDC Software’s Australian consulting services arm, Praxa Limited. It will relocate Snapdragon’s existing teams, based in St Leonards and Melbourne, to its North Ryde and South Melbourne offices respectively.

Industry veteran Guy Riddle will remain general manager of the Snapdragon business, said Clough.

All of Snapdragon’s 12 staff will move over to Praxa, taking the total number of staff to over 250 employees, he said.

Microsoft CRM Replaces GoldMine at AccessVia

Microsoft announced that AccessVia, a vendor of in-store signage, labels and e-commerce applications, has selected Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 to integrate all its internal data and processes, replacing its previous system, based on GoldMine software for CRM.

AccessVia, based in Seattle, provides communications services to retailers.

The company had been using three separate internal IT systems for customer relations, time tracking and sales. Forecasting and planning were "suffering," company officials say, since the company had outgrown its software.

Scott Hunter, systems administrator for AccessVia, said with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, "we were able to consolidate several internal processes and tools into a single offering that brought the whole company onto the same page."

AccessVia officials say the Microsoft Dynamics CRM system allows better reporting, improving its filtering and reporting by tenfold, compared to its previous software. And with its integrated system, company officials say they have cut the time needed for support from its IT team by 75 percent.

The company also has retired its Microsoft Office Access database for licensing management, incorporating that function into Microsoft Dynamics CRM as well.

Earlier this week Microsoft announced that Logos Bible Software, a developer and distributor of Bible software in multiple languages, selected Microsoft Dynamics CRM to replace its aging customer relationship management system with technology that integrates all customer data.

Logos, a $15 million company based in Bellingham, Washington, offers software used by members of the clergy, seminary students, missionaries and lay leaders in more than 180 countries. Its electronic Bibles, theological works, pastoral resources and other texts are available in numerous languages, including Greek, Hebrew and Latin.

The company chose Microsoft Dynamics CRM to "gain comprehensive new efficiencies not available with its previous CRM system, which required customer service representatives to navigate a number of unconnected databases to retrieve information," according to Microsoft officials:

"With the earlier system, agents had to call customers back because they needed to look for answers to questions in several different places." Microsoft Dynamics CRM technology will allow the service staff to collect all its customer information in one system.

Source:callcenterinfo.tmcnet.com
sponsored by GreenJolly

CDC Software Adds to Microsoft CRM Platform

CDC Software, a subsidiary of CDC Corporation and a provider of industry-specific enterprise software applications and business services, has announced recently that it has added four new products and "enhanced most of the existing products in the Core Productivity Pack of c360," a suite of industry products and development tools for theMicrosoft Dynamics CRM platform.

CDC Software will be demonstrating their new products, at the Microsoft EMEA Convergence Conference October 23 - 25, 2007 in Copenhagen.

C360’s Core Productivity Pack is being released in conjunction with Microsoft CRM version 4.0. The new products were designed "using customer and partner feedback," CDC officials say, "with a focus on increasing CRM usability, user productivity and user adoption."

The pack for CRM 4.0 now includes four new products -- the c360 Explorer CRM Search Engine which "indexes and organizes all Microsoft CRM records and attachments," and uses Microsoft Office SharePoint search to provide keyword search across CRM and SharePoint, and c360 SharePoint/Microsoft CRM integration which "bridges the gap between Microsoft CRM and SharePoint by enabling automatic creation of a SharePoint site for every required CRM entity," company officials say. Basically it allows CRM and non-CRM users to share the same documents.

There's also c360 Relationship Exploration and Charting, providing an automatic, relationship tree display of all relationships for every CRM record, and the c360 Record Editor, which can edit individual records in any CRM view without opening the individual records using a Microsoft Excel-like editing of CRM records.

There are also upgrades to existing products within the c360 Core Productivity Pack for Microsoft CRM 4.0, including the c360 Console, which allows Microsoft CRM users to design their CRM workspace in virtually any way they like.

In September CDC Software announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Milwaukee-based Catalyst International, a vendor of supply chain execution solutions and services.

With approximate annual revenues of $35 million, the acquisition of Catalyst is expected to be immediately accretive to CDC Software upon completion of the acquisition.

Catalyst's software solutions and services are "highly complementary" to CDC Software's IMI Supply Chain product line, CDC officials said, and the company's CDC Global Services operations. The IMI suite of supply chain solutions supports fulfillment in multi-company, multi-site and multi-channel environments.

After completion of the acquisition, the Catalyst SAP practice business segment is expected to be merged into CDC Global Services, which provides consulting and outsourcing services across a variety of technologies and industries.

Microsoft Crafts Single Code Base for ERP Apps

Microsoft Corp. is developing a common code base for all of its Dynamics ERP (enterprise resource planning) applications, a company executive said Wednesday.

That will allow Microsoft to release new versions of the software more quickly, and make it easier for customers to switch from one application to another, according to Kirill Tatarinov, vice president of Microsoft Business Solutions.

The division handles the Dynamics line of products, which includes ERP applications such as GP (formerly Great Plains), SL (formerly Solomon), AX (formerly Axapta) and NAV (formerly Navision), as well as the company's CRM applications.

Microsoft's ERP products came from a spate of acquisitions earlier in the decade when it decided to enter the business applications market. The original plan was to merge the ERP lines into a single product, but Microsoft later decided against it.

However, "we never stopped working on convergence," Tatarinov said. "That's been our strategy. That remains our strategy."

Having one code base will allow applications to share the same user interface and controls, such as now are shared between AX and NAV, Tatarinov said. The code base will also encompass database functions, APIs (application programming interfaces), business intelligence capabilities and communications technologies that enable VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) and instant messaging, he said.

Microsoft learned a "tremendous" amount about ERP after buying Great Plains Software Inc. in 2001 and Navision in 2002, Tatarinov said. Users won't ever see a single Microsoft ERP product for all markets, since Microsoft realizes that business have different needs, he said.

