CRM News: Must Read: Vista: Changing the World One PC at a Time

Hello!

SaaS vendors welcome SAP to the hosted midmarket party
InfoWorld - Jan 26, 2007
"As well as validating the hosted approach, both Francis and Nelson also believe that whatever SAP, Microsoft, and Oracle come up with will trail what their companies already offer because those vendors lack the eight years of experience both firms have already gained in SaaS. "They're offering on-demand as a loss-leader product," Francis said, with the three vendors tending to position their hosted applications as more of an on-ramp to their main applications business, their on-premise software families. As part of its midyear . Oracle, meanwhile, sees SaaS as applicable to all its applications but expects to put more focus on its on-demand operations at some unspecified point in the future.
http://www.infoworld.com/archives/emailPrint.jsp?R=printThis&A=/article/07/01/26/HNmidmarketsap_1.html

CRM News: Must Read: Vista: Changing the World One PC at a Time
CRM Buyer - Jan 29, 2007
CRM Buyer features CRM product information, reviews and comparisons. It is an independent source updated each day... Everyone seemed to realize the world was changing, and PCs would never be the same. On launch, people lined up around the block to get in, and this was the first and only time an OS was given the same kind of treatment that a game system or a hot toy like Tickle Me Elmo or the Cabbage Patch Kids received. Microsoft was a star, Bill Gates was a rock star, and Windows 95 was a best seller. Windows 98 to XP SP2PCs were changed, and for the rest of the '90s, PCs gradually became kind of boring. There was a huge focus on enterprise and, for much of this time, it seemed the industry had almost forgotten about the user. Growth was good, but it laid a foundation for a market collapse in the next decade. In addition we (well, Al Gore) discovered the Web, and we gradually moved from processor-centric computing.
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/must-read/55422.html

EBay Posts Big Q4
Forbes - Jan 25, 2007
“We are pleased with such strong financial results and look forward to making Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system widely available to all customers next week. ”In the second quarter of 2005, Microsoft had reported earnings of 33 cents per share. That was during the launch of Xbox 360, Microsoft SQL Server 2005, Visual Studio 2005 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3. One year later, these products have contributed over $1 billion of revenue growth, the company said. More On This TopicCompanies:.
http://www.forbes.com/markets/2007/01/25/ebay-internet-update-markets-equity-cx_rs_0125markets16.html?partner=moreover

Microsoft Takes Manhattan
Forbes - Jan 30, 2007
As broadband Internet becomes an even more central component in the PC’s architecture, no one knows what the operating system will look like in five years. Meaning no one knows if Microsoft will have a major, big-deal Windows reboot ever again. Did I mention Microsoft is throwing a lot of money at this launch? On Tuesday morning, the software giant hired spandex-clad acrobats to drape Vista and Office logos on the side of a building. Then they took their guests to the swanky Cipriani banquet hall, across from Grand Central Station. Sitting in rows inside the old Bowery Savings Bank building, about 150 reporters and photographers dined on fare ranging from smoked salmon to spinach- and ricotta-stuffed cannelloni. (The sea bass was wonderful; the lamb chops were a bit dry.
http://www.forbes.com/2007/01/30/windowns-vista-launch-tech-intel-cx_df_0130windowslaunch.html?partner=msn

Independent Online Edition > SME
Independent - Jan 26, 2007
But, while acknowledging that it is facing increasing competition, it is seeking to become the world leader in its field and hence is aiming for dramatic growth. John Simpson, senior director, sales consulting at Oracle, says that one of the ways the company is going about this is by installing a customer relationship management (CRM) system. He says CRM is vital because acquiring new customers, looking after existing ones and making sure none are lost is vital for growth. MessageLabs is using it to help it focus on improving sales, marketing and client service by measuring, respectively, leads per member of the marketing team, deals per head of the sales team and tickets per head in the client service team. It is a sign of how even comparatively small companies are turning to the sort of technology that was once the preserve of the largest corporates in their attempts to become more competitive and to achieve ambitious growth plans. Moreover, high-technology companies are not the only ones recognising the benefits of using increasingly sophisticated software to help them run their operations. Software companies that have traditionally dealt with larger businesses, such as SAP and Microsoft as well as Oracle, are all seeing growing interest from smaller customers as it becomes more widely recognised that installing high-performance technology need not be as expensive as had been thought... It is a sign of how even comparatively small companies are turning to the sort of technology that was once the preserve of the largest corporates in their attempts to become more competitive and to achieve ambitious growth plans. Moreover, high-technology companies are not the only ones recognising the benefits of using increasingly sophisticated software to help them run their operations. Software companies that have traditionally dealt with larger businesses, such as SAP and Microsoft as well as Oracle, are all seeing growing interest from smaller customers as it becomes more widely recognised that installing high-performance technology need not be as expensive as had been thought. Many companies stick to CRM or some other distinct application, such as finance or human resources management. Indeed, CRM even has its own subset, called sales force automation (SFA), which has as its goal the streamlining of the entire sales process to make businesses more efficient, improve customer interactions, increase customer satisfaction and save time and money. Paul Fielder, applications sales manager with Explorer, an Oracle partner based in Leeds, says: “SMBs [small and medium-sized businesses] tend to buy software to solve specific problems. This means they end up with a lot of different systems, which makes it very difficult to get business intelligence.
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/sme/article2184716.ece

