January 19, 2005

NEWS Unica has announced enhancements to its Affinium 6 solution, which the enterprise marketing-management software vendor says will equip marketers with the ability to develop deeper customer understanding and deliver more personalized marketing. The software's new features include enhanced budget optimization; real-time learning capability to automatically adapt offers and treatments; improved application navigation and quick access features; and a multitenant architecture. Convergys has announced its financial results for 2004's fourth quarter. Total revenues increased 13 percent, to $672.2 million, compared to the $594.5 million generated in the fourth quarter of 2003. GAAP net income was $20.2 million, or 14 cents per diluted share, compared to $48.4 million, or 33 cents, in fourth quarter 2003. Pro forma net income, excluding a net restructuring charge, was $41.2 million, or 28 cents per diluted share, compared to $47.8 million, or 33 cents per diluted share, in the prior year. The company's Customer Management Group experienced a 21 percent boost in revenue, while its Information Management Group's revenue saw a 3 percent drop. EADS has announced a partnership with Axcess, a reseller and refurbishing service provider of technology equipment. The partnership will allow EADS to refer its customers who need to offload communications hardware as part of their migrations to VoIP. NetSuite has announced that it will beat any subscription estimate provided by Salesforce.com by 50 percent for prospects considering buying Salesforce.com professional and enterprise editions for the first time. The company will also will cut the renewal price in half and provide free data migration services for customers renewing their Salesforce.com professional and enterprise edition subscriptions. This offer pertains to NetSuite's NetCRM offering and the company's complete ERP/CRM/eCommerce solution, and is good for those customers who contact NetSuite before April 1, 2005. Rare Method, a firm that designs interactive marketing programs to acquire and retain customers, has acquired Media Calgary, an Internet and traditional media planning, buying, and management firm. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Nextance, an enterprise contract management (ECM) solutions provider, has announced a partnership with Capgemini to provide pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and healthcare diagnostics companies with ECM solutions integrated with best-practice business processes. In addition to their integration plans, the two companies will partner to develop new solutions. CUSTOMER WINS Voxify has announced that upscale catalog retailer Hammacher Schlemmer has selected Voxify Automated Agents to handle basic phone inquiries including helping clients track purchases or items they returned, in addition to requesting a catalog or changing their mail preference. The automated, 24/7 service frees live agents to concentrate on customer issues that require a personalized touch, while trimming the cost of handling order tracking and catalog request calls. Dialog Custom Media (DCM), which specializes in the design and production of customer magazines, newsletters, and direct response materials to help companies build brand loyalty and customer retention, has announced that Florida's Convention and Visitors' Bureaus (CVBs) has chosen the company to help attract more vacationers to the state. DCM will work to strengthen the CVBs' membership loyalty programs and targeted marketing via custom publishing initiatives. ON THE MOVE SM&A, a competition management services and performance assurance services provider, has hired Jeff Smith as vice president and account executive. Prior to joining the company Smith served as an applications sales manager for Oracle. His background also includes serving as Oracle's director of e-government and CRM sales, and a stint as the vice president of sales and marketing for Carta, which provides e-government solutions to governments within the United States. Related articles: Market Watch: Database Marketers Mine for Perfect Customer Segmentation 6 Secrets to Selecting the Right Contact Center Location 40 Contact Centers, One Platform EADS readies the largest single-system contact center operation for Sprint.