However, users at Microsoft's Convergence 2007 expressed some confusion over the different product lines.

"I don't understand why they have so many different products," said Lars Jalve, financial manager for Transas Ltd., a company that makes navigation equipment for ships and managing harbors.

Transas uses the NAV product, but Jalve suggested it might be easier for customers if Microsoft had just one ERP product and then offered modules with different functions that customers could purchase separately according to their needs. A product such as AX, which is aimed at large enterprises, might have functions that would appeal to people who are on ERP packages aimed at mid-size businesses, he said.

Hans Grappi, leader of project management for a waste disposal company in Switzerland, was shopping for an ERP system to install in five disposal plants that have recently become part of the company. So far they've installed SharePoint, Microsoft content management system, and have a very dated version of the AX ERP application.

Grappi said is company is interested in what Microsoft has to offer, but the product set is too broad. "You can get lost in all of the different elements," he said.

Microsoft CRM Price Slashed, Partner Hosting Addressed

By David Sims

TMCnet Contributing Editor

At Microsoft’s Convergence 2007 Copenhagen customer event, Microsoft officials say it is hosting firms from around the world that are “committed to delivering on-demand customer relationship management (CRM)” products based on Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0, formerly code-named “Titan,” due out later this year.

Partners building new on-demand products on Microsoft Dynamics CRM include Mondo A/S, a Danish IT services company; JayThom, a hosted and on-premises Microsoft Dynamics CRM provider in Australia, and Increase, a British-based hosted Microsoft Dynamics CRM provider.

These new partners join what Microsoft officials call “an extensive range of existing partners around the world that deliver on-demand products for Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics enterprise resource planning (ERP) products.”

Microsoft has also announced that it plans to lower the subscription licensing fees paid by its global hosting partners for Microsoft Dynamics CRM by approximately 40 percent. The company says the price reduction is “consistent with Microsoft’s long-standing strategy to deliver more affordable CRM technology through on-premise and partner-hosted deployments as well as the new Microsoft Dynamics CRM Live service.”

Dynamics CRM 4.0 offers a software platform that is multi-tenant and scalable, and supports multiple languages and currencies. By using a single code base for on-premises and on-demand deployments, customers are able to choose whichever model suits their business and IT needs, and to change their option over time if their needs or preferences change.

The software giant has a ticklish problem to deal with — it wants to develop its hosted applications, but needs to keep its huge partner community happy. Companies are generally resistant to using third-party hosted CRM, and many analysts see the significant price drop as a way of luring such reluctant customers to Microsoft’s on-demand CRM.

Last month, Microsoft released a pair of Windows Vista updates, one of which is “specifically a performance booster for the new operating system,” according to company officials. This move shows that, as would be expected, performance remains a top concern for computer sites, and especially for CRM, dependent on high-speed database access.

Issues addressed by the “performance booster” update are speed of wake-up from hibernation and quicker time calculation for the movement of large files.

Performance problems generally can have many sources, Microsoft officials say, including insufficient memory, outdated chipsets, and poorly-written applications. A prime source of poor performance, however, is disk file fragmentation. It can cause such performance issues as slow boot-up, sluggish Web browsing, slow application loading, and delayed file access.

Server fragmentation issues can, of course, cause further-reaching issues due to the high-volume constant access of server data. “High-speed access to databases and CRM applications is obviously crucial both for company personnel and, today through the Web, directly by the public. CRM applications, once only used for internal employees on the phone, now interface with Web applications so that customers and even employees can interact with the company online,” Microsoft officials say.

David Sims is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Don't forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users.

HR Technology Advisors & T.H.G. Sales Automation Releases Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Benefits Brokers

New Client Management System for Benefits Brokers Leverages Existing Microsoft Technologies

Marblehead, MA – October 16, 2007 — HR Technology Advisors (HRT), a national, independent human resources and benefits technology consulting firm and reseller, in a joint venture with Microsoft Partner T.H.G. Sales Automation (T.H.G.), has taken Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM (Customer Relationship Management) 3.0 Professional and adapted it to fit the business needs and workflows of the Employee Benefits Brokerage firms. In addition to rich, core functionality fully integrated into Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Dynamics CRM allows brokers to track group benefits, pension, and individual policy information, manage service issues, monitor prospects and renewals, conduct mail merges, automate their own unique internal workflows and much more.

“In an ever evolving market, our benefits brokerage clients need to stay ahead of the competition. As their businesses become more complex, HRT’s customers will now have access to a CRM system designed to be a natural extension of Microsoft Office and Outlook®, providing a familiar and intuitive work environment that fosters user adoption and productivity,” says Don Rowe, Principal, HR Technology Advisors. “Because Microsoft CRM provides seamless integration with software employees are already using, those employees find it very easy to navigate, helping companies improve productivity, control costs, and maximize return on investment.”

In addition to the Outlook integration, the Microsoft CRM for Benefit Brokers system integrates with handheld devices and Microsoft SharePoint, enabling brokers to collaborate in real-time with their customers via the Web through the deployment of customer portals. Brokers will be able to buy the system and host it themselves or lease it with third-party hosting. Users can access the system from their desktop inside of Outlook or independently via the Internet. The flexibility of Microsoft CRM also enables firms to make modifications to their system to fit their specific business needs.

For more information about Microsoft CRM for Benefits Brokers, please contact HR Technology Advisors at 508-520-9800.

About HR Technology Advisors, LLC

HR Technology Advisors (HRT, http://www.hrtadvisors.com) is a national, independent technology brokerage and consulting firm focused entirely in the HR & Benefits technology marketplace. Unlike many others, HRT is not a manufacturer or builder of technology. Instead, we are independent and objective. Our approach is simply to find the best vendors available in the marketplace and bring that technology to our clients. We broker best-of-breed technology and provide consulting support to ensure appropriately solution implementation and successful adoption. HRT’s clients include principally Employee Benefit Brokers and their employer clients.

