REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 19, 2003 — Microsoft Business Solutions Customer Relationship Management (Microsoft®
CRM), released just last month, is already enjoying early success among two of Microsoft Business Solutions’ most critical constituencies: independent software vendors (ISVs) and its network of reselling partners. To date, more than 850 resellers have signed up to sell the solution, while more than 100 ISVs have committed to providing enhancement solutions or customizing Microsoft CRM for specific industries.
Microsoft CRM offers businesses in the midmarket an affordable, easy-to-use and powerful tool for building lasting and profitable relationships with their customers. It enables businesses to take advantage of technology and related services to improve business productivity and integrate with other business systems, including Microsoft Office, Microsoft Business Solutions–Great Plains®
and third-party systems.
“From the beginning, we’ve been fully committed to delivering a CRM solution that helps businesses in the midmarket make the most of the relationships they have with their customers,”
said David Thacher, general manager of CRM at Microsoft Business Solutions.
“The enthusiasm I’ve witnessed among Microsoft Business Solutions’ reselling partners and ISVs is a great indicator that we’ve hit the mark in this critical area of business.”
Reselling Partners Sign On for Microsoft CRM
As a link connecting Microsoft Business Solutions and its customers, the global network of reselling partners is crucial to the successful delivery of any technology. The enthusiasm among resellers for Microsoft CRM bodes well for the solution’s success. Epicor Software Corp. is one company that has recently signed a global agreement with Microsoft Business Solutions to resell both the Professional and Standard Editions of Microsoft CRM, and extend the features and functionality of Microsoft CRM through its Clientele CRM suite of solutions to provide specific combined offerings for its customers.
“We believe that teaming with Microsoft provides us with an additional option in serving the SMB market,”
said Doug Berry, vice president and general manager of Epicor’s Clientele Group.
“As a Microsoft Global Gold Partner with more than 12 years of CRM industry experience and 3,000 CRM customers, Epicor can add considerable value to Microsoft CRM on a worldwide basis through our product expertise, support and vast industry knowledge. The addition of Microsoft CRM to our portfolio will provide customers a broader choice of options and a greater opportunity to find the solution that is the best match for their business needs and their budget.”
Avanade Inc. is another company that is signing on to resell, deliver and integrate Microsoft CRM for its customer base of midsize, large and enterprise customers. Formed in 2000 as a joint venture between Microsoft and Accenture, Avanade focuses on the delivery and integration of Microsoft Business Solutions with the rest of the customer’s IT environment. Recently, Avanade has gone through the rigorous testing and training required to sell the Professional Edition of Microsoft CRM.
“With Microsoft CRM, customers get a scalable, reliable solution at an attractive price point,”
said Mike Pazak, director of the Microsoft Business Solutions Practice at Avanade.
“And by turning to Avanade for implementation, customers get the expertise of Avanade’s certified technologists helping them integrate the new solution to extend that value throughout their environment, including both infrastructure and applications.”
ISVs Poised to Customize Microsoft CRM
Microsoft CRM is the first Microsoft solution built entirely on the Microsoft .NET Platform, facilitating easier solution customization and product enhancement by ISV partners. The solutions that ISV partners are creating for Microsoft CRM using .NET technologies have automatically opened doors to many industries and prospective customers. I.B.I.S. Inc., a Microsoft Business Solutions reselling and ISV partner in Norcross, Ga., has already developed vertical industry solutions to provide its customers with Microsoft CRM solutions tailored to its individual industries and company requirements.
“As a Gold Certified Partner with Microsoft we see a huge opportunity to help our customers realize their full potential,”
said Andy Vabulas, president of I.B.I.S.
“Our customers value the ability to complete their CRM tasks through Microsoft Outlook® integration with Microsoft CRM. This integration, coupled with a specifically designed interface to meet the needs of their industries, makes ROI on the solution easily attainable.”
About Microsoft Business Solutions
Microsoft Business Solutions, a division of Microsoft, offers a wide range of integrated, end-to-end business applications and services designed to help small, midmarket and corporate businesses become more connected with customers, employees, partners and suppliers. Microsoft Business Solutions’ applications optimize strategic business processes across financial management, analytics, human resources management, project management, customer relationship management, field service management, supply chain management, e-commerce, manufacturing and retail management. The applications are designed to provide insight to help customers achieve business success. More information about Microsoft Business Solutions can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/businesssolutions/ .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft, Great Plains and Outlook are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp., Great Plains Software Inc. or Microsoft Business Solutions ApS or their affiliates in the United States and/or other countries.
Great Plains Software Inc. and Microsoft Business Solutions ApS are subsidiaries of Microsoft Corp.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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