Linux News:

Small Biz Writ Large: Conexio Buys ECS
June 01, 2004

In a David-swallows-Goliath merger on a mid-market scale, Conexio, which has 10 employees, has acquired Enterprise Computer Solutions (ECS), which has 25 employees. The merger creates the largest value-added reseller of FrontRange Solutions' products in the United States in terms of product volume and sales.

IBM-PeopleSoft Deal Opens Door to Linux CRM
May 19, 2004

The dynamic duo of IBM and PeopleSoft has launched an initiative that the two companies say will expand their existing alliance, allowing them to focus more sharply on small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) worldwide. The alliance calls for joint hardware and software development of vertical applications, joint marketing efforts, cooperative Linux development and industry-specific solutions for resellers.

SAP Rolls Out New Best-Practices Apps
May 12, 2004

At its Sapphire '04 international customer conference in New Orleans today, SAP rolled out several new packaged offerings for CRM, ERP and vertical industry applications. The software is designed to help mid-market companies address specific business processes, accelerate implementation and achieve return on investment (ROI).

IBM's Mid-Market Integration Express
May 06, 2004

Rapid growth of information technology among small and medium businesses (SMBs) with between 100 and 1,000 employees has not been lost on some major integration players, including Microsoft and IBM. With this week's launch of IBM WebSphere Business Integration Server Express, Big Blue is attempting to bring middleware to the masses.

Siemens VP Al Baker on the Call-Center Challenge
March 12, 2004

Nearly everyone who has ever phoned a company's call center has encountered long hold times, multiple transfers and harried reps. With the introduction of a new contact-center application, Siemens is hoping to file those experiences in the dustbin of CRM history. The company's vice president of eCRM, Al Baker, spoke with CRM Buyer about the unique challenges of call centers and how those problems can be solved.

Can Bill Gates Fix CRM?
March 10, 2004

In late 2002, Microsoft rolled out the first version of its CRM software. In the intervening year, the company reports, more than 1,000 companies have purchased the product and praised its ease of use and painless integration. Not all companies are so enthusiastic, however. As Microsoft refines its software in future upgrades, will the company be able to leap past CRM's biggest stumbling blocks?

IBM, Siebel Ally on Hosted CRM Milestone
October 03, 2003

IBM and Siebel Systems have announced plans to work together to offer low-cost, on-demand and hosted customer relationship management services, a move the companies say will bring world-class software within reach of many small and mid-size companies. The offering, known as Siebel CRM OnDemand, will be sold at a monthly price of $70 per user.

The Evolution of IBM's WebSphere
September 10, 2003

When it comes to e-commerce software, IBM's WebSphere still reigns supreme -- but competitive pressure has prompted major changes to the product line. For example, Big Blue has begun to target the mid-market by selling a scaled-down version of WebSphere with a lower price tag. What is IBM's big-picture plan for this much-vaunted software?

Onyx Joins Mobile CRM Parade
July 10, 2003

With Onyx' new Portable CRM suite, which features a light-footprint architecture, mobile professionals can access Onyx Enterprise CRM via different mobile devices to manage customer interactions, sales opportunities and service and support cases.

Epicor's New App To Run on ICE
May 28, 2003

Epicor Software's Internet Component Environment (ICE) will make its debut with the late June release of Epicor for Service Enterprises, an enterprise service automation suite for mid-market applications. The ICE platform, which incorporates Microsoft's .NET architecture, is designed to make management and modification of the new app easier.

ServiceWare Express for the Mid-Market
May 20, 2003

ServiceWare Technologies is branching into the mid-market with a new suite of knowledge management tools for customer service and support. The offering, dubbed ServiceWare Express, includes Web self-service, e-mail response management, chat and agent-facing tools, such as case management and reporting.

Apropos Set To Release Interaction Management Suite 6
April 09, 2003

Apropos Technology is making a move to expand beyond the mid-market and sell to larger customers with the release of version 6 of its Interaction Management Suite. Due to debut in late June, the beefed-up application will provide upgrades for customization, integration, reporting and analytics capabilities and will be fully J2EE-compliant.

Axonom's PowerTrak V6.0
March 19, 2003

Axonom's PowerTrak V6.0 CRM technology places the company firmly within the .NET mid-tier marketplace. Designed to operate on top of Microsoft's CRM platform, PowerTrak addresses three vertical sectors: wealth management, nonprofit and association management, and high-tech.

Hunting Down the SMBs
March 18, 2003

Big enterprises are obvious sales targets for technology vendors. Landing a big installation that affects thousands of workers is like hitting a home run. But in the current economic climate, another strategy -- the one-base-at-a-time approach -- is needed. Is the small and medium business (SMB) sector the new promised land?

J.D. Edwards Unveils Demand Forecasting Tool
February 27, 2003

J.D. Edwards is one step closer to offering a fully collaborative supply chain application for midmarket customers with the launch of its demand-forecasting module. The first component of the company's upcoming Supply Chain Management 9.0, the new tool analyzes historical data and applies advanced algorithms to predict future sales.

Microsoft CRM - Not Here, But Already Better?
January 06, 2003

Mid-market consulting and systems integration company Green Beacon Solutions announced it has added several enhancements to Microsoft's CRM application, including functionality in lead capture and forecast management. Microsoft CRM is now scheduled to be released in the first quarter of 2003, after missing its original goal of year-end 2002.