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Major U.S. Bank Deploys 55,000 Seats of Iontas’ Focus Software Suite
Iontas announced that a major U.S. bank has successfully deployed 55,000 seats of Iontas’ Focus software suite as part of a Six Sigma initiative to streamline front-office operations. Iontas’s Focus software suite helps companies understand how their employees use software every day to do their jobs. Focus tracks and analyzes specific software usage metrics at a high level of detail, capturing granular information such as process duration (including time required for each step); maximum, minimum, and average values for users and groups; time spent on combined processes; transaction values; and much more.
Merced Systems Inc. Acquires Practique Associates
Merced Systems, a provider of Sales and Service Performance Management software, has announced that it has acquired Practique Associates, a UK-based Incentive Compensation Management (ICM) solutions provider. Practique Associates will operate in Europe as a wholly owned subsidiary of Merced Systems, allowing the company to continue its impressive track record of growth and profitability. Combined, the two companies offer a performance management solution that serves both sales and service organizations in a unified fashion. These sales and service organizations include contact centers, field sales, retail sales, partner operations, back office functions, and field service groups, and carry the critical responsibility to acquire, support, and ensure the loyalty of customers.
Flypaper Studio Announces Next Version with Enhancements for High-Impact Selling and Communicating
Flypaper Studio Inc., founded by the team that developed ACT! and SalesLogix CRM, announces the release of its second version, Beta II. This next version provides updated features that improve and simplify how users effectively sell and communicate over the Web with rich media presentations and other content. Flypaper’s free application was launched in Beta in Q1 of this year. The application allows professionals to create and share interactive content live or on the Web without the need for design or Flash programming skills. Later this year the company plans to introduce a Flypaper Pro version designed for business users that also want to track viewer feedback, import existing PowerPoint presentations, and integrate the application with industry standard CRM systems.
Mediware Selects Soffront CRM to Implement ClosedLoop Customer Care Program
Soffront Software Inc. has announced that Mediware Information System, Inc. is using Soffront CRM to consolidate and manage data in all areas of customer interaction. Mediware delivers blood and medication management software systems to hospitals, clinics, correctional institutions, and blood centers throughout the world. Mediware utilizes Soffront CRM as the main component of its ClosedLoop Customer Care program.
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Forrester Research on Self-Assessment within Support Organizations
Today’s support managers face a daunting task of providing high quality service and support while seamlessly navigating technology upgrades on limited budgets.
This new Forrester White Paper takes a closer look at the importance of self-assessment in providing high quality service and support while managing technology upgrades.
Download
the new Forrester White Paper! |
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| Growth of User-Generated Content on Travel Websites Takes Control Away From Marketers
JupiterResearch has found that the majority of online travelers believe researching travel online is easier now than ever before, with user-generated content now more influential on the choice of accommodation than brand among online accommodation researchers.
A new report published by JupiterResearch, "US Online Travel Consumer Survey, 2008," indicates that the 42 percent of online travelers using user-generated content consider the opinions of other travelers to be highly trusted and influential in both accommodation and destination choices.
While online travelers are embracing user-generated content, it creates challenges for travel marketers. The online travel space is becoming increasingly competitive and fragmented, and the influence of user-generated content means marketers have less control over their brands.
More...
Asia-Pacific Represents Exciting Growth for All Contact Center Vendors
Dynamic growth is being predicted for both the number of contact centers and customer service agent positions in Asia Pacific. Independent market analysis firm Datamonitor puts this down to a combination of a growing middle class in China and India, the expansion in demand for products and services and the increase in offshoring. According to the report, ‘Asia-Pacific – a framework for contact center growth’, which covers India, China, Australia, Japan and South Korea, this will lead to the creation of four times as many new contact center agent positions (APs) in developing markets over the next four years as in developed markets.
India and China currently represent over one third of the world’s population. India has traditionally been perceived as an underdeveloped nation, yet all market projections indicate its middle class, and its income, are set to increase substantially. The same is true of China; recent reforms have put China back on the global trade map. The consequence of the reforms is an exploding Chinese middle class, leading to an increase in income and an increase in the consumption of goods and services.
But this poses a challenge for enterprises. Enterprises need to not only tap into this emerging demographic but to retain their loyalty. In India, for example, APs are set to increase significantly from 370,000 in 2006 to 567,000 in 2012 - a compounded growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6%.
Meanwhile, developed nations, like Japan, South Korea and Australia, present challenges to the contact center vendor. When you operate in a developed nation you can sometimes reach a plateau — how do you continue to generate new revenue from a saturated market? This is of key concern for many vendors that have operations in developed APAC nations. A second key concern is culture; when North American enterprises move into Japan and South Korea there are often cultural confusions.
