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11/18/05 - Microsoft CRM Update In July, Microsoft announced their intentions to skip version 2.0 of their CRM product and go directly from v1.2 to version 3.0. At they same time they stated their intentions to deliver the product in the fourth quarter. At the time, I weighed in saying that I doubted that would happen. Recently, they announced that shipments would begin in December. So they were right and I was wrong. It would be easy for me to omit any reference to last summer's comments. However, I want you to know that I try to hold myself accountable. If my prediction turns out to be wrong, I want to be the first to point it out. So, first let me say congratulations to Microsoft for making good on their delivery commitment. However, I still want to hold Microsoft accountable to their other commitments with this release. Specifically, they are promising more functionality, more integration, and better "software as a service" capabilities. Microsoft claims over 5,000 installations. So as the product starts to roll out, I am asking you 5,000 Microsoft CRM users to weigh in. Did Microsoft make good on their product commitments? Gary Lemke, Publisher (Share your thoughts)
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TOP NEWS OF THE WEEK (more)
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GoldMine 7.0 Corporate Edition - the latest version of the FrontRange customer relationship management (CRM) software - delivers broader integration with external systems, enhanced workflow tools and higher performance to help small- to medium-size enterprise (SME) users raise the personal productivity of their sales and marketing teams and, therefore, increase their organization's profitability.
RightNow is offering Siebel users six months of RightNow CRM for free-providing them with a compelling alternative to the uncertain future they face as a result of the proposed acquisition by Oracle. With complete marketing, sales, and service functionality provided via an on demand model RightNow delivers rapid time-to-benefit and greatly reduces total technology ownership costs.
ServicePower announced the release and availability of SERVICEPower version 6.2. SERVICEPower version 6.2 provides additional scheduling capability, which allows jobs associated with one another to be grouped together on the schedule; for example, all jobs to be carried out at the same site can be associated and completed with a single visit by the same service technician or team.
Inova Solutions announced Inova LightLink 5.1, the latest version of its data integration software. Inova LightLink is the core of the Inova Performance Optimization Suite, and offers expanded database and XML support, providing customers with greater flexibility in managing their key data.
Tigerpaw Software has completed work on its version 10 release, Tigerpaw CRM+. Chief among the new additions are a revamped and much-improved user interface, brand new features like project management and subcontractor support, enhanced business analytics highlighted by a new dashboard, and expanded customization tools.
Interactive Intelligence announced availability of a major upgrade to its flagship IP contact center software, Customer Interaction Center. First, the release introduces a new session initiation protocol-based Interaction Media Server, which provides a dramatic increase in IP system scalability and reliability by transferring the majority of all media processing to the dedicated media server
Rogers introduced mFORMS, a wireless solution designed to help small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) leverage the latest mobile and wireless technology to increase productivity and lower costs. The mFORMS solution is built upon technology from HP, Microsoft and TrueContext. Rogers mFORMS will enable SMB field staff to convert less efficient paper and voice-based data exchanges - such as work orders - into wireless communications using their Windows Mobile-based devices as an electronic clipboard.
Data Collection Resources announced the general availability of CEMS Release 5.2. CEMS 5.2 offers intuitive new features that make managing and reporting agent performance less complex and more robust. New features include easier management of pre-recorded events, additional agent management protocol, added real-time capabilities and the addition of new management report templates to the CEMS' management reports library.
InstantService announced the release of exciting new additions to its popular chat and email management solution. New Integration Panels and more Optional Data Fields have been added to enable integrations with other applications, including CRM and knowledge base solutions.
Soffront announced a more powerful Advanced Outlook Integration Module. The Advanced Outlook Integration Module allows users to link incoming and outgoing Outlook email messages to any record within their CRM system.