About T.H.G. Sales Automation

T.H.G. Sales Automation is a recognized industry expert in implementing CRM solutions on a global basis. T.H.G., a Microsoft Certified Partner, offers a comprehensive line of products and services including Project Management (needs analysis, requirements gathering, and functional specifications), Design and Development, Implementation, Training, Analytics/Reporting, and Support based on your choice of CRM solutions. T.H.G.'s staff has more than 100 years of combined experience in the CRM industry. They have pooled their expertise to develop a logical approach to designing and implementing CRM solutions that lead to successful outcomes for their clients. T.H.G. Sales Automation makes it their business to improve the way you do business.

About Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Microsoft Dynamics CRM gives every customer-facing employee the information they need to truly impress customers. With Microsoft CRM, you can create a centralized repository of customer data that sits neatly alongside Microsoft Office and Microsoft Office Outlook - the applications your employees probably use every day. From Outlook, employees access Microsoft CRM sales, marketing, and customer service modules to make sales decisions, market products, solve problems, and get strategic views of the business. It’s CRM that works - because it works the way your users already do, works the way your business already does, and works the way technology should.

Contact:

Don Rowe, Principal
HR Technology Advisors, LLC
Phone – 888-520-0980
drowe@hrtadvisors.com

Microsoft Launches Next Wave of Business Communications Software

Customers report savings of 25 percent to 30 percent from VoIP, conferencing software; more than 50 partners announce new products and services.

October 16, 2007: 12:15 PM EST

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft Corp., and Jeff Raikes, president of the Microsoft Business Division, announced the worldwide availability of Microsoft's unified communications software, taking the first step toward streamlining workplace communications and helping reduce the cost of the average corporate voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) system by half.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)

"In the next decade, sweeping technology innovations driven by the power of software will transform communications," Gates said. "Working with partners, we're making rapid advances that will enable fundamental advances in the way people communicate and collaborate at work."

Joined by customers and partners, the Microsoft executives launched unified communications and VoIP software that includes the following:

    -- Microsoft(R) Office Communications Server 2007. Software that delivers
      VoIP, video, instant messaging, conferencing and presence within the
      applications people already know and use such as Microsoft Office
      system applications and upcoming versions of Microsoft Dynamics(TM) ERP
      products and the Microsoft CRM release due later this year
   -- Microsoft Office Communicator 2007. Client software for phone, instant
      messaging and video communications that works across the PC, mobile
      phone and Web browser
   -- Microsoft Office Live Meeting. The next version of Microsoft's advanced
      conferencing service that enables workers to conduct meetings, share
      documents, utilize video and record discussions from virtually any
      computer
   -- Microsoft RoundTable(TM). A conferencing phone with a 360-degree camera
      that captures a panoramic view of meeting participants, tracks the
      speaker and can record meetings
   -- Service pack update of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. The industry's
      leading e-mail, voice mail, calendaring and unified messaging platform

"Unified communications software will transform business communications as fundamentally as e-mail did in the 1990s," Raikes said. "Today, Microsoft is in the VoIP game, and our customers and partners are already winning with better economics and new business opportunities."

Dramatic Business Results for Customers

Gates and Raikes were joined today by hundreds of customers (http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies) reporting dramatic time savings due to more efficient communications and cost savings of 25 percent to 30 percent over traditional communications technologies. Gibson Guitar Corp., Global Crossing, L'Occitane, Quanta Computer USA Inc., Sanofi-Aventis, The Shaw Group Inc., Virgin Megastores and Volvo Group were among the customers that joined the event to discuss the positive impact of Microsoft technology on their business.

"We are deploying Office Communications Server 2007 globally, and already people are seeing substantial time savings and productivity gains," said Etienne de Verdelhan, chief information officer with L'Occitane, a leading global retailer of natural ingredient cosmetics with more than 900 stores in over 60 countries. "Not only are we able to launch new business communications with just one click, but user setup and administration is extremely simple, which is critical for a company growing at our rapid pace."

Supporting these findings, Forrester Consulting found in a study commissioned by Microsoft that organizations may achieve significant productivity improvements and cost savings with unified communications. The Forrester study,(1) created from the results of 15 in-depth interviews of Microsoft unified communications customers, found that these customers can achieve more than 500 percent return on investment (ROI) over three years by deploying Office Communications Server 2007.

Partner Support

More than 50 partners joined Microsoft to announce new products and services built on Microsoft's unified communications platform. These partners include the following:

    -- Systems integrators. Seven hundred ninety-three partners have achieved
      Microsoft's UC Specialization in less than four months since Microsoft
      opened the program. These partners are trained to help customers deploy
      Microsoft unified communications software.
   -- Telephony providers. Three global telephony leaders are announcing
      their road maps to build next-generation software applications on
      Microsoft's voice platform:

      - Nortel Networks confirmed pending availability of five software-based
        solutions and applications to enhance Office Communications Server as
        part of the Innovative Communications Alliance
        (http://www.innovativecommunicationsalliance.com). Nortel also
        confirmed it is on track to more than double the number of Office
        Communications Server certified engineers in the UC Systems
        Integration practice.
      - Ericsson announced the Ericsson Enterprise Mobility Gateway, which
        will be built on VoIP call management in Office Communications Server
        to bring office communications to any mobile device, reducing mobile
        costs and maximizing existing investments.
      - Mitel Networks Corp. announced plans to develop a software-based
        solution that leverages Office Communications Server's VoIP call
        management capabilities to meet the specialized telephony needs of
        small and medium-sized businesses in vertical markets.

