Category Archives: Customer Relationship Management

Customer Relationship Management, Fonality, Fonality PBXtra, Mobile, Mobile device, Tools, Voice, Voice over Internet Protocol

Fonality Enhances Contact Center Features for HUD Mobile

Image representing Fonality as depicted in Cru...Fonality today announced a new release of the Fonality Heads Up Display (HUD) Mobile application delivering extensive contact center features among other enhancements. The application now offers users 100 percent management and visibility of individual queues over tablets and mobile smartphones. In addition, the solution can now be accessed by Fonality’s 200,000+ end-users across its entire cloud-based and hybrid-hosted product line including: Fonality Connect, Fonality PBXtra and Fonality trixboxPro.

HUD Mobile empowers the mobile workforce with cloud-based Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications and contact center capabilities in a single-view, secure, user-friendly interface via Apple or Android platforms. This announcement represents a first step in an ongoing “innovation series” of rollouts over the coming months to help growing businesses save time, communicate more efficiently and reduce costs.

“Mobility is without question a must-have to drive productivity especially for SMBs and we’ve already seen broad adoption of Fonality HUD Mobile,” said Fonality’s Chief Technology Officer Rick Bushell. “By enhancing contact center features and making the app available our entire solution base, all of our customers can work from anywhere, anytime. We are committed to delivering smart, simple and affordable business phone solutions to small businesses. HUD Mobile and the upcoming feature releases were designed to help our customers communicate more efficiently, giving them the competitive edge they need for growth.”

The exclusive Fonality HUD Mobile technology brings the entirety of the contact center environment on-the-go. All activities in the queue, including current and pending calls, can be accessed complemented by real-time performance metrics for quality control. Managers enjoy a 360-degree view of all communications, including color-coded agent status, call types and duration. In addition, they have the ability to record calls on-the-fly or join through barge, monitor or whisper modes. Agents can also log in and out of queues to maintain high levels of customer service.

“As a global wine distributor we are extremely busy and often work remotely,” said Justin Hammer, vice president of B-21. “Because our industry is so competitive, we have to be in touch with our global network of buyers to ensure that we have the most popular wines available as quickly as possible. Fonality HUD Mobile allows us to stay connected around the world so we can make quick purchasing decisions to add the latest wines to our catalog. This flexibility has improved our productivity and profitability, because we can stock wines faster. In fact, we recently secured a new wine, made it available online and sold out within a single day solely because of the efficiencies enabled by Fonality HUD Mobile. It is a real difference maker!”

Fonality HUD Mobile creates the same experience as its award-winning desktop counterpart. The mobile solution connects phones, desktops and critical business applications with access to presence and collaboration capabilities. “Find me/follow me” provides seamless connectivity between desktop and mobile devices, along with unified messaging and Microsoft Outlook integration. For improved productivity, other features include company directory, visual voicemail, virtual conference room access, as well as photo caller ID, ring-back and on-the-fly call recording. To control costs and preserve cell minutes, Wi-Fi connectivity can also be activated.


Collaboration, Customer Relationship Management, Event management, Event planning, RegOnline, StarCite

Active Network Launches StarCite Meeting Locator Strategic Meetings Management Technology

Image representing The Active Network as depic...

Active Network, Inc., a provider of cloud-based activity and participant management solutions, today launched Meeting Locator – an intelligent, easy-to-use tool that helps meeting planners and travel managers make well-researched and informed decisions when choosing destinations for any business event. Now available as part of the company’s StarCite strategic meetings management (SMM) platform, Meeting Locator quickly delivers advice based on global data from the industry’s leading travel and meeting spend platforms.

Active Network has partnered with business travel management leader Carson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) to eliminate the tedious and expensive guesswork from the meeting planning process. Instead of spending hours researching airfare, destinations, hotel room rates and more, meeting planners simply enter the dates of their meeting and the attendees’ departure cities into the Meeting Locator tool. Meeting Locator is integrated within the StarCite Spend Management software and employs information from CWT’s vast travel database to find cost-effective and environmentally friendly destinations, along with their associated costs.

“Traditional approaches to determining meeting locations are inefficient and laborious,” said JR Sherman, SVP of Business Solutions at Active Network. “With increasing scrutiny on spend management and compliance with travel policy requirements, it’s paramount that corporate meeting planners have the best technology at their fingertips. Meeting Locator gives them the robust, integrated, intelligence they need to help make sound business decisions backed by global data from the industry’s leading travel and meeting spend platforms.”

