The Week in Review--3/28/03

In the news... Some good news on the business front: Two companies in the CRM arena are branching out geographically as global demand for customer-facing services and solutions increases. SoundBite Communications, provider of outbound Interactive Voice Messaging solutions, announced it has expanded its global reach, with solutions now available in the European market. Witness Systems, a provider of performance optimization software and services, has formed a strategic partnership with CRM provider Mitsucon. The partnership is designed to meet the Brazilian contact center market's growing demand for solutions that help optimize CRM strategies, enhance service quality, and build profitable, lasting customer relationships, according to Witness. NetLedger announced it has expanded its workforce by 80 percent since a year ago, and opened four new sales locations to accommodate growing demand for its products. The company says positions have been created in all areas of the company, with a focus on direct and channel sales. The firm's growth strategy includes changes to the company's executive management (see "Executive changes...," below). As part of the expansion, four new sales locations have been opened, in New York, Seattle, South Carolina, and Chicago. Click Commerce, a provider of partner relationship management (PRM) software, announced it has reached an agreement in principle to acquire PRM provider Allegis. This move will reinforce Click Commerce's leadership position in the PRM market, extend its product offerings, and broaden its reach into new markets, the company says. The resulting company may affect the market share landscape significantly, analysts say, since a more robust PRM solution could give Siebel Systems (whose PRM solution leads the market) a run for its money. Executive changes... Hosted CRM provider NetLedger announced some top management changes this week. The company appointed Evan Goldberg, former CEO, as CTO and chairman of the board; and promoted Zach Nelson, former president and chief operating officer to president and chief executive officer. Former NetLedger chairman, Oracle's Larry Ellison, remains on the NetLedger board. Pegasystems, a provider of business process management software, has appointed Rodney Jackson as vice president of global services. The company says Jackson will be charged with aggressively driving Pegasystems' goals for greater customer satisfaction and growth of the company's professional and support services business. Dendrite International has named John Fazio to its board of directors. Fazio brings extensive financial and operational experience to Dendrite gathered during a 35-year career with PricewaterhouseCoopers, according to the company. Motiva, a provider of enterprise incentive management software, has expanded its sales and service operations into Canada with the appointment of Susan McCutcheon as director of operations, Motiva Canada. Sedona, a provider of Web-based CRM solutions, announced this week it has named David Vey to its board of directors.