Dell launched system-integration services for small and medium-sized businesses that want to manage salesforce and customer relations through Salesforce.com.

Dell offers the services, which it launched Monday, in partnership with Salesforce.com. Dell is also reselling Salesforce.com's online service on a subscription basis starting at $9 per user per month.

The online services offered include contact management, for one or two users, that works with any e-mail application, including Microsoft Outlook and Google Gmail. The service enables subscribers to store contacts, track customers, run activity reports and manage tasks and meetings. A six-month subscription to Contact Manager Edition is available at no charge to buyers of Dell Vostro laptops and desktops.

Other services include a group edition of Salesforce.com that provides basic customer relationship management capabilities for up to five users. The service includes contact management, while also allowing users to track sales opportunities, run sales reports and view real-time dashboards.

A professional edition of Salesforce.com is also available for an unlimited number of users that include everything in the group edition, plus reports and analytics, custom dashboard, sales forecasting and mobile access.

Dell's service options include the on-premise deployment of integration software on a Dell PowerEdge server that provides data cleansing and migration tools, along with a library of pre-built integration templates.

Alternately, Dell will deploy the software on the SMB's own hardware. The software can be integrated with other cloud-computing applications.

In an attempt to better compete with more diversified rivals like Hewlett-Packard and IBM, Dell has embarked on a company-altering services strategy. Dell last month announced a $3.9 billion deal to acquire tech-services company Perot Systems. The agreement will likely close during Dell's November to January fiscal quarter.

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