   -- Independent software vendors. Independent software vendors announced
      plans to incorporate presence and click-to-communicate features from
      Microsoft's unified communications platform into their software
      applications. In addition, SAP AG plans to integrate Office
      Communications Server with Duet software, which is jointly developed
      with Microsoft and provides access to SAP processes and data through
      Microsoft Office applications. This will enable business users to see
      presence and to click to communicate while working within Duet.
   -- Phone and device manufacturers. Seven manufacturers announced global
      availability of 15 new Microsoft UC-qualified phones and devices today,
      increasing choices for customers. Microsoft is working closely with
      more than 15 strategic partners to develop new UC-enabled endpoints
      including handsets, wireless phones, webcams and laptops. Conferencing
      leader Tandberg also announced its plans to build a video and
      webconferencing solution incorporating Microsoft unified communications
      software to ensure that customers can maximize their investment in
      existing infrastructure.

Continued Commitment to Interoperability

Microsoft also unveiled Unified Communications Open Interoperability, a telephony system qualification program, to give customers the assurance that Microsoft unified communications software works with their telephony systems. A list of qualified products, including eight products from five companies that have already received the qualification, is available at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=87482.

To view the keynote address, learn more about Microsoft's unified communications software or download evaluation copies, customers can visit http://www.microsoft.com/uc.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

(1) The full Forrester report, titled "The Total Economic Impact(TM) Of

Microsoft Unified Communications Products and Services," can be viewed

at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/uc/default.mspx

Local manufacturer implements Microsoft CRM

Expandasign produces and exports portable signage solutions to a global market from its factory in South Africa. Since 2003, Expandasign has partnered with Durban-based solution provider, Epages.net, to manage the challenges of dealing with multiple customers across different time zones.

The first stage of this process was the implementation of an online ordering system which allows the worldwide sales team to create quotes and place orders 24 hours a day.

The original system was recently rewritten in Miscrosoft .NET to enable Expandasign to take advantage of the interoperability and flexibility of .NET services."The online ordering system has many custom requirements," comments Marketing Director, Penny Macpherson."One of Expandasign's main issues revolved around incomplete information which required communication with the salesperson. Orders are received throughout the night during USA and Australia business hours. Queries sometimes had to wait a full working day to be resolved which affected turnaround times," she said.The problem was resolved by creating custom order forms which ensure the salespeople capture all of the information required to produce an order. An order which is incomplete cannot be submitted. Various checklists provide reminders about things like artwork, deadlines and delivery addresses. This has resulted in fewer queries and improved turnaround. The orders are checked and imported directly into the Accpac ERP system which calculates material requirements and creates a job specification.Having removed much of the manual process associated with production, the management team has been freed up to focus on sales and marketing. As a Microsoft Gold partner and one of only two companies in KZN with a Microsoft CRM competency, Epages.net is well placed to assist Expandasign in formalising its marketing campaigns.Expandasign has implemented Microsoft CRM to track and manage sales campaigns, advertising and lead generation. Its powerful capabilities allow the company to create targeted marketing campaigns and, more importantly, measure their success in terms of sales. Microsoft .NET Web services have been used to connect the online ordering system to the ERP and the CRM system to create a 360° view of the sales process.Marketing manager, Lynsey Hammond, comments: "Orders are being received from all over the world in addition to ad hoc enquiries through our Web site. With the CRM system, we can track how the order or enquiry was generated and use this information to inform our future marketing efforts."Expandasign will use the sales module to remind its salesforce of key industry events such as trade shows and conferences, ensuring they contact their customers to place orders.Because Microsoft CRM has a familiar interface and is integrated with Outlook, getting users to adopt the system has been easier and training times have been reduced.

Will the real Microsoft Online initiative please stand up

So Microsoft's rebrands its years-old SaaS offerings and we all jump on it and cover it as news. The press does this for a lot of reason, not the least of which is well, it is news. Someone has got help the enterprise keep track of Microsoft's endless list of online initiatives. But one interesting take on the news, from InformationWeek's Mary Hayes Weiser, is that the "Online services" announcement was just smoke and mirrors. The real SaaS play, she says, is Microsoft Dynamics Live CRM, formerly code-named Titan. This is Microsoft's answer to Salesforce.com announced in July. Microsoft boasted that Dynamics Live has over 100 customers.
She notes that Dynamics Live CRM is Microsoft's only "multitenant" offering, meaning that customers share the application software while their data remains separate. This software sharing drives down costs (Dynamics Live CRM is priced at $39 to $59/month per seat), but the separate data stores offers security, flexibility - all those things that enterprises want to see happen with their data. (*Note, this is not to say that Dynamics Live CRM itself is somehow more secure or flexible than other methods. But that's the reason behind the multitenant modality.)
So right now, 100 customers doesn't make Dynamics Live CRM much of a threat. Perhaps it never will be. Salesforce.com is hardly standing still, and has upped the development ante for itself, allotting $25 million toward startups that build apps for it. This is an obvious direct response to Microsoft's Dynamics Live CRM strategy - which is to have its mega-channel sell Dynamics Live CRM to SMBs based on lots of third-party and custom software. But the multitenant thing is worth watching, Hayes Weiser says:
"But the level of CRM Live's success, unquestionably, will have an impact on Microsoft's overall SaaS strategy, and whether it sees multitenant architecture and subscription-based pricing making sense and producing palatable profits for other types of business apps."