Internet TV Is Finally a Reality Show
BusinessWeek - Jan 29, 2007
"The digital decade is happening," Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates told the audience at the Consumer Electronics Show in January as he unveiled the company's own IPTV offerings. "People want to do things with their content across multiple platforms. "At least Gates and other digerati are convinced that will be the case with a new generation of tech gear, software, and services. This time around, however, both consumer electronics companies and computer companies such as HP, SanDisk (.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jan2007/tc20070129_246549.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_technology

The INQUIRER Top 3 Hug-and-Make-Ups
Inquirer - Jan 26, 2007
So for all you star-crossed lovers out there, here you go with something for the weekend, The INQUIRER's Top 3Hug-and-Make-Up stories. Microsoft and Stac Electronics. Microsoft ramming the OS with a ton of utilities isn't new, kids. In 1993, itplanned disk compression for DOS 6. 0 called DoubleSpace but it had earlier talked to market leader Stac about licensingits Stacker software. Stac sued, Microsoft countersued and eventually, the arguing ended with Microsoft taking a stakein Stac and paying it royalties... Not very gentlemanly, is it?1. Tom Siebel quit Oracle because Larry Ellison didn't get CRM, or so the story goes. Siebelset up what turned out to be the 800-pound gorilla of the sector but when times got tough, Ellison's Oracle snapped upthe company in 2005. That's rough love for you. Now all eyes are turned to what Ellison will pull to bring downSalesforce. com, another company that is run by a former employee, Marc Benioff.
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37243

Mac and Windows ...proprietary parts
CNET News.com - Jan 30, 2007
iPod iMac and probably iPhoneYet even for you the "Mac Defender" deep down a frustration has been building because with all the control over the hardware and software your Macs are not that much better then the PCs. Microsoft doesn't make hardware (nevermidnd the mice and the xBox) and yet they manage to tie in hundreds of different manufacturers together under a crapy beige box that is definetely not as sharp looking as a Mac. and yet this box can run anything you can through at it. Please don't argue about the work office environment, there are so many old legacy aps... that are no longer made but still work and the managers would not replace them, how about accounting software? quick books for mac is not going to cut it if you have a large payroll. how about a CRM database? Sure you can argue that there is a program like Final Cut Pro for video editing that has become popular and indeed it is a wonderful product, but with the intel chip ported this tool is going to be short lived on the mac only platform and nine out of ten of the major video production houses are running PCs. 90% of the TV you watch is edited in AVID, sure there is a Mac version but the real NITRIS system is built on the PC platform, can't evne touch the Games issue unless you are like stuck in 1999... that are no longer made but still work and the managers would not replace them, how about accounting software? quick books for mac is not going to cut it if you have a large payroll. how about a CRM database? Sure you can argue that there is a program like Final Cut Pro for video editing that has become popular and indeed it is a wonderful product, but with the intel chip ported this tool is going to be short lived on the mac only platform and nine out of ten of the major video production houses are running PCs. 90% of the TV you watch is edited in AVID, sure there is a Mac version but the real NITRIS system is built on the PC platform, can't evne touch the Games issue unless you are like stuck in 1999.
http://news.com.com/5208-12_3-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=24558&messageID=233270&start=0

National Business Review (NBR) - Business, News, Arts, Media, Share...
National Business Review - Jan 29, 2007
That’s mighty, as in huge – it’s a wonder that it all fits on a single DVD, or two DVDs if you count the 64-bit version as well. But there’s something in there to please everyone, or offend everyone, depending on the mood of the observer. Admire the luscious Aero user interface, which at last makes those graphics coprocessors in modern PCs do some useful work. Or grumble that Apple has had something similar for years and even Sun has been playing with that stuff... ”Sean McBreen, director of Microsoft New Zealand’s developer and platform strategy group, sees Gadgets as likely to appear within corporate environments as well. Microsoft Dynamics (the old Great Plains, Solomon, Axapta and Navision) is already working on reporting Gadgets that will be able to provide managers with constant indicators of how their business processes are running. There’s also a Dynamics CRM Gadget on the way. “It’s a completely open platform, and I’m really excited by the number of independent vendors coming up with new ways to expose data with tools such as Gadgets. We’re expecting widespread adoption of this technology. ”






29-Jan-2007.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=17168&cid=3&cname=Technology

Da Vinci Twist at British Vista Launch
BusinessWeek - Jan 30, 2007
Vista was first made available to business customers back in November but the software behemoth has now officially launched the operating system to consumers, calling the debut its most important since Windows 95. Speaking at the launch, which was held at the British Library in London, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said: "This is a special occasion, we've worked hard to build a new software platform and we are so excited to see what people will do with it. Microsoft executives showcased elements of Vista including updated security and improved search technologies, as well as the new 'Ribbon' user interface for Office 2007. For more details on the functionality offered by the revamped Vista, see silicon. Microsoft revealed a number of businesses that will be using Vista's desktop 'Gadget' technology—i.
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jan2007/gb20070130_602986.htm?chan=globalbiz_europe_more+of+today's+top+stories

Take care.