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FEATURE WEBCAST (more) |
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"From Tactical to Strategic: The Workforce Optimization Maturity Model"
Bill Durr, Principal Solutions Consultant, Witness Systems
Asking about the maturity of a contact center is certainly a delicate matter. But it is a question that has to be asked. In this webcast, we explore a maturity model that gives you new insights into your own organization and explores how you can make your contact center a change agent for the entire business. What you will hear will help you move from a tactical to strategic way of thinking, especially in the area of workforce optimization. So if you are dealing with the unprecedented pressures brought on by the Internet, hyper-competition, and voice over IP along with the familiar demands of cost-cutting and employee retention, this webcast is for you. Register now to receive your complimentary copy of Witness' latest white papers: "Reinvention of Workforce Management" and "Reinvention of Quality Monitoring."
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Research Notes (more)
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Why Microsoft CRM Is the 3rd Choice - In this document, Microsoft CRM is given a comprehensive review including "Global Perspective" by CRM expert, Mr. Paul Greenberg, auther of "CRM at the Speed of Light" and Executive VP of CRM Association US.(GCCRM)
|  | | Siebel + Oracle > SAP? - Oracle just announced to acquire Siebel. Technically speaking, this will make Oracle the number one CRM vendor in the world, even though the official legitimation has to wait until early 2006. There is however, another saying that SAP is catching up fast that she will likely replace Siebel as the CRM leader one day or the other. Would Siebel + Oracle > SAP in CRM in the coming years? We don't know yet. But it makes sense to have an individual review on each of them to see how they are doing so far and listen to what 443 survey respondents have talked about their image and product.(GCCRM)
|  | | Why Oracle CRM Is Only the 4th Choice - An Independent Survey and Perspectives from Global / China Experts on Oracle(GCCRM)
|  | | How to Complete the Customer Self-Service Picture - Enterprise Reporting has become a critical component of Customer Self-Service. This is especially true in service businesses where customers place a premium on information and online information delivery, and account management is increasingly becoming the most efficient (and desired) way to interact with and serve them. (Actuate)
|  | | Optimizing Online Service to Build Effective Customer Relationships - Customer service plays an important role in the shopping decisions consumers make across sales channels. As their satisfaction with online service wanes, online buyers turn to staff-intensive, phone-based service, and will make purchasing decisions based on past service experiences. Amid elevated stakes for high-value buyers, consumers are seeking improved access to knowledgeable service staff and speedy resolution of their increasingly prevalent service issues. Consumers will continue to find phone and e-mail to be the most satisfying channels for service resolution. (ATG)
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GET YOUR OWN COPY OF CRMAdvocate
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White Papers (more)
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Grow Your Business - The Value of Knowledge in the Contact Center - Conact centers are the information clearinghouse of 21st-century business. What the website does not broadcast, the contact center must know.(Cincom)
|  | | Stinky Branding - The smell of armpits, dirty laundry, and soiled diapers are all now highly sought-after scents, as companies, pursuing smelly-branding have all lined up, excited for having exclusive rights to aromas which they can use to bring odor to their lifeless products. Like, peachy-smelly-bras or chocolate-smelly-underpants and so on.(ABC Namebank)
|  | | A Philosophy of Success - Sam Falletta built a successful career with incept Corporation over the past eight years. Incept provides direct marketing services for commercial businesses, from medium size to Fortune 500 firms, and is a leader in the blood donor recruitment industry. Falletta was recently promoted to the position of President.(Incept Corporation)
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A fine pair for SMBs: CRM and e-commerce - A little more than a year ago, when Oriel Wines opened for business, the people there knew they would need an integrated, one-stop shop for back-office, front-office and e-commerce applications.(SearchCRM)