Career Services extends Microsoft CRM across organisation

Especially attractive is the ability to customise elements of the software while still having the familiar look and feel of the base product, says general manager

Career Services information systems general manager Craig Le Quesne says the goal was to understand more about how and why people use its services.
"To do this effectively, we need access to a consolidated view of a customer's interactions with us - whether they take place over the phone, during face-to-face meetings, or via the website's online chat service," he says.
At that time, there was already a project under way to implement Microsoft Dynamics CRM in the Career Services call centre. In fact, Career Services was one of the first local organisations to implement Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3, says Le Quesne, and the users were happy with it.
"We decided it was a fantastic building block," he says.
Especially attractive was the ability to customise elements of the software while still having the familiar look and feel of the base product.
"First and foremost we are not a development shop," Le Quesne says. He says that's what Microsoft and partner Simpl, engaged after a competitive tender, do best.
"Essentially we pretty much run on a Microsoft platform," Le Quesne says.
Staff are constantly being trained on Microsoft tools including Outlook, Explorer and Word among others. Le Quesne describes this training is a "long-term investment" and it was another attraction of Microsoft's software. It is very closely integrated with Outlook, he says.
"That keeps it as familiar as possible for users."
Le Quesne says the timeline for the project is unusually luxurious, with the go-live date being set to coincide with the new financial year, July 1 2008.
Business analysis happened between January and March this year and the implementation and customisation is being worked on now. Testing will occur after Christmas and that leaves plenty of time for staff training for the 180 users, he says.
"That's the most important part, the user training and change management."
Simpl will replace an existing custom-built database with a more standard Microsoft SQL database as part of the project.
Le Quesne says that database was built in .Net but Career Services can't sustain it.
"It served us well but it's not worth investing any more in," he says.
Le Quesne says when the project went to procurement, through the Government Electronic Tenders website, it became clear that many organisations had the technical ability to do the work.
Given that, the key considerations in selecting Simpl centred on cost and project management expertise.
Simpl Group chief operating officer John Hanna says project management is a foundation pillar of the company.
"We applied a particularly heavy weight to it on this project," he says.
Hanna says the Career Services project was one where the company could make a difference to the lives of a lot of New Zealanders, and "making a difference" is one of the company's mantras.
It was also an opportunity to hone its CRM skills.
"We had a good CRM team before the project, now it's the best in the country," he says.
Simpl is working hard to stay engaged with its alumni of past employees and this project was also one where that came into play. A former employee was flown back from Peru to be involved in the project's early stages, Hanna says.
Le Quesne was unwilling to put an exact figure on the project's budget, except to say it is less than half and million dollars. He says overall he feels like he has full information about the project all the time and can look the Simpl team in the eye and "ask hard questions".

Rediscover ARGUS: Realm Business Solutions Emerges as ARGUS Software

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ARGUS is no longer just the name of the commercial real estate industry's most widely used software, it is now the name of the company that created it. As of today, Realm Business Solutions is known as ARGUS Software.
"This name change illustrates our position as a leader within the commercial real estate industry," says Mark Kingston, president and CEO of ARGUS Software, the Houston-based company formerly known as Realm Business Solutions. "ARGUS has strong brand recognition and value within the industry. It is known across global real estate markets for making the process of real estate valuation easier, more transparent and more efficient, which makes it a worthy name for our company.
“We have experienced explosive growth in the past year,” adds Kingston, who notes that through a combination of acquisitions and new product development, ARGUS Software has built a product portfolio that includes solutions for nearly every aspect of the commercial real estate lifecycle.
Through the process of expanding their product offering, Kingston and his team became acutely aware of the problems companies within the industry today are having exchanging data between their internal systems and outside sources as well as dealing with differing currencies, methodologies and practices when managing their transactions and portfolios.
“Given this reality,” he says, “we are going to begin assembling integrated suite offerings similar to the way Microsoft® bundled the Microsoft Office suite years ago. Our object is interoperability of data between products, languages, currencies and practices, which in turn provides the efficiency, transparency and consistency the industry is craving.”
ARGUS Software will release its new product suites shortly. Along with the corporate name change, all of ARGUS Software's products will also be known by ARGUS with product descriptors as part of their names. For example, the company's valuation product is now called ARGUS Valuation - DCF, while the product previously known as DYNA will be known as ARGUS Asset Management.
"The new name formats were created with our customers in mind," Kingston says. "The descriptors make it easy for commercial real estate professionals to easily determine which ARGUS Software products are best for them."
To celebrate its new name, ARGUS Software also is rolling out four new products: ARGUS Enterprise, ARGUS Development Budget, ARGUS Lease CRM and ARGUS Zone.
ARGUS Enterprise
ARGUS Enterprise is a comprehensive software platform that brings together web-based tools for cash flow analysis, budgeting, forecasting, asset management, portfolio sensitivity and enterprise reporting. The platform boasts all of the pieces real estate companies need to perform at their highest levels and centralizes all the tools needed for 21st Century real estate analytics.
ARGUS Enterprise helps manage data across multiple systems and multiple projects, bringing everything and everyone together. It can be used in every part of a real estate organization from acquisitions and asset management to property management and sales. The suite is extremely scalable and will create significant value for real estate organizations of any size.
ARGUS Development Budget
ARGUS Development Budget solves several problems for developers by linking into job costing systems to obtain specific details about construction costs. The program can then compare budgets to the actual amount of money being spent, helping developers control their costs and manage overruns.
The application also helps developers forecast how much money they are spending by period providing a clear understanding of project cash flow. The software also provides developers with the tools they need to manage project contingency and benchmark construction projects.
ARGUS Lease CRM
ARGUS Lease CRM is a customer relationship management product geared toward the people who lease space and negotiate with existing and perspective tenants. It is designed to integrate with any property management system and provides deal workflow management, lease pipeline tracking and contract management.
Built with Microsoft CRM as its engine, ARGUS Lease CRM also manages lease renewals and keeps track of any lease options by flagging specific blocks of space if existing tenants have expansion or first right of refusal options. Perhaps most importantly, the ARGUS Lease CRM helps leasing agents compare different leasing scenarios, allowing leasing agents to optimize deals and see how they impact a property’s overall financial performance.
ARGUS Zone
ARGUS Zone is a private collaboration network for our clients. This network is a simple solution to a common problem. The real estate industry depends on the movement of information, both inside and outside individual firms. E-mail is the industry’s primary collaboration tool, and it has become inefficient.
ARGUS Zone uses a "hub & spoke" approach to information management. Members create secure websites for properties or projects, and invite colleagues to share information in these secure workspaces.
Teams work more efficiently because the information they need is organized in an intuitive collection of utilities that store files, assign tasks, track discussions, and keep everyone up-to-date, anytime and anywhere.
"These new products will revolutionize the way the industry works," Kingston says. "They illustrate ARGUS Software's dedication to serving its clients and its focus on innovation and problem solving."
The Company anticipates the re-branding process will take between four and six months to complete. Meanwhile, all phone numbers, e-mail addresses, product support options and other material means of communication for the company will remain in place. See the Company website at www.ARGUSsoftware.com or www.Realm.com for more information.
About ARGUS Software
ARGUS Software provides universal software and service solutions that reveal, optimize and realize value for the commercial real estate industry. ARGUS Software’s products have become the industry standard and provide the complete solution for managing and growing your commercial real estate portfolio. More than 8,000 of the industry's leading owners, managers, financial institutions, brokerages and REITs trust ARGUS Software solutions to improve the visibility and flow of information throughout their critical business processes. These processes include property management, asset valuation, portfolio management, budgeting, forecasting, reporting and lease management.

