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April 9, 2001

Software Cuts Customer Data Loose

Offerings give businesses real-time access to data and sales information

By Aisha M. Williams (awill@cmp.com) and Matthew G. Nelson (mgnelson@cmp.com)

More on wireless CRM:

Viridien Adds Wireless Capabilities To CRM Tool (4/3/01)

ustomer-relationship management--a top priority for many businesses this year--is extending its reach. A number of vendors are launching wireless CRM software that lets businesses access customer data and sales information whenever and wherever they need it.

Talisma Corp. last week rolled out an update to its CRM tool that lets people access customer data via wireless devices. Also last week, Viridien Technologies Inc. unveiled similar software.

A few weeks ago, PeopleSoft Inc. began shipping a wireless CRM application, and top CRM vendor Siebel Systems Inc. is expected to release new wireless capabilities for its software suite soon.

"Companies looking to streamline inefficient paper-based processes and automate their field and sales forces are beginning to find wireless CRM tools very useful, and CRM vendors are beginning to take notice of customer demand," says Jennifer DiMarzio, an analyst at Summit Strategies. Rather than spend thousands of dollars on a cumbersome notebook computer that could get battered to bits in the field, many businesses are opting to empower mobile employees with $500 pocket computers such as the Palm or even cellular phones.

Sprint is testing Delano Technology Corp.'s E-business Interaction Suite, a wireless CRM suite available now, so employees can use handheld devices to access data on their customers in real time. The goal is to help phase out manual and paper-based customer-service techniques used in Sprint's regional offices in Overland Park, Kan. "We want to be able to dispatch orders to our technicians as soon as they're placed by customers and give them the ability to close orders when they've completed jobs," says JoAnne Klemp, Sprint's program manager.

Wireless CRM has a great deal of potential, but there's a lot of work to be done before it's ready for wide use, says Sheryl Kingstone, program manager at the Yankee Group. The numerous incongruent standards can make it difficult for businesses to implement and manage wireless initiatives, Kingstone says. "Most of mobile CRM today is hype. But the vendors are working hard to make it more of a reality."

Talisma's Sales Suite now includes a Wireless Client based on the Wireless Application Protocol standard that will let users access customer information from any WAP-enabled device. Available now for Microsoft Windows NT, 2000, and SQL Server, prices range from $1,000 to $3,000 per user.

Viridien Technologies' RM2 is a new toolkit designed to pull data from a company's existing CRM applications so it can be viewed on devices that are either wired to the network or wireless. Available now, pricing varies depending on configuration and user preferences.