Upgrading to Vista? Proceed with caution

Hi!

SAP looks to better serve information workers
InfoWorld - Jan 24, 2007
Moore expects that Microsoft will work on further integration between Office and its Dynamics ERP and CRM families. At present, he doesn't see much conflict between SAP's mySAP products and Dynamics. "We generally don't serve the same market," Moore said. "There is some overlap with Business One and All-in-One. "Business One is SAP's offering for small businesses, while All-in-One is aimed at the midmarket, both areas where Microsoft's Dynamics has an established presence.
http://www.infoworld.com/archives/emailPrint.jsp?R=printThis&A=/article/07/01/24/HNsapinformationworkers_1.html

Upgrading to Vista? Proceed with caution
InfoWorld - Jan 22, 2007
“I’m a cautious guy, and typically, I’d be doing the server upgrades first, one at a time, and follow those with the desktop upgrades. But Microsoft releasing three new platforms at once doesn’t happen very often. That’s put us in a spot, plus we were moving to Microsoft CRM as well. ” So at the moment, Connelly has separated his server upgrades from his desktop upgrades, but he is forced to roll out several new desktop platforms simultaneously while still testing a new server back end. “So far, it’s working fine, but it’s definitely a worry. ” The cautious perspective to be sure, but that’s not to say it can’t be done. Justin Ainsworth, senior IT manager at Sierra Nevada Brewing, is in the same boat but is taking the Redmond product blitz in stride.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/01/22/04FEvista_6.html

Salesforce.com goes from sizzling to merely hot
iT News - Jan 22, 2007
Oracle last month reported that new license sales of business apps in its fiscal second quarter rose less than it had predicted. And new rivals are coming on. Microsoft just released a preview version of CRM software it says can be updated to all customers simultaneously using "multitenant" technology. By midyear, Microsoft plans to host the software from its own data centers, putting it in direct competition with Salesforce. Meanwhile, online accounting software company NetSuite - owned in part by Benioff's ex-boss, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison - is preparing to go public. All of which raises the question of whether Salesforce will need to dip into its US$4. 7 billion market cap for an acquisition that can help it expand.
http://www.itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=44651&src=site-marq

SmartCatalog™ Releases Powerful and Intuitive New Rule Manager
PR Web - PR Web (press release) - Jan 19, 2007
com), a best of breed guided selling and configuration solution for CRM and eCommerce, announced today the full version release of the new SmartCatalog™ 6. In order to provide an easy, intuitive experience during the rule building process, the Rule Manger has been re-architected to utilize a tree view, drag and drop GUI along with a simple, easy to use, rule dialog builder. The new version will allow users to create rules in four easy steps and requires no coding or programming... In order to provide an easy, intuitive experience during the rule building process, the Rule Manger has been re-architected to utilize a tree view, drag and drop GUI along with a simple, easy to use, rule dialog builder. The new version will allow users to create rules in four easy steps and requires no coding or programming. The Rule Manager has been completely designed in Microsoft. 0 Forms Application and is written in Microsoft's C# language. The Rule Manager connects directly to any Product Catalog or database in order to retrieve the necessary variables required to build and execute complex rules. SmartCatalog™ enables companies to increase revenues and profits by making the quote-to-order entry process fast, easy and 100% accurate.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/1/prweb498713.htm

Salesforce ups the ante
InfoWorld - Jan 22, 2007
com delivered on its 2006 promise to give ISVs and corporate developers a new programming language called Apex with its. Apex will allow developers to build any kind of SaaS (Software as a Service) application on the Salesforce AppExchange platform... Because it is a fully hosted solution, Apex will also allow coders to create data models and automate business logic and user interfaces without needing to tune it to any specific hardware, database, or operating system. Denis Pombriant, principal at Beagle Research, called Apex part of the New Garage movement that is bringing innovation to the smaller ISVs and hit larger ISVs wedded to older architectures, Pombriant said. Like Siebel before them, Microsoft, Oracle, and SAP are trying to co-opt the innovation, engaging with customers only to convert them. “That is the state we are in with these big companies. They are trying to blunt the impact by making it a checklist,” Pombriant said. But there are still many IT professionals voicing objections to deploying a SaaS solution. Pitfalls still exist from storing critical data offline and from the possibility of downtime which requires ironclad SLAs with punitive provisions for lack of service, Pombriant said.
http://www.infoworld.com/archives/emailPrint.jsp?R=printThis&A=/article/07/01/22/04NNwinter07_1.html