Taking SaaS to market

The SaaS model is gaining ground with vendors focusing on it in a big way. By Neeraj Gandhi

The concept of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) has been brewing for quite some time now. Starting life as the ASP model it has moved on and evolved into a hosted model with greater flexibility than the one-size-fits-all of its early days. The idea of hosting software applications for the enterprise has generated a considerable amount of interest amongst vendors, as also among enterprises for the flexibility that such a model offers.

According to Gartner Inc., worldwide total software revenue for SaaS within the enterprise software markets is projected to surpass $5.1 billion in 2007, an increase of 21 percent over 2006.

Some popular applications like payroll, accounting, CRM and video conferencing are working successfully on the SaaS model. In fact, there have also been initiatives on part of vendors to offer ERP on a SaaS platform. Microsoft recently launched its ERP as a service offering and Sage Software introduced its CRM solution through a similar model. This trend of delivering software-based services over the Internet is an indicator of a shift in the way IT consumption is being viewed today.

“The e-ticketing, travel portals and e-banking phenomena that have caught our imagination are all manifestations of a trend towards conducting business on the Web. This shift in thinking–away from a hard copy only scenario to a preference for online–has been from the end user perspective. It has now begun in the enterprise segment as well. This is manifested as a willingness to explore new models for IT deployment–including software-as-a-service,” says Sushant Dwivedy- Lead, Microsoft Business Solutions, Microsoft India.

Thomas Abraham, Managing Director, Sage Software India Pvt Ltd puts forward a word of caution saying, “SaaS is a relatively new concept in India. There are applications like Sales Force Automation (SFA), CRM and accounting and payroll that use the SaaS model. The key issue to be addressed is that of data security. Some large enterprises may be nervous about migration of data, and could decide to exit the hosted offering. While data security should not be seen as a concern, companies should clearly identify how data migration can be done.”

Adoption: bit by bit

Enterprises are acknowledging SaaS as an efficient model for their businesses. This growing interest is fuelling the momentum of its adoption. In fact enterprises across verticals are embracing this model. Presently enterprises that are providing sales automation, logistics and financial services are in fact successfully operating on the SaaS model.

There is quick adoption of SaaS by product and service companies like banking, finance and health. However in percentage points, says James D Foy, CEO & President, Aspect Software, “The adoption level of SaaS today is in single percentage points because of the fact the market is new. This level will increase to 25 to 40 percentage points gradually in the years to come as more enterprises adopt this model.”

In addition, “Education, marketing automation, logistics/procurement sourcing and human resource are also looking at SaaS as a model for operation,” says Munish Gupta, AVP Program Management, High Tech, GlobalLogic.

“Companies that are suppliers to large Indian and global firms such as automotive spare part manufacturers, textile and pharmaceutical companies are driven both by the desire to improve their bottom-line and also by increasing pressure from larger partners to streamline their supply chains,” adds Dwivedy.

SaaS enables ‘quick start up’ with limited investments. It also allows the companies to move the application in-house should they desire that after using the hosted model and testing the applicability for their business. “SaaS is a power solution with zero up-front capital requirements. It is scalable and provides a great platform for SMBs and they can benefit from it in a big way,” adds Foy.

According to Dwivedy of Microsoft, SaaS will increase the affordability of ERP solutions by eliminating upfront capital expenditure and also eliminating the need for in-house IT resources and additional infrastructure.

He says, “We believe that the SMB segment will be the first off the bat in India to embrace the SaaS model. Among them, enterprises with global ambitions and desire to rapidly improve their business process in an increasingly competitive market will be the leaders in the pack.”

Go to Market

The SaaS model is fast gaining ground, and the market is receiving considerable focus from vendors. In such a scenario there are lots of offerings for the enterprise. There is growing trend of ‘Push towards the market’ as far as SaaS is concerned, and vendors are leaving no stone unturned to target their customers.

Vendors are resorting to an aggressive marketing campaign to penetrate the Indian market for SaaS. Sage Software has introduced a number of marketing initiatives to drive traffic to its Web site, in.sagecrm.com and to induce trials. Likewise a radio campaign and promotion through the Web is being done. They have also launched a PR campaign to create awareness in the market.

“We have an installed base of entry-level sales automation customers as well as ERP customers who are being targeted to migrate or sign up for this service. We are also expanding our partner community to address new markets like Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, TN and Karnataka to attract first movers in this space. Our focus will be to induce trials first. That gives us the customer touch points to move the relationship forward,” says Abraham.

Aspect Software provides solutions on the SaaS platform for contact centers, and is deploying measures to seize this opportunity. “We are basically focusing on creating a strong partner network to take our solutions to the market. Besides this, we are also doing branding in a focused fashion to make our products known,” says Foy. In addition the company is also resorting to conferences, undertaking promotional events and trade-based communication promotion.