The developed countries in the Asia-Pacific region have strong economies, a strong technological infrastructure and a growing need to service a sophisticated consumer base. Despite deflation issues and intense competition amongst contact center vendors, Australia’s kangaroo economy keeps bouncing along. In contrast Japan’s once frail economy has strengthened in recent years. Despite falling wages, Japan's economic expansion of the past few years has dramatically increased the demand for labor. This has increased the demand for consumer goods and services. And in South Korea we see cutting-edge communications technologies being used in everyday business, in the corporate world and among consumers. This is a very promising economic climate for contact center vendors, according to Datamonitor.http://www.datamonitor.com
Consumers' Top Reasons for Abandoning Online Purchases
A survey conducted by PayPal and comScore revealed that unexpectedly high shipping fees are the number one reason consumers abandon online purchases. Checkout abandonment is a significant challenge for online merchants, with an estimated two out of every three consumers failing to pay for items they put in their shopping carts.
The study also found that many consumers abandon their purchases for payment-related reasons. Of those surveyed, more than one in five shoppers didn't complete purchases because their preferred payment option was not offered on the merchant's Web site. Many shoppers simply think it is too much of a hassle to search for their wallets or purses - 21 percent did not complete online purchases because their wallets were not easily accessible.
Online comparison shopping is also a common reason for checkout abandonment. More than one in four indicated that they wanted to compare items at online and offline stores before making a purchase. However, more than one-third who abandon at checkout said they returned to the merchant's Web site at a later time to complete the transaction.
A summary of the survey's findings included:
- 43 percent of consumers didn't pay for items in their shopping carts because shipping charges were too high.
- 36 percent of purchasers didn't pay for items because they felt the total cost of the purchase was more expensive than anticipated.
- 27 percent of shoppers didn't pay for items because they wanted to comparison shop at other Web sites before making a purchase.
- 16 percent of consumers didn't pay for items because they could not contact customer support to answer questions.
- 14 percent of shoppers didn't pay for items because they forgot their usernames and passwords for their store accounts created with the merchants.
More...
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| Networking Sites Boom but Ads Slow to Follow
Only a few months ago, it seemed that social networks had supplanted search engines as the hottest topic in marketers' executive suites. With everyone from lonely teenagers to underemployed executives engaged in a desperate quest for online friends, advertising agencies and media owners were scrambling to figure out how to cash in. Social networks continue to grow. But like a teenage crush, the excitement over the marketing possibilities in them has eased. And, as the social networking landscape diversifies, some of these companies are looking around for other ways to "monetize" their often sizable audiences.
Full Article...
Contact Centers and IT: The Power of Partnerships
Bringing new technology into the contact center can be both exciting and daunting. But a true partnership between contact center leaders and IT can turn “exciting and daunting” into “effective and doable.” Donald Stickney, director of the City of Minneapolis’ 311 program, knows firsthand how valuable a true working relationship between IT and the contact center is — and he knows that relationship from both sides of the fence. In this article, Stickney shares some of the valuable lessons that his “double life” has taught him about the partnership between contact centers and the IT departments that support them.
Full Article...
Web 2.0: So What is an Enterprise Mashup, Anyway?
What is an enterprise mashup, and what will it do for you? Enterprise mashups are lightweight applications that combine data from two or more sources to create something more valuable than the sum of their parts. They are often developed to solve a particular problem, implemented in days rather than months. The mashup world is still immature, and there are hurdles for businesses that need to be addressed. Service-level agreements aren't always available, data quality is hard to assure and there are a host of security and regulatory issues to grapple with. But still some companies are taking the plunge.
Full Article...
Mobile App Development Moves Beyond CRM, but Slowly
Everywhere you go these days, people are using BlackBerries to check e-mail and set up appointments. But the march toward everyday use of more complex business applications on smartphones is going slowly at best. Mobile CRM tools for salespeople have been on the market for several years, and more recently IBM’s Cognos division has adapted business intelligence tools for handheld devices. But the mobile application market is still being held back by small screen sizes and limitations in storage, memory and computing power, according to analysts and vendors.
Full Article...
Monetizing Multimedia for B-to-B Firms
Business-to-business companies of all shapes and sizes make their mark by showing customers how they can help generate revenue, lower costs or reduce risks. Failure to prove a quantitative ROI will spell a quick end for any firm. Multimedia programs can be a way B-to-B marketers can improve their bottom line. But, companies need to know what will work best for their firm.
Full Article...
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|  Customer Relationship Intelligence
by Linda Sharp
Customer Relationship Intelligence brings a fresh, new perspective to sales and marketing: new relationship metrics and a breakthrough, actionable framework for real-time management, tied to profit. It is about teamwork and collaboration. It is about executing strategy. It is about retention, profit, and competitive advantage. Companies can realize the gold in customer relationships and overcome risk and uncertainty in sales and marketing.
For
more information, or to order your copy...
You can find
more industry sepcific books at our web site:
http://www.crmindustry.com/
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2008
Service & Support Metrics Survey Results
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White Paper: Improving Customer Service Using Web-based Support Tools
Since a business's Web site is the first place many customers go today when they're in need of service, it's imperative that what they find there -- the search tools, the breadth and depth of content, easy escalation paths, the tools that aid in speedy resolution -- meets their needs. Each visit presents the business with the opportunity to impress and influence existing and potential customers.
This informative white paper from SupportIndustry.com examines the latest trends and technologies in using Web-based support tools to improve customer service.
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