Tectura joins Serenic Navigator partner channel
Earthtimes.org - Jan 23, 2007
-based Tectura, Inc. has become a reselling partner for Serenic Navigator. Tectura is a leading Microsoft Dynamics partner and provider of Microsoft-based ERP, CRM, and technology solutions to mid-market companies, larger enterprises and their divisions. Tectura provides software, consulting, and IT implementation services to more than 5,000 clients in a multitude of industries, including not-for-profit. Through these services, Tectura delivers business process improvements, greater efficiency, and a clear competitive edge to clients in over 60 countries. Customers benefit from unmatched experience and a solid commitment from more than 1,750 dedicated Tectura employees with over 70 offices throughout 21 countries across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. "We are thrilled to now represent Serenic Navigator, clearly one of the leading financial management products for nonprofit organizations," said Kathy Nohr, Dynamics NAV Practice Lead at Tectura.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,48570.shtml

CRM News: Government: SaaS App Growth Expected in Public Sector
CRM Buyer - Jan 19, 2007
CRM Buyer features CRM product information, reviews and comparisons. It is an independent source updated each day.
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/dzW3jFKNq4px4R/SaaS-App-Growth-Expected-in-Public-Sector.xhtml

E-Commerce News: Portals & Search: Yahoo Earnings Beat Street
E-Commerce Times - Jan 24, 2007
1 million unique visitors per month in the quarter, the firm said. Sterling Market Intelligence analyst Greg Sterling noted that Yahoo CFO Sue Decker -- who will soon leave that post to head the company's advertising business -- sounded a fairly conservative tone in looking ahead for Google. Yahoo has areas to build on as it wars with Google and, to a lesser degree, Microsoft, including strong foundations in local search and mobile search, which could be a key to unlocking the value of local search, Sterling said. Yahoo scored a victory when Google shut down its live-answer service -- Yahoo Answers now garners more than 90 percent of open ended search query traffic, which may be important in social networking settings, he added.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/As8eIpAfCfAd3r/Yahoo-Earnings-Beat-Street.xhtml

NewsFactor Network | Belgian Newspapers Take On Yahoo
NewsFactor Network - Jan 19, 2007
According to Copiepresse, Microsoft has been working with the newspaper group on a compromise solution. Representatives from Copiepresse, Google, and Yahoo were not immediately available for comment.
http://www.newsfactor.com/news/Belgian-Newspapers-Take-On-Yahoo/story.xhtml?story_id=103009GRQQN6

Why Good Times Are the Most Dangerous
BusinessWeek - Jan 23, 2007
Times were indeed good, or so we thought. Then the bottom fell out. One February morning, our CEO handed me a letter from the Business Software Alliance (BSA), the organization empowered by major software companies like Microsoft (.
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jan2007/sb20070123_476563.htm?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz+index+page_keith+mcfarland

Good luck!

Microsoft Debuts Multitenant CRM Offering to Partner Community

How's things?

Microsoft previews next version of Dynamics CRM
InfoWorld - Jan 11, 2007
Titan, which will probably be officially known as Dynamics CRM 4. 0 will be the first Microsoft CRM release based on a multitenant architecture and using a single code base to support three types of usage -- on-premise, hosted by partners or Microsoft. The Microsoft-hosted offering will be called Dynamics Live CRM, the third member of the vendor's growing Live software-as-a-service (SAAS) product family, joining Windows Live and Office Live. Multitenancy is the ability of a SAAS vendor to host multiple customers' applications on a single server instead of dedicating servers to individual customers. Since multitenancy requires fewer servers, it's a cheaper way for vendors to run their hosting operations and they can pass some of those savings to customers, offering them a less costly service. Microsoft plans to give around 300 of its partners early access to Titan in the first quarter of this year, increasing the number to reach more than 1,000 partners during the second quarter, Wilson said. The idea is to give partners time to get comfortable with the concepts of multitenancy and hosted software in general as well as to encourage them to start building extensions to Titan and providing Microsoft with feedback on the new version... "We want to make sure we do terrific job getting CRM Live up and running in North America and get all the operating kinks out," Wilson said. "We aim to move it out internationally as fast as we can. "Microsoft will offer an online marketplace as part of the CRM Live service where partners can offer users technology extensions and as a way to build a community, Wilson said. The marketplace is similar to what Salesforce. originally established with its AppExchange site, as a place where users could access add-ons to its on-demand CRM software. Like rivals SAP and Oracle, Microsoft is looking for ways to give more users more ways to access its CRM applications.
http://www.infoworld.com/archives/emailPrint.jsp?R=printThis&A=/article/07/01/11/HNmicrosoftnextcrm_1.html

