Oracle loses its biggest Siebel implementation to SugarCRM - 02 May 2012
While enterprise IT giant Oracle wrestles with its cloud message and attempts to assert its Java IP against Google, the company has lost its biggest user of Siebel customer relationship management (CRM) to an open source supplier with a cloud pedigree. Rival IBM has defected from Siebel Systems, owned by Oracle, to open source SugarCRM. SugarCRM was founded in 2004 and has had $79.5m (£50m) in funding. It produces its flagship product in both open source and "commercial open source" flavours. The software can be used in Sugar's cloud, or on-premise, and its features include salesforce automation, marketing campaigns, customer support, collaboration, mobile CRM, social media tools and reporting. IBM had been running a 67,000-seat Siebel implementation to manage sales, marketing and CRM globally since before Siebel System's $5.8bn (£3.2bn) acquisition by Oracle in 2005. JMP Securities analyst Patrick Walravens said that there are three main reasons for the switch.
The Rise of the Social CEO within Enterprise 2.0
So here we are almost at Enterprise 2.0 in Boston. I will be reporting on it on this blog next week. I recently found an interesting related study. As reported in AdWeek, the current order of customer interaction methods starts with face-to-face, followed by websites, channel partners, call centers, traditional media, advisory groups and finally, social media. Saul Berman, a partner in IBM’s global business services organization is quoted as saying, “It’s all part of this move towards openness, both with your customers, with your employees, your business partners, and engaging them all together in what I call this redefinition of the organization—more broadly defined.” The study also found that many CEOs plan to create a more social workplace and, more importantly, the best ones already have. This rise in social business and the need for more and better data is causing a shift in metrics.
Twitter Tech Support: How Effective Is Tweeting a Tech Problem?
As the Web becomes increasingly social, more and more companies turn to Twitter to address problems that customers have with their products or services. After all, the last thing a company wants is for a Twitterer's minor problem to go viral across the Internet, just because the company didn't deal with the issue effectively when it had the chance. According to a study of social media customer service released in March by Sitel and TNS, people are increasingly turning to social media to get their questions answered. "Social media is dramatically altering the customer service landscape," writes Lawrence Fenley, Sitel's managing director for the U.K. and Ireland, in a statement. "With easy access to real-time information, a new generation of 'always-on' consumers is more empowered and demanding than ever." The study, which surveyed more than 1000 consumers in the U.K., shows a changing--but not completely revolutionized--landscape. Go Forth and Tweet Does Your Twitter Clout Matter?
PwC report shows importance of social media to healthcare
Consumers say social media influences hospital choice NEW YORK – One-third of consumers use sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and online forums to find health-related information, track symptoms and broadcast their thoughts about doctors, drugs, treatments, medical devices and health plans says a recent report by the Health Research Institute (HRI) at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) US. The PwC report, “Social media ‘likes’ healthcare: From marketing to social business,” includes findings from a recent HRI social media survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers and 124 members of the eHealth Initiative (eHI), a national association of industry organizations focusing on health information and technology. HRI also interviewed more than 30 industry executives and tracked the social media activity of a number of hospitals, insurers, drug manufacturers and online patient communities.
Follow my leader: Retailers race to catch digital rivals
30 August 2012Last updated at 19:00 ET Viewpoint by Karmesh Vaswani Infosys Shoppers are increasingly letting the barrier between digital and bricks and mortar blur when it comes to retailers Walk down any High Street and you can see the biggest forces revolutionising shopping habits as the meteoric rise of Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook (or the Gang of Four as they are known) have fast become a normal part of our day-to-day lives. We shop on phones, compare on Google and ask our Twitter friends what they think. These and other innovative companies have changed our expectations about shopping and are forcing regular High Street retailers to up their game in response. The future offers shoppers the best of both worlds, with smart retailers adopting the digital innovations from these companies to create an even more compelling experience for customers. Infosys's Karmesh Vaswani: "We're standing on the edge of a new digital era" Take the example of someone who loves film. Online v High Street
The Beatles Top 10 Revolution Customer Service Hits! | Sully Sez...
“You say you want a revolution. You say you got a real solution. Well, you know we’d all love to see the plan”- Lennon/McCartney OK, listen up generals and leaders of customer service builds for the world’s work force! The Beatles said it in that quote above. You need a plan. It spells out like this… Representation- Represent your company in a positive mannerEnlist- Every time you provide excellent customer, you enlist a new gust to your brandVolunteer- Offer up ways to help the guest. The Beatles knew something about Revolution. once said. So, here is your homework. Now gear up leaders, rock and rollers and start the REVOLUTION. And So It Goes…