Meeting Locator optimizes its recommendations based on hundreds of thousands of variables, including historical airfare and room rates, carbon emissions and the cost and availability of telepresence for those unable to attend in-person. The powerful tool can easily identify meeting destinations that meet corporate goals for budget or environmental compliance. By leveraging global travel and lodging data, and support for more than 100 currencies, it can help meeting planners organize events anywhere in the world. Furthermore, Meeting Locator is conveniently integrated within the StarCite Spend Management workflow and approval process to help accelerate decision-making.

According to Christopher Dwyer, senior research analyst of Aberdeen Research, “Nine percent of the average organization’s total budget is spent on corporate meetings and events. With this figure expected to increase by nearly 20 percent over the next two years (and with more and more organizations perceiving this function as having strategic value), companies across the globe must enhance their existing meetings management programs with next-generation strategies, approaches and solutions.”

Meeting Locator is available immediately to existing worldwide customers using the StarCite SMM platform. StarCite customers can contact their global account manager to get started with the Meeting Locator tool. Prospective customers can contact Joshua.Templeton@activenetwork.com to discuss their overall corporate event management needs and learn how the StarCite SMM platform and tools can help them save time and money while gaining greater insight and efficiencies. Sherman added, “We believe Meeting Locator offers significant benefits to the corporate events industry and are already planning additional capabilities for release later this year. Early adopters will have an opportunity to help influence and shape our next-generation tool based on their evolving needs.” More information on Meeting Locator can be found here.

Active Network is helping the events industry move beyond a focus on meetings logistics and spend management to one that includes community engagement, which helps enable organizations to build value with their customers and employees. The company’s Business Solutions power customers of all sizes—including small and medium-sized businesses, enterprise corporations, associations, tradeshows and expos—with a single technology suite for their entire event management needs. The Business Solutions technology suite includes Conference™ for large flagship conferences, RegOnline™ for attendee management solutions, StarCite® SMM for strategic meetings management and event expense management, and the StarCite Supplier Marketplace to connect events with suppliers. For more information on Active Network Business Solutions please visit www.activeevents.com.


Collaboration, Customer Relationship Management, Event management, Event planning, StarCite

Active Network Launches StarCite Meeting Locator Strategic Meetings Management Technology

Image representing The Active Network as depic...

Active Network, Inc., a provider of cloud-based activity and participant management solutions, today launched Meeting Locator – an intelligent, easy-to-use tool that helps meeting planners and travel managers make well-researched and informed decisions when choosing destinations for any business event. Now available as part of the company’s StarCite strategic meetings management (SMM) platform, Meeting Locator quickly delivers advice based on global data from the industry’s leading travel and meeting spend platforms.

Active Network has partnered with business travel management leader Carson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) to eliminate the tedious and expensive guesswork from the meeting planning process. Instead of spending hours researching airfare, destinations, hotel room rates and more, meeting planners simply enter the dates of their meeting and the attendees’ departure cities into the Meeting Locator tool. Meeting Locator is integrated within the StarCite Spend Management software and employs information from CWT’s vast travel database to find cost-effective and environmentally friendly destinations, along with their associated costs.

“Traditional approaches to determining meeting locations are inefficient and laborious,” said JR Sherman, SVP of Business Solutions at Active Network. “With increasing scrutiny on spend management and compliance with travel policy requirements, it’s paramount that corporate meeting planners have the best technology at their fingertips. Meeting Locator gives them the robust, integrated, intelligence they need to help make sound business decisions backed by global data from the industry’s leading travel and meeting spend platforms.”

Meeting Locator optimizes its recommendations based on hundreds of thousands of variables, including historical airfare and room rates, carbon emissions and the cost and availability of telepresence for those unable to attend in-person. The powerful tool can easily identify meeting destinations that meet corporate goals for budget or environmental compliance. By leveraging global travel and lodging data, and support for more than 100 currencies, it can help meeting planners organize events anywhere in the world. Furthermore, Meeting Locator is conveniently integrated within the StarCite Spend Management workflow and approval process to help accelerate decision-making.

According to Christopher Dwyer, senior research analyst of Aberdeen Research, “Nine percent of the average organization’s total budget is spent on corporate meetings and events. With this figure expected to increase by nearly 20 percent over the next two years (and with more and more organizations perceiving this function as having strategic value), companies across the globe must enhance their existing meetings management programs with next-generation strategies, approaches and solutions.”

