MarketSoft, Centra Join Forces

MarketSoft, a marketing automation software provider, and Centra, a Web conferencing-tool vendor, are combining their talents to deliver customers a wider offering. Privately-held MarketSoft integrated its flagship DemandMore marketing automation suite with publicly-traded Centra's Web conferencing tool. The joint software offering, already integrated and available today at an entry-level price of around $350,000, helps customers manage the entire life cycle of promoting, fulfilling and following up on a Web conference. Specifically, the combined software helps generate demand for Web conferences through permission-based email campaigns; offers one-click registration; and automatically manages sales leads. Through the arrangement, both companies hope to sell into each other's customer base. MarketSoft counts 40 of the Fortune 1000 as customers, mostly in financial, high-tech and manufacturing industries; and Centra boasts hundreds of global customers including AT&T, Citigroup, Procter & Gamble, Merck, Nationwide Insurance and even stanford University. MarketSoft and Centra claim their customers wanted greater functionality quickly. "Companies want more bang from their marketing buck," says Mike Kozub, vice president and chief marketing officer at MarketSoft. "In today's tough market, you can't let a good lead slip through the cracks." At least one analyst voiced support over the partnership. "Centra's Web collaboration offering has proven to be a powerful and inexpensive medium for marketers to communicate with prospects," stated Bruce Richardson, senior vice president at AMR Research. "Combining that with MarkeSoft's solutions, which can drive prospects to Webinars and track those leads throughout their lifecycle, should be of great interest to marketers."