January 2000

HEADLINES

• Sprint And Deloitte Consulting Create E-Business Solution Alliance
• Servicesoft And SpaceWorks Announce Alliance
• ClickSchedule Announced By IET
• Survey Identifies Key Features Of E-Business Web Sites
• IMA Introduces Demand Chain Management
• SOFTGEN Delivers Web-Based Call Center Application
• Durango Internet Resources Creates Storebuilder
• Sky Alland Announces iSKY Suite
• Sigma Micro Releases Second Generation API
• Help Desk Technology Introduces E-Support Solution
  

Sprint And Deloitte Consulting Create E-Business Solution Alliance
Sprint and Deloitte Consulting have announced the formation of an application server provider (ASP) alliance to provide integrated e-business outsourcing solutions that can be implemented rapidly, while reducing the total cost of deployment. The alliance will design, implement and manage e-business applications such as e-commerce, enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain optimization systems (SCOS), data warehousing and other packaged solutions for large and medium-sized corporations. The new ASP alliance will help provide its customers an applications outsourcing solution by eliminating the muddle of provider companies they must now work with to develop an end-to-end e-business solution. The alliance plans to offer an end-to-end service level agreement (SLA), as well.
No. 501, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo

ClickSchedule Announced By IET
ClickSchedule, an e-commerce scheduling tool to schedule online product delivery, installation, service and consulting, has been announced by IET. IET is a developer of software solutions that help enable customer-driven organizations to provide better service through intelligent resource optimization. While books and CDs can be sent via ordinary mail, many e-commerce applications require the consumer to be home in order to receive the product or service. For these applications, ClickSchedule will enable consumers to schedule appointments online to receive the required products or services at a specific time. Based on IET's W-6 Service Scheduler, ClickSchedule automatically assigns calls to delivery resources and plans their schedule and route to optimize use while conforming to company-specific business rules. Such rules cover a range of factors, including skills, availability of products and/or needed spare parts, contractual agreements, geography and travel time.
No. 502, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo

IMA Introduces Demand Chain Management
IMA, a provider of e-business solutions, has announced a process for supporting the inflow of demand that has shifted from more traditional distribution channels onto the Internet. IMA's solution, Demand Chain Management (DCM), will be a suite of technology solutions to help enable businesses to create demand, manage demand and respond to demand in a more effective manner. DCM addresses how demand and delivery channels are changing as technology redefines the relationship between the supplier and the customer. IMA's Demand Chain Management product suite has been designed to allow businesses to better respond to consumers in a faster and more personalized manner. It generates demand and automatically routes the requests (e-mail, voice, fax, chat room, etc.) to the appropriate personnel, and can employ an automated yet personalized response mechanism. DCM uses an object-oriented, Java-centric component architecture for e-business application development. The component architecture offers n-tiered scalability and helps promote a best-of-breed solution through reusable e-business components, such as a rules engine, personalization, Web development and legacy integration.
No. 503, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo

Durango Internet Resources Creates Storebuilder
Durango Internet Resources, LLC has announced the creation of a new program designed to equip e-commerce entrepreneurs with everything they need to build their own online store. The site, www.sundancemall.com, comes equipped with simple setup business information. It includes secure server, shopping cart, automated tax and shipping calculations, invoicing and step-by-step creation of an e-commerce store. The Storebuilder program is being offered free (a minimal hosting fee is applicable.)
No. 504, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo

SOFTGEN Delivers Web-Based Call Center Application
SOFTGEN International, a computer-telephony integration (CTI) company, has introduced CIMWeb, a Web-based application that provides live video streaming, outbound call campaigns, e-mail response management and dynamic HTML capabilities for Internet-based customer contact centers. CIMWeb incorporates a human element in e-business transactions by allowing Web site customers to access account information, request an immediate agent callback during a Web session and view a call center agent or other live video feed during a Web session. CIMWeb is an integrated plug-in for SOFTGEN's flagship product, CIMphony, a suite of CTI applications for call centers.
No. 505, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo

Survey Identifies Key Features Of E-Business Web Sites
Actuate Corporation, which specializes in reporting for electronic business, has released a survey of the endorsement of e-commerce by Fortune 100 companies. More than 90 percent of Fortune 100 companies responding to the survey said they currently use e-business Web sites to link corporate operations to customers, partners and employees. In the survey, the companies were asked to identify the single most essential feature of an electronic business Web site. Three quarters of those companies responding to the survey listed integration with application databases as the most critical component. Additionally, all respondents said that within three years, 75 percent of their content on their Web sites will come from databases, ERP applications or other data sources. Nearly 60 percent list personalization as the second most essential feature of their e-business sites. As for managing content on their Web sites, more than 50 percent pointed to the delivery of user-friendly information as a key component of their sites.
No. 506, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo

Sigma Micro Releases Second Generation API
Sigma Micro Corporation has announced the release of its Second Generation Application Programming Interface (API), a software package designed to deliver a better customer experience to branded e-commerce sites, through support by Sigma's Controller+ management system. The Second Generation API provides links to Sigma's "back room" system to deliver robust, real-time customer service to an e-commerce site, while allowing the user to retain control of the site's look, feel and design. The product was also designed to address "channel shifting," the tendency of the customer to perform a transaction in one sales channel and modify it in another. New features include electronic check capabilities, multiple ship-to address capabilities, real-time access to order status, real-time cross-sell and upsell capabilities, real-time product availability and timely e-mail acknowledgment.
No. 508, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo

Help Desk Technology Introduces E-Support Solution
Help Desk Technology Corporation has released a preview version of its HelpSTAR 2000 product. HelpSTAR 2000, scheduled for release in early 2000, is the latest version of the company's HelpSTAR product. The new release adds an improved Web interface, e-mail features and a renewed user interface to help provide the tools needed for better e-support.
No. 509, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo

Sky Alland Announces iSKY Suite
Sky Alland has announced iSKY, a suite of Internet-based services designed to provide real-time customer care through any available medium preferred by customers. Through a combination of outsourced, traditional and Internet-based customer care programs, iSKY helps provide businesses with a single source for a range of customer loyalty management needs. The suite of Web-enabled services allows end customers to communicate with companies through any available media from telephone to e-mail to form sharing. iSKY helps provide customers the flexibility to use self-help services or escalate to human assistance from an agent. When using self-help, customers access iSKY through a help button link to the client?s e-commerce site and use database and FAQ look-ups, automated e-mail and interactive voice response to obtain information. iSKY also provides human-assisted customer care through e-mail, text chat, voice over IP and telephone callbacks as well as through traditional teleservices support. To support the e-commerce initiative, the company has reconfigured its 10 call centers to support multimedia communications and has trained its customer relationship associates in Web-based communication.
No. 510, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo