The Week in Review: March 26, 2004

In the news... LiveBridge announced the opening of a 700-seat call center in Cordoba, Argentina, that will provide inbound customer service and support for a new contract with a major U.S. telecommunications company. The facility is completely integrated into the North American operations infrastructure using technology that enables Web-based access to call statistics and skill-based call routing. It also allows integration of VoIP, high-speed data connections, and other multitiered processes, including IVR, instant credit decisions, and live-operator interfaces. According to a new Gantry Group ROI Value Driver Report, business intelligence (BI) infrastructure is slowly being deployed throughout the corporate pharmaceutical enterprise, integrating and coordinating data from R&D, sales, and marketing with external data vital to real-time adjustments to resources and priorities. "Faced with shortened product life cycles, sky-rocketing costs, diminishing returns from traditional sales channels, and a dramatic rebalancing of prescription decision-making power, pharmas are looking inward for answers," says Dawna Paton, Gantry Group managing partner and an author of the report. Pharmaceutical companies are estimated to spend more than $2 billion on BI solutions over the next two years. Deals of the week... Saab Cars USA has selected Melissa Data's Quality Web Service for real-time verification of customer data. American Cellars Wine Club (ACWC) has chosen to use WebSurveyor Corporation for its online customer satisfaction surveys. Convergys has announced the licensing of its Infinys rating and billing software by Verizon Wireless. Etalk Corporation has announced that health care provider The ODS Companies has chosen the etalk Recorder for its primary customer contact center. Omniture announced that Hyatt Hotels Corp. has implemented Omniture's SiteCatalyst throughout its corporate Web site, including all 121 domestic Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. First Service Networks has integrated Inquisite's online survey technology into its interactive eBusiness system, which tracks, manages, and controls the cost of emergency repairs and planned maintenance activities of its customers. Salesforce.com announced that VF Imagewear, a division of the VF Corporation apparel company, has standardized on Salesforce.com's Winter '04 service. VF Imagewear selected salesforce.com to unify more than 26,000 accounts across six different business units. RainMaker Call Centres has chosen to implement a Web-based call center solution from Genticity and Castel that will allow its eight individual call centers to operate as one. CNP Assurances, a consumer insurance company in France, has selected Teletech International's call center solution for the overflow management of its inbound calls. Executive changes... William Derrick has been appointed chief technology officer at NetReflector. Prior to joining NetReflector, Derrick served as the CIO of Corixa Corporation. Former Epsilon Director of New Business Development George Carino has been appointed vice president of commercial sales at the company. In this new position Carino will lead the direct sales team and continue to focus on prospect cultivation. SeeBeyond, a provider of platforms for composite applications, announced the appointment of Ian Howells Ph.D., to the position of vice president of Worldwide Marketing. Howells previously held positions at Documentum.