Microsoft Debuts Multitenant CRM Offering to Partner Community
CRM Today - Jan 15, 2007
“We can deliver the right CRM solution for different companies based on their size, their business requirements, their user roles and their IT capabilities. If their needs evolve over time, we can grow with our customers, and provide them with a CRM platform that fits their needs for the life of the business. ”
Availability
The “Titan” release of Microsoft CRM and the new Microsoft Dynamics Live CRM service are targeted for mid-2007. The Microsoft Dynamics Live CRM service will initially be available in North America; plans for international expansion of the service will be announced at a later time... today announced that it is previewing the next major release of Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM – code-named “Titan” – with a broad range of partners through the company’s Technology Adoption Program (TAP). The new version introduces an advanced multitenant architecture, and uses a single code base to support on-premise deployments as well as software-as-a-service (SaaS) deployments through hosting partners and through the upcoming Microsoft Dynamics Live CRM service. It also uses a single code base to support on-premise deployments as well as software-as-a-service (SaaS) deployments through hosting partners and the upcoming Microsoft Dynamics Live CRM service. The “Titan” release is an evolution of the popular Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3. 0 product, and will offer a smooth upgrade path for existing on-premise and SaaS customers. It reinforces Microsoft’s long-term strategy to provide customers with the power of choice, with the ability to choose on-premise or SaaS deployments and access rich CRM capabilities within Microsoft® Office Outlook®, through a Web browser, and from a broad range of mobile devices.
http://www.crm2day.com/news/crm/121073.php

Salesforce.com launches Winter 07 release
InfoWorld - Jan 16, 2007
com launches Winter 07 release | InfoWorld | News | 2007-01-16 | By Ephraim Schwartz. com released its Winter 07 upgrade to its CRM software as a service on Tuesday, with immediate availability. But customers waiting for the release of one of its key components, the Apex programming language, will have to wait a little bit longer... html","leftColumn"); Calling Apex a developer preview, with Beta not promised until "later this year" Salesforce. com is trying to extend its reach by establishing itself as a "platform" company, according to Ariel Kelman, senior director of platform product marketing, not unlike other major enterprise platform vendors such as SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/01/16/HNsalesforce_1.html

SAP paints new UI face for mid-market
VNUNet.com - Jan 17, 2007
Although the software is available in the UK withimmediate effect, users will have to wait up to six months for the more advancedProject Muse interface that was first shown off last June. Project Muse is thecodename for a new GUI that taps Adobe Flash and other tools to create a richerfront end. The user-interface changes are in line with broader efforts to demystify SAPby offering simpler tools for accessing data. SAP has a partnership withMicrosoft called Duet that builds bridges between Office applications and SAPback-end data, for example... Project Muse is thecodename for a new GUI that taps Adobe Flash and other tools to create a richerfront end. The user-interface changes are in line with broader efforts to demystify SAPby offering simpler tools for accessing data. SAP has a partnership withMicrosoft called Duet that builds bridges between Office applications and SAPback-end data, for example. SAP will also apply its Best Practices portfolio of horizontal and verticalbusiness scenarios so that firms can mimic the activities of peers and largeroperations. “It’s a very strong market for SAP and the challenge for these customers isto keep the functionality of [enterprise SAP installations] but keep thedeployment time down to two to three months,” said Dale Vile of analyst firm.
http://www.vnunet.com/itweek/news/2172792/sap-paints-ui-face-mid-market

Enterprises Bridge the Gap Between CRM Systems and Survey-Based Data...
CRM Directory (press release) - Jan 14, 2007
The software also ensures customer feedback is reliable and uses security mechanisms from cookies to complex ballots to prevent multiple submissions. 0 can be integrated with various enterprise database solutions such as Microsoft's SQL Server, Active Directory and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Zumbrunn added that, in 2007, Data Illusion plans to roll out an updated version of Feedback Server that can integrate with CRM systems from Siebel, Oracle, SAP and SalesForce.
http://www.crmdirectory.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=632&Itemid=59

SAP Business One Support Chicago, IL - Alba Spectrum
24-7PressRelease.com - 24-7PressRelease.com (press release) - Jan 13, 2007
This feature makes MRP application very attractive for European companies: German, Italian, French, Spanish, who establishes subsidiaries in the USA
� eCommerce and Web Based CRM. These modules are in process of being incorporated into SAP Business One set of modules. When CRM is fully available in web interface - it will be very strong competitor to Microsoft Dynamics CRM - Microsoft Dynamics GP Great Plains tandem, however with lighter functionality and potentially more easy implementation and deployment

