November 18, 2005

IN THE NEWS Salesforce.com announced record fiscal third quarter results for the period ending October 31, 2005. Total revenue was $82.7 million, an increase of 78 percent year over year and an increase of 15 percent quarter to quarter. Subscription and support revenues were $74.4 million, an increase of 79 percent over last year, and 13 percent over last quarter. "During the quarter we announced a game-changing application-sharing strategy built around our AppExchange platform," Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO, said in a written statement. "This has been a quarter of seismic shifts in our industry." Aspect Software announced its financial results for its third quarter, ending September 30, 2005. The pro forma results include the combined financials for both Concerto Software and Aspect Communications beginning July 1. The merger of the companies was completed on September 22. Pro forma revenue was $160.3 million, compared to $158.1 million from the same period last year and $154.6 million for the second quarter of 2005. "Both [companies] experienced organic growth in the third quarter by staying focused on the companies' core competencies. This is a great achievement while in the middle of completing the $1 billion merger," Jim Foy, president and CEO of Aspect Software, said in a written statement. "It is discipline like this that results in exceeding revenue and earnings targets, adding 50 new name customers and positioning the company for continued growth." RightNow Technologies is offering Siebel Systems users six months of RightNow CRM for free, reducing the cost of a two-year contract by 25 percent. "Siebel users have a lot of serious, nagging questions about product direction, support, and their longterm plans for CRM success," said Greg Gianforte, CEO and founder of RightNow, in a written statement. "Those questions will disappear when they become RightNow customers, so we're making it easier for them to make that decision." NEW PRODUCTS FrontRange Solutions has released GoldMine 7.0 Corporate Edition, containing a number of extensions and upgrades directed at slightly larger and more complex user organizations than the basic GoldMine 7.0 build. New features include enhanced workflow tools such as Contact Search Center, an enhanced contact management system with action shortcuts for scheduling activities and follow-up contacts; and integration with Microsoft SQL Reporting Services, for enhanced scheduling and delivery of reports. Other additions include broader integration with HEAT, IP Contact Center, and third-party applications; plug-in support for easy customization; and the GM+ Browser, which functions as an agent desktop and permits easy viewing of external data sources. A redesigned database structure using Firebird SQL, though invisible to most users, will improve program performance and reduce server loads. Jamcracker announced the creation of the Jamcracker Services Delivery Network (JSDN), an on-demand ecosystem designed to help independent software vendors, software-as-a-service vendors, and channel providers rapidly generate new revenue streams. JSDN will help the channel leverage the on-demand model by providing a certified catalog of software and services customer can consume directly and through downstream channel partners, according to the company. It will address common challenges facing the channel providers, including access to a comprehensive services catalog, common administration of disparate systems, and the ability to rebrand and integrate. EnvoyWorldWide unveiled enhanced features with EnvoyProfiles 4.5, a flexible enterprise notification service that delivers time-sensitive notifications to multiple recipients on any communication device. The new capabilities provide administrators with improved options for secure team management and more granular delivery control. Related articles: FrontRange Heads Toward Privacy Salesforce.com Steps Up Service RightNow and KANA Court Customers