InformationWeek

January 25, 1999

US West Outsources Siebel Software Rollout

USinternetworking to host, support app

By Bruce Caldwell

Related links:

Application Outsourcing: Web Host Appeal

S West last week tapped USinternetworking Inc. to implement, host, and support Siebel Systems Inc.'s sales-force automation software to be used by 1,000 US West employees in 14 states.

The Siebel Sales Enterprise software will for the first time give US West's sales force a real-time information system to view projections on a product-by-product, location-by-location basis, says Sandi Miyaki, director of channel operations at US West's business enterprise solutions unit. That, she adds, will translate into improved customer service and better bottom-line results.

The application will reside on employees' notebook computers and PCs. It will access a USinternetworking-hosted server via a virtual private network to obtain customer data and reports filed by all salespeople.

US West deployed notebooks to its sales force last year so that employees could spend less time in the office and more time with customers, Miyaki says. Competitive bids for a new sales-force automation tool were solicited from software and services vendors. USinternetworking won based on its experience with Siebel software and its full-service capabilities, she says.

Another point in USinternetworking's favor, says Andrea Baranowski, program manager of sales-force automation at the US West unit, was the services vendor's ability to size up the carrier's system requirements in less than two weeks. In general, USinternetworking can commit to delivery of requirements within 10 days and deployment of up to 80% of required functionality in 45 to 90 days, says Lawrence Brunelle, VP and general manager of the Siebel implementation group at USinternetworking.

USinternetworking's plan to pilot and deploy the Siebel software at US West between March and Junesurpasses the normal deployment time of 12 to 18 months, says Christopher Fletcher, a senior analyst at the Aberdeen Group. The value of the multiyear deal wasn't disclosed.