Alba Spectrum, supporting Microsoft Dynamics, SAP Business One clients in USA and Brazil, Oracle E-Business Suite customers in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil. We would be happy to help you with cross platform integrations: SAP-Oracle-Microsoft Dynamics, cross platform data conversions, when you are switching from one of the major ERP platform to the competitor - supporting both Microsoft and Java worlds. In Chicago area we support clients in Naperville, Aurora, Wheaton, Joliet, Downers Grove, Lisle, Alsip, Villa Park, Lyons, Chicago downtown, Cicero, Schaumburg, Springfield, Batavia, St Charles, Warrenville.
http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/view_press_release.php?rID=22931

IT-Director.com - CommuniGator - small but perfectly formed!
IT-Director.com - Jan 11, 2007
They have a web-based solution, which keeps to the essentials of e-marketing. As such it enables people who have no wish to become IT technicians to create, execute and measure highly effective closed loop campaigns. In essence if you are a marketer who feels comfortable with Microsoft Outlook, then Communigator will enable you to generate collateral, identify targets, execute the campaign, manage the closure and measure the effectiveness. The outcome, if you follow their lead, will be a highly targeted campaign with a double digit response rate, and customers who are more likely to become advocates than if they were mass marketed to with bland offerings on a hope and see basis. Communigator should not be seen as just being about emails, they are about all of the digital channels which can be used as touch points with customers and prospects. The solution is configurable, so that customer preferences can be recognised. It is designed to target receptive customers with quality messages at times when they will be happy to receive the message... It comes as no surprise to find that these solutions are being looked on with great interest by the British Tourism industry, facing as it does the vagaries of the British weather. Obviously using such devices also opens up the opportunity for two-way interactions in real-time, which creates new opportunities unavailable with traditional channels. The solution is not a standalone silo, but is intended to be used to augment and complement many of the key CRM solutions found in the mid market. This is the niche for Communigator at present, so users of solutions such as Sage (who also OEM the product), Microsoft, and Siebel, amongst others, will find that the digital marketing solution is designed to fit. They will also find that Communigator can provide the professional services that are required to help ensure that the solution is integrated and adopted as part of the workflows of an effective marketing organisation. Because Communigator believe that they are capable of ensuring that people do see the sort of returns that have always been spoken of with digital marketing, they encourage people not to take up their offer of providing the solution on an outsourced basis, but encourage people to bring it in-house. To date, Communigator have developed predominately in the UK, based on a solid collection of finance, tourism and high-tech companies, but this is a solution with wide appeal.
http://www.it-director.com/technology/applications/content.php?cid=9129

Burglar-Proof Windows?
BusinessWeek - Jan 11, 2007
This is a good thing. Microsoft, similarly, tried to clean up its act in 2004 with a major upgrade to XP called Service Pack 2, and again with Internet Explorer 7 last fall. But Windows has always been promiscuous about loading software from dubious sources without asking questions. Vista won't install anything, from any source, without explicit permission. (You can turn account control off in a control panel, but it's not wise.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jan2007/tc20070111_523048.htm?chan=technology_technology+index+page_more+of+today's+top+stories

Salesforce says it's beating, mirroring Microsoft
MarketWatch - Jan 16, 2007
Chief Executive Marc Benioff casually trashed rival Microsoft Corp. Tuesday, while acknowledging that his own company is following the footsteps of the software giant. While dismissing Microsoft's announced move into Salesforce's on-demand software turf, Benioff also said that his firm is akin to Microsoft (.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/salesforce-says-its-beating-mirroring/story.aspx?guid=%7BA7713533-8E00-4506-A0EA-525F1935AAA7%7D

Tech stocks finish mixed; Symantec falls sharply - MarketWatch
MarketWatch - Jan 16, 2007
Intel, while expected to show declines in sales and profit compared to the year-earlier period, is also expected to show some improvements related to restructuring and new product releases. Tech bellwether Microsoft Corp. also saw a slight gain in its shares Tuesday, rising to $31.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/tech-stocks-finish-mixed-symantec/story.aspx?guid=%7BE44BF1AE-EE94-4C25-BDB7-E3D9310F2154%7D

JIT? What ever happened to compiled byte code?
CNET News.com - Jan 15, 2007
Don't see Fortress as yet another language to write business software in. And that doesn't include the 4GLs like Informix, 4Js, Sybase's tool, etc... It will be interesting to see what Fortress can and can't do. Most likely the performance gains won't be noticed until you start having multi-core and multi-cpu desktops en mass.
http://news.com.com/Suns+Fortran+replacement+goes+open+source/5208-7344_3-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=24206&messageID=228161&start=0

See you later.

CRM News: Must Read: Microsoft Opens CES With Vista, Kicks Apple...

How are you?