|  | | The Failed Search for a Single View of the Customer - Organizations continue to struggle to improve customer satisfaction.(Intelligent Enterprise)
|  | | Companies Find Faster Call Resolution Key to Cost Center Profitability - As companies face a backlash against offshore call centers, or are simply finding it was not the right solution for their particular business, they are bringing service back to the U.S. This doesn't need to be cost-prohibitive however. Nearly 80 percent of the time and cost of providing customer service is spent on service resolution.(CRMToday)
|  | | RightNow Tries To Woo Siebel Customers - "When you have nervous customers, you'll have companies that want to soothe them, and in doing so, win them away," said Yankee Group analyst Sheryl Kingstone. "If there are cases where Siebel can't comfort its customers that everything will be okay after the acquisition, another company could get those customers."(CRMDaily)
|  | | Oracle Says DOJ Has Cleared Proposed Siebel Acquisition - "We are extremely pleased with the DOJ's decision and we believe we are on track to close the deal in the first quarter of next year," said Oracle spokesperson Bob Wynne in a statement.(CRMBuyer)
|  | | Disaster Planning for the Contact Center - While business continuity planning may seem like a daunting task and the time better spent on more current critical needs, the day after a disaster should never be a starting point to reflect on what should have been done.(Contact Center Today)
|  | | Winners, Losers of Corporate Image 2005 - Corporations that develop clear messages and clearly communicate their stories to both the internal organizations and the external forces are the real players. The rest are either still discovering who they are or just making stories as they go along or periodically falling flat on their faces.(ABC Namebank)
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Case Studies (more)
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Kronos Incorporated with Citrix GoToAssist - Citrix GoToAssist interfaces with Kronos' internal products and provides a strong support solution for Kronos. Key benifits that Kronos sees include reduced costs while improving quality of service, increased customer satisfaction and loyalty, improved first-call resolution, measured success with comprehensive reporting functionality, and Citrix can have someone up and running within 48 hours with no additional infrastruction needed.(Citrix Online)
|  | | Barrie Hydro Adds Energy to its Help Desk with LiveTime - The implementation of LiveTime Help Desk has allowed Barrie Hydro to benefit from built-in reporting.(LiveTime)
|  | | Bank of America with IEX - Customer satisfaction scores have exceeded the bank associates goals as a result of using adherence scores as an incentive for identifying behavior that exceed team goals.(IEX Corporation, a Tekelec Company)
|  | | Witness Helps 4 Wheel Parts - By deploying eQuality ContactStore for IP within its Cisco converged voice and data environment, 4 Wheel Parts has been able to achieve the following results * Increased agent monitoring efficiency by 30 percent * Increased sales and order volume by eight percent * Enhanced training and development program.(Witness Systems)
|  | | MessageOne Improves Salesforce.com with InsideScoop - Sales users are no longer spending time to copy and paste date into Salesforce.com. Instead, they get all the research they need for companies and contacts right at their fingertips.(InsideScoop, Salesforce.com)
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Nov 7-9, 2005: The Customer Contact Conference - Join the Customer Care & Services Forum (CCSF) and DCI at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort in Scottsdale, AZ, November 7-9, 2005, for the premiere of the Customer Contact Conference: Turning Strategy into Action.
|  | February 27 - March 01, 2006: Linking Customer Feedback to Business Results - Looking for new ways to get more actionability out of your customer data? Interested in innovative ideas for responding to your customers to drive business improvement and profitability? Welcome to IIR's 10th annual Linking Customer Feedback to Business Results.
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| CRMAdvocate Stock Index |
| CRMSI | 44.76 |  | 1.97% |
| Dow Jones | 10,720.22 |  | 0.42% |
| Nasdaq | 2,220.46 |  | 1.47% |
| S&P 500 | 1,242.80 |  | 0.93% |
| Top Gainers |
| salesforce.com | 29.23 |  | 2.30 |
| RightNow | 17.39 |  | 1.68 |
| NICE | 45.02 |  | 0.94 |
| Top Losers |
| APAC | 1.46 |  | -0.14 |
| Interact Intell | 5 |  | -0.11 |
| Onyx Software | 2.97 |  | -0.09 |
| Complete Stock Index |
| As of close 11/17/05 | |
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