Microsoft on the other hand has created a strong partner framework for its SaaS strategy, and also plans to create awareness about the benefits of this IT consumption model. “Our strategy is based on three delivery models, allowing for the greatest degree of customer choice and partner opportunity. In the On-Premise model software is installed at the customer location and licensed to the customer. In the Hosted by Partner model the infrastructure and software is owned and licensed by the partner, who purchases Microsoft software licenses. Lastly, in the Hosted by Microsoft model we own the infrastructure and provisioning of the software, which is provided as a service to customers,” says Dwivedy.

An affordable alternative

Businesses are adopting SaaS as an effective, affordable alternative to traditional packaged software. Vendors are marketing their products aggressively. However it’s not just solutions that they are looking at. In fact what they are demanding is customized or on-demand solutions that best serve their needs. This demand could range from customized ERP or CRM solutions to automation of services etc. However, just repackaging enterprise products as on-demand solutions is not enough.

“We see enterprises climbing on to this bandwagon with requirements for Lead Management. This is a huge pain area for many enterprises and they are happy to have a standalone solution to address this need. The other challenging demand from enterprises would be to have customized offerings in a hosted model. This gets complex as implementation costs shoot up and really the only benefit to companies will then be no infrastructure investment and maintenance,” says Abraham of Sage Software.

Dwivedy is of the view that enterprises look for automation. He says, “Enterprises are increasing focus on automating their supply chain. This helps them increase productivity by connecting to their supply base in real time. Deploying infrastructure on their end can be expensive. Adopting ERP through a hosted model enables a cost-effective approach to supply chain automation.”

He adds, “The second scenario gaining ground is the need for CRM with the distribution chain and channel partners. Again hosted delivery enables broader availability and access for the partner ecosystem that an organization works with.”

It should be noted that it is not merely the automation of services, availability of solutions through the distribution chain, or even low subscription cost that enterprises are demanding. There is an increasing demand of security, and usability among businesses.

Gupta of GlobalLogic says, “Enterprises today look for performance, security, usability, integration with back-office applications, scalability and multi-browser compatibility, when it comes to SaaS solutions.”

The SaaS solution platter

The Sage CRM solution comes with built-in analytics and dashboards, and sales, marketing, and service professionals can immediately act on relevant business, customer, and market events. The Sage CRM sales force automation solution within Sage CRM is designed for SMB sales teams. It allows sales teams in enterprises to effectively manage, forecast, and report on all phases of the sales cycle.

Aspect Software on the other hand offers solutions on the SaaS platform for contact centers. Its flagship solution, Aspect Unified IP 6.5 provides automatic call distribution (ACD), predictive dialing, voice portal capabilities, Internet contact, workflow management, multichannel recording and quality management. Another of its products named Performance Edge offers campaign management, workforce management and quality control.

Similarly Microsoft is offering hosted ERP. Hosting the Microsoft’s Dynamics Suite makes ERP solutions more affordable by eliminating upfront capital expenditure and also eliminating the need for in-house IT resources and additional infrastructure. Customers will have to pay on a per user per month basis. “Microsoft believes that this new offering will allow a larger set of SMBs in India to adopt and benefit from ERP services,” adds Dwivedy. In addition it also offers Windows Live, Microsoft Dynamics and Hosted Exchange.

Forecast for SaaS

It can be said that the stage for transformation from a traditional on site IT model to the SaaS model of IT deployment has been set. What needs to seen is how fast this transformation will take place. Although Indian enterprises have now become acquainted with SaaS, large-scale adoption is missing. Many are currently working on this model and reaping its benefits. At the same time there are businesses, mainly SMBs, who still have to adopt this model.

According to Dwivedy, “In India, the change will happen in multiple areas. The change in the SMB segment will be led by ERP deployments which is often the first step to a broader IT deployment. Enterprises that are constantly looking to leverage technology to deliver richer, better experiences to users will use next generation Web technologies to combine a high level of customer interactivity with the broad reach of the Web, rather than having to choose one or the other.”

Abraham of Sage Software is of the view that SaaS will play an increasing role in the future as companies complete their experience cycles and there would be some concrete data on the benefits of the same.

He adds, “The models and technologies will evolve making SaaS more customer friendly to implement and use. SaaS will always be a great generator of leads for application vendors as many organizations will try before they decide to buy or rent. There will be many more applications available on hire as the trend would be for organizations to minimize investments in infrastructure and trained manpower to manage the infrastructure and applications.”

That said, clear monetary advantages are required if SaaS is to be a successful proposition.

Gupta of GlobalLogic predicts a new level of adoption for SaaS saying, “SaaS in India will have to be integrated with mobile phones, because business users are likely to have data-enabled mobile phones. This tight integration along with the use of Web 2.0 technologies can help Indian SaaS providers build next-generation applications.”

He adds, “SaaS in India will not be limited to just enterprise applications. It will also extend to collaboration. One day in the near future, SMBs may need only mobile clients with Web browsers. Everything will be on the server and integrated with the mobile phone. We are not yet there, but 2008 will see the first steps in this direction.”

Bidvest Bank selects Microsoft CRM for client services

Recently launched Bidvest Bank, a leading provider of specialised foreign exchange and banking services in southern Africa, through its retail brand, Rennies Foreign Exchange, has implemented Microsoft's Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to improve services to clients.

Microsoft Gold Certified partner, IS Partners, was responsible for the implementation.

Bidvest Bank is unique in that its niche success includes foreign exchange, trade finance and related activities.

The CRM solution encompasses contact management, sales force automation and basic case management components to address the bank's key objectives of improving customer retention and profitability, as well as customer growth and efficiencies.

"Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 has provided a central repository of client-based information to be used by staff and executive management. Sales and marketing staff, for example, are primarily responsible for capturing client contact and related information into the CRM system," says Heath Turner, CRM director at IS Partners.