Local, Danish IT firms announce merger
Pakistan Dawn - Jan 9, 2007
I am confident that the combined synergies and tremendous demand for IT resources in Europe will put us on the right track to be one of the first IT organisations in Pakistan employing more than 1,000 IT professionals. "
Aqcel was a pioneer in the IT outsourcing and development market, and since 1997 it had been delivering development solutions based on Microsoft technology worldwide. Aqcel was also among the largest suppliers of Microsoft CRM solutions. The Aqcel Group expected a 2007 turnover of approximately $0. With the merger, Mondo expected its own turnover for 2007 to be US$18 million. "The Aqcel Group suits Mondo perfectly, and brings us a great number of benefits from day one.
http://www.dawn.com/2007/01/09/ebr8.htm

CRM News: Must Read: Microsoft Opens CES With Vista, Kicks Apple...
CRM Buyer - Jan 8, 2007
CRM Buyer features CRM product information, reviews and comparisons. It is an independent source updated each day.
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/must-read/55034.html

Study Up on Software
thestreet.com - Jan 9, 2007
Software as a ServiceA related but somewhat different trend is software as a service, the hallmark of Salesforce, which is expected to appreciate by about 14%. Rather than sell perpetual licenses for expensive software run on a customer's network, Salesforce sells inexpensive subscriptions for customer relationship management software that runs on its own servers. The company is growing steadily and helped put Siebel, a vendor of conventional CRM software, out of business. Who are the losers? First and foremost is Red Hat (RHT) , expected to lose 11. 6%, after a crummy 2006 that saw the stock depreciate by 18%. Once a highflier, Red Hat is suffering from a deflation of expectations as Wall Street worries that the entry of Oracle and Microsoft (via a partnership with Novell (NOVL) ) will damages its prospects. Although there's no evidence yet that those fears are well-founded, the company has a lot to prove in the coming year... Because it is so widely held and is still seen as a technology bellwether, Microsoft is something of a special case. It gained 13% in 2006 and is expected to gain another 8% going forward. Much of the discussion about Microsoft last year centered on Vista, the new version of Windows. Now that it's out (for business users, that is) the constant speculation about whether the company would ship on time has ended. The stock did get a bump when it became clear that Vista would finally get out the door. Now the more important questions are: When will Vista drive revenue and by how much? Much of Wall Street figures that the new operating system won't be a significant force on the business side, which accounts for the bulk of sales, until 2008. That argument has been made so many times it doesn't need to be elaborated here, but it is worth noting that some analysts say Wall Street is missing a bet.
http://www.thestreet.com/pf/newsanalysis/techsoftware/10331517.html

Infragistics Officially Opens for Business in Tokyo
Earthtimes.org - Jan 8, 2007
NET products, documentation and sample applications. A Japanese-language Website is also available both for product information and localized e-commerce sales. Back office integration, including a Japanese- localized usage of Microsoft CRM and accounting has also been completed. About InfragisticsInfragistics has been the market leader in the presentation layer components industry for over 18 years, and has matured into a multi-platform Enterprise Software products and services vendor with global reach in nearly every Fortune 2000 company. Infragistics empowers developers to build and style great application user interfaces for Windows Forms, ASP. NET, WPF and JSF platforms, and additionally offers user interface test tools, support, training and consulting services.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,41582.shtml

NewsFactor Network | Microsoft and Ford Team on In-Car System
NewsFactor Network - Jan 8, 2007
The automaker will put Microsoft's system in a dozen models, starting in 2008. The system will be optional and is likely to cost less than $1,000, officials noted. Slow Development


Microsoft has made inroads in the automotive industry in the past, with its first in-car OS in 1998. A few years later, Bill Gates predicted demand would increase steadily, and the company made a commitment to more development in the area. In 2004, Microsoft contributed some software to Mercedes and BMW, and had its OS included in some products from Nextech and Clarion. A year later, it unveiled a major revamp to its Windows Automotive software, created to help automotive designers build in-car features with speech recognition, Bluetooth, and other technologies. Road Ahead


Although Microsoft has worked for years to bring its operating system to the driving experience, consumer adoption has been slow in coming, noted Yankee Group analyst Laura DiDio.
http://www.newsfactor.com/news/Microsoft--Ford-Team-on-In-Car-System/story.xhtml?story_id=0200029PQF8K

Open Source Software Closer to Commercial Enterprise Software |...
WebProNews - Jan 9, 2007
The acronym refers to the foundational foursome of the open-source movement: the Linux operating system, Apache Web server, MySQL database and, collectively, the Perl, PHP and Python programming languages. Development tools such as Eclipse and application servers such as JBoss have also gained popularity--and trust--especially now that major vendors such as IBM, BEA Systems and Borland have adopted or supported them commercially. But what about the next step up the software ladder? Is open source ready for ERP, business intelligence or CRM?Ready or not, it's happening; the first industrial-grade applications in these areas are now emerging. And CIOs will soon need to decide how to approach these fresh options in their enterprise software catalog. As with the adoption of the LAMP players, these new open-source enterprise applications likely will find their way into the enterprise at a departmental or small-project level. As a result, "we don't see [these applications] on CIOs' agenda at all," notes Michael Goulde, an open-source senior analyst with Forrester Research. But, he warns, "CIOs should sync up with their development teams to see [where such applications] might have payback to the organization.
http://www.webpronews.com/expertarticles/expertarticles/wpn-62-20070109OpenSourceSoftwareClosertoCommercialEnterpriseSoftware.html

