January 11, 2005

IN THE NEWS In an earnings preannouncement SAP says it has enjoyed an overall 11 percent growth in software license revenue, after accounting for currency fluctuations. The company expects to log 1 billion euros (approximately US$1.31 billion) for the quarter, just slightly shy of initial estimates. Strong sales growth in the United States of about 20 percent accounts for much of the improvement in SAP's business over past year's fourth-quarter results, totaling 932 million euros in software sales. The company reported scant sales growth in the EMEA area, which includes its German home base. Privately held Talisma reported some highlights of its year-end results. The company says that in the 2004 fiscal year, its total worldwide customer base climbed to more than 320 businesses, representing more than 100 percent growth over FY 2003. The customer growth contributed to 190 percent revenue growth during the same time period. Talisma claims success in its effort to integrate eAssist, pointing to a high uptake rate in the acquired NetAgent product line shortly after purchasing the company. CUSTOMER WINS ResponseTek announced that British Columbia's Prospera Credit Union and Insurance Agencies has purchased ResponseTek's communication suite to manage suggestions and inquiries over Prospera's corporate Web site and online banking resource. The ResponseTek system will route messages to the proper agents, who will have new workflow tools to manage input and take action on member concerns or requests. Contact center solutions provider Envision Telephony announced that ASSTEL ProKunde Versicherungs Konzepte, a German life insurance provider, has selected Envision's monitoring and e-learning tools to improve overall customer experience. Envision's reseller partner Almato will manage the integration. The project is expected to improve the quality of call content, while reducing total transaction times. ON THE MOVE Contract management specialist Nextance has engaged Stephanie Vinella as its CFO. Vinella's high-tech career spans a quarter-century, and includes membership with venture capital firm Swan Ventures, a seat on KANA's board of directors, and time at KPMG. Her most recent post was the CFO spot at Alphablox Corporation, which was recently purchased by IBM. eBoomerang, a provider of reverse logistics analysis, announced that it has hired Jeff Williams as vice president of marketing. A 20-year veteran of HP, Williams comes to eBoomerang from ILOG, a business rules management developer. The company expects Williams to help fuel its push into higher-end enterprise clientele, looking to build greater asset accountability for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Related articles: Talisma Broadens Its Reach in the Contact Center Market CRM Is a Priority Overseas