Meeting Locator is available immediately to existing worldwide customers using the StarCite SMM platform. StarCite customers can contact their global account manager to get started with the Meeting Locator tool. Prospective customers can contact Joshua.Templeton@activenetwork.com to discuss their overall corporate event management needs and learn how the StarCite SMM platform and tools can help them save time and money while gaining greater insight and efficiencies. Sherman added, “We believe Meeting Locator offers significant benefits to the corporate events industry and are already planning additional capabilities for release later this year. Early adopters will have an opportunity to help influence and shape our next-generation tool based on their evolving needs.” More information on Meeting Locator can be found here.

Active Network is helping the events industry move beyond a focus on meetings logistics and spend management to one that includes community engagement, which helps enable organizations to build value with their customers and employees. The company’s Business Solutions power customers of all sizes—including small and medium-sized businesses, enterprise corporations, associations, tradeshows and expos—with a single technology suite for their entire event management needs. The Business Solutions technology suite includes Conference™ for large flagship conferences, RegOnline™ for attendee management solutions, StarCite® SMM for strategic meetings management and event expense management, and the StarCite Supplier Marketplace to connect events with suppliers. For more information on Active Network Business Solutions please visit www.activeevents.com.


Customer Relationship Management, M&A Activity, Mobile, Telecommunication, Xerox

Xerox Acquires UK-based WDS for Wireless Customer Experience Management

Xerox  has signed a definitive agreement to acquire WDS, a firm that provides technical support, knowledge management and related consulting to the world’s largest wireless telecommunication brands.

WDS uses a proprietary cloud-based platform called GlobalMineTM to capture, analyze and manage millions of technical support interactions across thousands of different mobile device types. WDS uses this data to help clients adjust, in real-time, any systemic issues and/or customer experience problems that their end-users may be experiencing with their devices or service.

Based in the United Kingdom, WDS has over 2,000 employees in the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

“WDS’s expertise in the telecommunications industry strengthens Xerox’s already broad portfolio of customer care solutions – differentiating us as a trusted partner for a rapidly evolving industry that requires reliable, accessible and scalable ways to support the complexity of their consumers’ needs,” said Chris Tranquill, president of the Xerox Telecommunications and Technology group.

Through its more than 48,000 call center employees who support clients in 150 locations, Xerox is a leading provider of customer care solutions, handling more than a million consumer interactions every day via the phone and Web.

Founded in 1995, WDS is led by CEO David Ffoulkes-Jones, who will continue with the company after the acquisition closes. “By focusing on the customer experience, wireless brands can drive greater loyalty and differentiation,” said Ffoulkes-Jones. “With Xerox, we now have the ability to accelerate our global expansion, add more value to our customers and deliver greater opportunities to our employees.”


Customer Relationship Management, M&A Activity, Mobile, Technical support, Xerox

Xerox Acquires UK-based WDS for Wireless Customer Experience Management

Xerox  has signed a definitive agreement to acquire WDS, a firm that provides technical support, knowledge management and related consulting to the world’s largest wireless telecommunication brands.

WDS uses a proprietary cloud-based platform called GlobalMineTM to capture, analyze and manage millions of technical support interactions across thousands of different mobile device types. WDS uses this data to help clients adjust, in real-time, any systemic issues and/or customer experience problems that their end-users may be experiencing with their devices or service.

Based in the United Kingdom, WDS has over 2,000 employees in the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

“WDS’s expertise in the telecommunications industry strengthens Xerox’s already broad portfolio of customer care solutions – differentiating us as a trusted partner for a rapidly evolving industry that requires reliable, accessible and scalable ways to support the complexity of their consumers’ needs,” said Chris Tranquill, president of the Xerox Telecommunications and Technology group.

Through its more than 48,000 call center employees who support clients in 150 locations, Xerox is a leading provider of customer care solutions, handling more than a million consumer interactions every day via the phone and Web.

Founded in 1995, WDS is led by CEO David Ffoulkes-Jones, who will continue with the company after the acquisition closes. “By focusing on the customer experience, wireless brands can drive greater loyalty and differentiation,” said Ffoulkes-Jones. “With Xerox, we now have the ability to accelerate our global expansion, add more value to our customers and deliver greater opportunities to our employees.”


Customer Relationship Management, Customer service, M&A Activity, Mobile, Technical support, Telecommunication, Xerox

Xerox Acquires UK-based WDS for Wireless Customer Experience Management

Xerox  has signed a definitive agreement to acquire WDS, a firm that provides technical support, knowledge management and related consulting to the world’s largest wireless telecommunication brands.

WDS uses a proprietary cloud-based platform called GlobalMineTM to capture, analyze and manage millions of technical support interactions across thousands of different mobile device types. WDS uses this data to help clients adjust, in real-time, any systemic issues and/or customer experience problems that their end-users may be experiencing with their devices or service.