CRM News: Web Services: What Everyone Needs to Know About SOA
CRM Buyer - Jan 4, 2007
CRM Buyer features CRM product information, reviews and comparisons. It is an independent source updated each day.
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/aP0nrFZeBdcrX6/What-Everyone-Needs-to-Know-About-SOA.xhtml

CRM News: E-Commerce: Amazon Beefs Up Answer Service After Google...
CRM Buyer - Jan 4, 2007
CRM Buyer features CRM product information, reviews and comparisons. It is an independent source updated each day.
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/V07accDsa8166x/Amazon-Beefs-Up-Answer-Service-After-Google-Drops.xhtml

NewsFactor Network | Microsoft Leaves Critical Word Flaws Unpatched
NewsFactor Network - Jan 10, 2007
us In its first monthly patch release of the year, Microsoft published four security updates that addressed 10 vulnerabilities related to Windows and Office applications, but did not issue a patch for two critical vulnerabilities found in Microsoft Word last month. "Do not open or save Word files that you receive from untrusted sources or that you receive unexpectedly from trusted sources," Microsoft warned in December. --> Related Topics.
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=022000RB0G9M

Savaria Concord Implements Soffront CRM to Improve Sales, Lead...
Business Wire - Business Wire (press release) - Jan 9, 2007
in 2005, thereby doubling our business volume and the amount of leads we receive,” explained Ian Clark, marketing manager, Savaria Concord Lift. “Prior to Soffront, leads were manually downloaded from automatically generated. txt files into Microsoft Access and then distributed to the appropriate dealers. This process was highly inefficient and not feasible once the size of the company expanded. We needed a more efficient way to automatically manage leads from multiple websites. ” According to Clark, they looked at competing systems offered by well-known companies such as Salesforce. com and Siebel Systems prior to selecting Soffront CRM.
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070109005172&newsLang=en

Satuit Announces Another CRM Client
TMCnet - Jan 5, 2007
fixed-income strategies to institutional investors, including insurance companies, corporate pension plans, public pension funds, Taft-Hartley funds and foundations and endowments. "SatuitCRM has everything we were looking for in a CRM package without any modifications," said Tim Daley, Assistant Vice President for Oppenheimer Investment Management.
http://news.tmcnet.com/news/-satuit-crm-/2007/01/05/2216495.htm

Is Google Going to Start Marketing?
WebProNews - Jan 8, 2007
It's all about being customer-centric rather than product-driven. That's not to say that product-driven companies like Microsoft or Google do not produce good products. Apply enough money and talent and good products should result. However they will not be as appropriate as they could be to meet customer needs if customers aren't part of the dialogue. That dialogue process can be very well served by the blogging process if senior management is self-confident enough to allow it. Of course the Titanic cannot turn on a dime... Of course the Titanic cannot turn on a dime. A huge organization does not change culture in months but rather in years. CRM Magazine suggests how it can be done in an article:. See how they describe the effect on Microsoft:Robert Scoble was blogging about Microsoft independently and the company, rather than shutting him down, recognized him as an authoritative voice, which gave him the freedom to be effective.
http://www.webpronews.com/blogtalk/blogtalk/wpn-58-20070108IsGoogleGoingtoStartMarketing.html

NewsFactor Network | Microsoft Confirms NSA's Role in Vista...
NewsFactor Network - Jan 10, 2007
us The NSA's involvement with Windows Vista -- which was confirmed by Microsoft this week -- is not the first time the NSA has provided guidance to Redmond. The NSA previously collaborated with Microsoft on the best methods to secure Windows XP and Windows 2000. The agency also has been credited with reviewing the Vista Security Guide published on Microsoft's Web site. --> Related Topics.
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=02300000OA5R

EContentMag.com: Jadu Launches "Web 2.0" Content Management...
EContent - EContent (press release) - Jan 5, 2007
-based provider of enterprise content management systems has announced a range of products developed to provide 'Web 2. 0' technology to help organize information and content within an organization and enhance corporate communication. The new products range from feature enhancing modules for the Jadu CMS, such as Jadu Multimedia, which enables video casting and podcasting, to full platform products such as XFORMS Professional, an eforms system that integrates with CRM systems and enables self-service, and Jadu Intranet 2. 0, a social computing web portal for organizing, publishing, and blogging information within an organization.
http://www.econtentmag.com/Articles/ArticleReader.aspx?ArticleID=18932

Goodbye.

Automation With Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0

Nice meeting you!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See you later.

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

How are you?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

See you soon.

Fashion industry laps up IT for backend revamp

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

Take care.