Bidvest Bank's product sales stages include client contact, application documentation, credit evaluation and facility documentation. The processes involved in the various sales stages have been automated for each product category, such as credit and non-credit, for example.

Basic case management has further ensured that any queries and service-related issues can be captured against a client and assigned to the staff member responsible. Excel templates have also been provided for data take-on, and have been populated from the bank's source systems.

"All Bidvest Bank's transactional data resides in two core systems. These include the treasury, derivatives and capital markets system and the debtors and collections management system," explains Turner. "The CRM system is fully integrated to ensure new or updated customer information, which resides in the CRM system, can be directly uploaded to the operational systems."

Gavin Bower, Director Treasury and Corporate Banking at Bidvest Bank, says: "The Microsoft-based CRM solution offers ease-of-use, a good fit within our existing environment, a lower total cost of ownership as well as the ability to customise the application to our specialised requirements.

"IS Partners demonstrated to our satisfaction that Microsoft CRM would meet or business objectives and deliver value, while their methodology ensured a sizable project such as this could be more successfully implemented in smaller, manageable stages."

Microsoft CRM for Law Firm

The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Frank Sinatra’s Come Fly With Me album, the cover of which ol’ Frankie always hated because, as he said, it “looks like a United Airlines ad:”

Microsoft Dynamics CRM and CRM4Legal by Client Profiles Inc. have been chosen by Reed Smith LLP, one of the 20 largest law firms in the world, to provide CRM technologies and consultancy services.

The technology and services from Microsoft and Client Profiles are designed to “complement and enhance the firm’s ongoing commitment to advancing its reputation as a global leader in client service among law firms,” according to company officials.

Reed Smith has more than 1,500 lawyers in 21 offices in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. In 2007, Reed Smith was named to the BTI Client Service A-Team, ranking fourth among law firms in the United States for developing and maintaining superior client relationships, according to company officials.

Gregory Jordan, firmwide managing partner at Reed Smith and chairman of the senior management team and executive committee, said the firm is partnering with Microsoft and Client Profiles “on a firmwide, global CRM initiative to use technology to help us identify new opportunities for strengthening, broadening and deepening our existing client relationships. The technology will also enable the firm to streamline our methodology for integrating new attorneys that join laterally or through combinations with other firms.”

CRM4Legal for Microsoft Dynamics CRM is designed to provide the firm with a global, firmwide database that combines contact data, relationship information, client-matter specifics, practice group specialties, lawyer experience and competencies, opportunity management, client plans and analysis, as well as key financial information.

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CRM and ERP vendor NetSuite and CyberSource, a vendor of electronic payment and risk management products, has announced that CyberSource has become NetSuite’s global payment strategic partner.

NetSuite officials say they have “integrated support for CyberSource’s global payment acceptance services, risk management products, and payment security services,” which they contend gives NetSuite customers “a strong set of payment tools.”

CyberSource eCommerce payment management services available to NetSuite’s customers worldwide include support for credit cards, debit cards and electronic checks, fraud prevention services and token-based, secure storage service, which NetSuite officials say “helps keep sensitive payment data out of merchants’ daily business operations.”

“NetSuite has long been in on-demand ERP, CRM and eCommerce applications,” said Carolyn Brackett, vice president, channels and alliances at CyberSource. “As their customers seek to grow their businesses, CyberSource will provide payment products to help NetSuite customers capture and keep more of that revenue.”

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Salesforce.com has announced that Cort Software, a provider of human capital management products, has selected the full suite of Salesforce on-demand CRM applications and the AppExchange.

Cort officials say they were looking for help to “improve customer service and produced immediate cost-saving benefits, allowing the company to shorten customer response time with less staff dedicated to taking service calls.”

Mike Grigsby, director of marketing at Cort Software, said the vendor needed “a way to share information across our sales, marketing and service organizations so everyone could easily access customer data and react to opportunities. We have centralized all of our information for our customer facing staff as well as for our finance.”

Cort Software selected the Salesforce Platform to tailor its Salesforce SFA, Salesforce Marketing and Salesforce Service & Support applications. In addition, Cort Software downloaded a number of applications from the AppExchange including Account Intelligence, an AppExchange application from OneSource Information Services that delivers ready-to-use information on more than 16.5 million public and private companies and 18 million executives worldwide.

The Salesforce Platform also enabled Cort Software to integrate with Intuit Quickbooks and other legacy systems so that Cort Software’s sales representatives can determine a customer’s contract status and renewal dates.

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Contact center firm Convergys has donated $20,000 to Gawad Kalinga to support that organization’s programs and further its mission to eliminate poverty in the Philippines.

According to the Manila Sun-Star, Convergys “supports Gawad Kalinga’s vision for the Philippines: for the country to be a slum-free, squatter-free nation. By providing land for the landless, homes for the homeless, and food for the hungry, the organization hopes to ultimately provide dignity and peace for every Filipino.”

“Corporate citizenship is a core value at Convergys Corporation. As a company and as individuals, we work to improve lives and build stronger communities. This investment in the betterment of our community is an important step toward creating a strong, healthy environment for our children, families, friends, and neighbors,” Marife Zamora, Convergys vice president and country manager, told the newspaper.

The Sun-Star reported that Zamora, along with other Convergys executives Clint Streit, Ivic Mueco, and Stephen Slade, presented the Convergys check to Danilo “Danny” Lagahid, Cebu Provincial Coordinator for Gawad Kalinga, at the opening of Convergys’ newest contact center in Cebu.

To date, “Gawad Kalinga has changed lives in over 900 communities throughout the Philippines. Through programs including, Shelter and Site Development, Child and Youth Development, Health, Productivity, Community Empowerment, Environment and Community Values Formation, Gawad Kalinga is working every day to make the Philippines a better place to live.”

Convergys’ six state-of-the-art customer care facilities in Metro Manila and two in Cebu City employ approximately 11,000 men and women.