Based in the United Kingdom, WDS has over 2,000 employees in the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

“WDS’s expertise in the telecommunications industry strengthens Xerox’s already broad portfolio of customer care solutions – differentiating us as a trusted partner for a rapidly evolving industry that requires reliable, accessible and scalable ways to support the complexity of their consumers’ needs,” said Chris Tranquill, president of the Xerox Telecommunications and Technology group.

Through its more than 48,000 call center employees who support clients in 150 locations, Xerox is a leading provider of customer care solutions, handling more than a million consumer interactions every day via the phone and Web.

Founded in 1995, WDS is led by CEO David Ffoulkes-Jones, who will continue with the company after the acquisition closes. “By focusing on the customer experience, wireless brands can drive greater loyalty and differentiation,” said Ffoulkes-Jones. “With Xerox, we now have the ability to accelerate our global expansion, add more value to our customers and deliver greater opportunities to our employees.”


Customer Relationship Management, Life sciences, Pharmaceutical industry, Veeva, Veeva CRM

Veeva Claims Rising Number of Small- to Mid-Sized Pharmaceutical Companies Switching to Cloud CRM

In less than three months, more than a dozen small- to mid-sized (SMB) life sciences companies in the U.S. have selected multitenant, cloud-based Veeva CRM while more than 75 SMB life sciences companies have chosen Veeva CRM in the last five years. The numbers show a steady rise in organizations outside ‘Pharma’s Top 50’ turning to the cloud for enterprise solutions. Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Dyax Biopharma, Valeritas and Questcor Pharmaceuticals are among the many SMB life sciences companies to recently go live with Veeva CRM. These and many other SMB companies cite affordable enterprise-class performance as the primary driver for cloud system adoption.

Historically, enterprise-class CRM systems have proven cost-prohibitive for most SMB life sciences companies. These companies, however, have found an alternative solution where they can access enterprise-class software and hardware at a much lower cost structure. The traditional client/server CRM applications are typically over the budget – especially when ongoing maintenance and upgrade costs are factored in.

“Compared with other vendors, Veeva CRM seems to be the most logical – meaning it’s easy for users to figure out and fairly obvious how to do something new or different,” said Hokan Ojert, vice president of sales for Valeritas. “Even the analytics aspect of Veeva CRM is painless – what used to take multiple steps in and out of different applications with our previous system is now aggregated neatly within Veeva and accessible in a click or two. This streamlined technology approach allows us to focus on what we are supposed to be doing…supporting our physicians.”

Built on an inherently flexible, multi-tenant cloud-based platform, Veeva CRM offers life sciences companies a significantly more affordable per-seat pricing model while still providing access to the same world-class hardware and software leveraged by Top 20 Pharma. The cloud enables growing SMB life sciences organizations to quickly and efficiently scale up or down to meet demand. Changes can be made in minutes using simple point and click configuration without vendor intervention or the resulting expense. And, system functionality can be easily extended through free integrations with outside applications and data sources. All of these benefits are possible as a result of multitenant cloud-based technology from Veeva.

“With Veeva CRM, we can make configuration changes, modify fields, add users or change territories anytime without ever calling Veeva or waiting for vendor support,” said Heather Beaudoin, Questcor’s Director, Commercial Analytics and Sales Operations. “In fact, we can manage the entire system with just one-half of a full-time employee versus 5, 7 or even 10 FTEs if you have a complicated on-premise system. Veeva’s technology leads to vendor independence, and it’s proving a big advantage for us.”

According to Veeva’s Vice President of Sales, John Dawley, “Many smaller pharmaceutical companies that together make up a large portion of the fabric of our industry are seeing the incredible value of an industry specific, cloud-based solution. They need a fast, nimble, cost-effective solution and Veeva is there to help them achieve their goals.”


Business Intelligence, Business Processes, Customer Relationship Management, Enterprise resource planning, ERP, Mobile

New Mobile Cloud Technology and Analytics Revitalize Next-Generation ERP Implementations

VAI, an ERP software provider, unveiled two new white papers — authored by renowned IT consultant Michael Dortch — that provide top-line guidance on how to maximize the value of existing ERP implementations with new innovations in mobile cloud technology, analytics and business intelligence. The papers, exclusively available from VAI at www.vai.net, outline specific steps that both business and IT professionals should take to add new functionality and value to ERP deployments while leveraging existing investments with minimal user disruption.

Dortch, long recognized as an ERP implementation expert for the past 25 years from his post at DortchOnIT.com, offers his advice to business leaders in the IT + “ERP3” = More Business Value paper and to IT staff in the “ERP 3” = From Enterprise Resource Planning to Enabling Rock Solid Processes. Both papers can be downloaded here at the VAI news page.

Among the key highlights of both papers is a look at how key industries will be transformed by adding new mobile cloud technology to their ERP implementations. Below is a quick snapshot of how five industries will benefit:

  • Distribution: workers at any point in the value chain will
    access real-time inventory information, uncover slow-moving or
    out-of-stock items, and improve order fill rates, inventory turns and
    responses to customer demands
  • Food Service: workers will hasten production and lower
    operational costs by replacing manual, error-prone paperwork with
    integrated solutions for tablet sand smartphones
  • Manufacturing: mobile networked devices and on-demand software
    will enable seamless integration, tracking and optimization of tasks
    from inventory, shop floor and warehouse management to capacity and
    materials planning and product quality control
  • Retail: automation of tasks and processes will improve
    inventory, purchasing, warehouse management and customer relationship
    management at point of sale, both in-store and online
  • Service: improved integration of customer interaction and
    product-related information will ease and hasten superior service and
    repair, increasing customer satisfaction dramatically

“Mobile cloud technology will improve cost and operational efficiencies while expanding collaboration with customers, vendors and partners,” said Dortch. “That, coupled with new innovations from IBM’s Websphere portal and Cognos Business Intelligence, can ignite existing ERP implementations with graphically rich personalized dashboards and easy-to-use yet highly functional e-commerce applications.”

In both papers, Dortch offers specific guidance on how to get started with adding new functionality to ERP implementations such as:

  • Embrace Customization as a way to reinvigorate existing ERP
    investments
  • Conduct an Audit to examine your organization’s readiness to
    add mobile cloud functionality
  • Develop Specific Criteria for upgrading ERP systems based on
    detailed feedback from both IT and business stakeholders
  • Create an ERP Playbook that outlines ERP goals, processes and
    supporting IT resources that will be embraced by both IT and business
    teams.


Customer Relationship Management, Valeritas

Valeritas Replaces Client/Server CRM with Veeva CRM in the Cloud

With its innovative and simple-to-use insulin delivery device, the V-Go, Valeritas knows the importance of easy-to-use delivery mechanisms. Its CRM system is no exception. The medical technology company desperately wanted to replace its convoluted, problematic client/server CRM system with something more straightforward to deliver valuable physician information to its commercial teams and vice versa more efficiently. Valeritas turned to cloud-based Veeva CRM and Veeva iRep for the iPad, the same system used by its valued contract sales partner, inVentiv.

“Compared with other vendors, Veeva CRM seems to be the most logical – meaning it’s easy for users to figure out and fairly obvious how to do something new or different,” said Hokan Ojert, vice president of sales for Valeritas. “Even the analytics aspect of Veeva CRM is painless – what used to take multiple steps in and out of different applications with our previous system is now aggregated neatly within Veeva and accessible in a click or two. This streamlined technology approach allows us to focus on what we are supposed to be doing…supporting our physicians.”

In addition to Veeva CRM’s ease of use, Valeritas selected Veeva CRM for its well-documented flexibility and popular iRep application, the only cloud-based system to combine CRM and closed loop marketing on the Apple iPad. Veeva iRep has quickly become the industry’s choice for comprehensive CRM on the iPad with the largest installed base worldwide, according to recent numbers.

“The ability to seamlessly and quickly move back and forth between a customer profile in Veeva and a presentation on the iPad to answer a physician question during a call was very attractive for us,” added Ojert. “Like most sales teams these days, our time in front of the customer is extremely limited so we often need to access a presentation or other information to make a point quickly, without losing the physician’s attention. And, then to be able to record that interaction instantly to enhance future marketing efforts is very valuable. Veeva is the only company that offers this level of forward-thinking technology on the iPad.”

Built on an inherently flexible, multitenant cloud-based platform, Veeva CRM enables life sciences companies of all sizes to make changes with simple point-and-click configuration while also providing ongoing updates, transparently, that customers can “turn on” or off as needed. It also empowers customers with anytime, anywhere access via the customer’s choice of device. The complete suite delivers rich functionality that supports the unique needs of multiple commercial teams in a single solution and empowers management with advanced reporting capabilities – ideal for Valeritas, which relies heavily on its analytics.

“Also, I am very excited about the fact that we will no longer have to wait for ‘end-of-the-day’ or week syncing. We will have more accurate analytics from the field much faster. In the past, we might wait as long as a week for the data and only receive spotty call records. Veeva CRM with iRep is instant,” concluded Ojert