Biographical Information

Articles for Oren Smilansky

Customers Prefer Agents to Automation

The most satisfied callers get help from friendly, articulate, knowledgeable human beings

Required Reading: Avoid Dealing with Difficult Customers

Some customers are just worth letting go, regardless of their monetary value.

Marketers Must Watch Out for Video Ad Fraud

Video ad fraud is a threat, but companies can take precautions to protect their budgets and reputations

Slice Serves Up Automated Workflows with Kustomer

A technology provider for local pizzerias streamlines support operations with ticketing and communication software

The Contact Center in 2018: Helping Customers Help Themselves

This year, customers are demanding that service organizations build out self-service, automate where possible, and empower agents.

WebRTC + CRM = Better Customer Support

To get the most out of web-based real-time video, voice, and file and screen sharing, companies must link the functions to their systems of record

Scott’s Cheap Flights Lands Its Messages with ActiveCampaign

A travel deal notification service provider engages subscribers with email marketing automation and small-business CRM software

Required Reading: Unraveling The Digital Helix

To execute successful digital transformations, companies must measure and assess information in new ways.

There’s Untapped Value in Voice Biometrics

Identification and verification technologies can help companies improve customer experience and mitigate security threats

Adobe Advertising Cloud Announces Integrations with Microsoft Bing

Deepened compatibility aims to help companies attract more buyers with search-related ads.

Qualtrics Enhances Qualtrics Text iQ

The solution aims to help companies uncover trends from unstructured customer data.

Autopilot Leverages Twilio Integration to Power SMS Marketing Automation

Using Twilio's API, Autopilot aims to help marketers automate text message-based customer interactions.

ClearSlide Updates Sales Engagement Platform

Updates to version Vega of the platform aim to help sales reps persuade customers with marketing collateral.

Adobe Adds Functionality to its Analytics Cloud

The enhancements aim to give companies insight into mobile app usage patterns, as well as audience preferences for content and store locations.

The Real Benefits of Artificial Intelligence

Adding AI to the contact center enables rapid information retrieval, leading to a better experience for both agents and customers

Improve Contact Center Operations to Keep Customers

Research finds the greatest opportunities to stand out with customer service are with live agents

Required Reading: Evolving The Nordstrom Way to Customer Experience Excellence

Trust and the ability to quickly adjust to industry changes have enabled the company's ongoing success

Baker Labs Doubles Leads for Its Healthcare Clients with CallRail

The marketing agency helps medical firms gain more potential customers with call tracking and recording software

NextCon 2017: Companies Must Cultivate Customer Service Cultures

Strong reputations are created inside an organization and extend outwards, speakers agreed.

NextCon 2017: Nextiva Releases NextOS

The platform aims to help organizations unify and manage customer and employee communications in one place to improve the customer experience.

Medallia Integrates Medallia for Digital with Its Experience Cloud

The integration aims to help companies unite online and offline customer data and feedback for a more complete view of their customers.

SAP Adds Machine Learning to the SAP Hybris Marketing Cloud

The upgrades aim to help companies tailor their shopping experiences to customer demands.

Salesforce.com Launches Lead Analytics for Facebook

The Marketing Cloud integration aims to help B2B firms strengthen their social media marketing campaigns.

Oracle OpenWorld 2017: The CX Cloud Helps Transform Companies, Speakers Say

During the conference's day-two general session, speakers took the stage to assert the benefits of Oracle's Customer Experience Cloud application suite.

Oracle OpenWorld 2017: Oracle Fortifies its Cloud Offerings with AI

At its annual user conference, Oracle announces new AI tools for its Adaptive Intelligent Apps and Intelligent Bot solutions.

Opening Up About Contact Center Design

Companies must create contact center layouts that will work for them and their customers

Community Managers Must Speak the Language of Business

To gain financial support, online community managers constantly need to prove value

Required Reading: The Psychology Behind E-Commerce Website Optimization

Companies must approach their web pages the way they would their sales conversations

Microsoft Envision/Ignite 2017: Speakers Stress Proactive, and Responsible, Customer Data Strategies

Thoughtful and empathetic approaches to collecting, managing, and acting on customer data will lead to better experiences.

Microsoft Envision/Ignite 2017: Supplying the Ingredients of Digital Transformation

On day one of its annual conferences, Microsoft announces deeper product integrations and updates to Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Salesforce.com Updates Sales Cloud Einstein

The upgrade applies artificial intelligence capabilities to sales data to produce forecasts, lead scores, and directions for email follow-ups.

Salesforce.com Adds Data Source Connectors and Preparation Tools to Its Analytics Suite

The capabilities aim to give businesses a richer understanding of customer behavior.

Alteryx Adds the Promote Component to Its Analytics Platform

Alteryx Promote allows business users to deploy, manage, and monitor predictive data models on their customer-facing applications.

Freshworks Adds Intelligent Workflows to Freshsales CRM

The enhancement allows sales teams to automate rote business processes.

CloudCherry Integrates with Salesforce.com

CloudCherry's customer experience management platform is compatible with Salesforce.com's Service and Marketing Clouds.

Amplero Upgrades its Artificial Intelligence Marketing Platform

The Learned Insights function aims to help marketers "nano-segment" their customer base to focus outreach at scale.

The 2017 CRM Market Influential Leaders: David Elkington, Founder and CEO, InsideSales.com

Meet the smart sales playmaker

The 2017 CRM Market Influential Leaders: Toni Reid Thomelin, Vice President of Alexa Experience and Echo Devices, Amazon

The ace behind Amazon Alexa

The 2017 CRM Market Rising Stars: MapAnything

Guiding reps on the road to success

The 2017 CRM Market Rising Stars: PandaDoc

Shortening sales cycles with document automation

The 2017 CRM Market Rising Stars: Qubit

A marketing software provider that's pioneering personalization

Best Enterprise CRM Software Suite: The 2017 CRM Market Leaders

Our finalist and winners in nine categories point the way forward with the latest products and capabilities hitting the market

Best Midmarket CRM Software Suite: The 2017 CRM Market Leaders

Our finalist and winners in nine categories point the way forward with the latest products and capabilities hitting the market

Best Sales Force Automation (SFA) Software: The 2017 CRM Market Leaders

Our picks for the best Sales Force Automation Software, with comparisons and descriptions for each product.

Best Sales Performance Management Software: The 2017 CRM Market Leaders

Our picks for the best sales performance management software. The CRM Market Awards provides comparisons and descriptions of the best offerings.

The 2017 CRM Market Elite Customers: AmRest KFC

AmRest KFC cooks up loyalty with a mobile app powered by LoyaltyPlant

The Pipeline Moves When Sales Meets CPQ

Organizations that automate the signing stages see up to 300 percent time savings with each deal, Constellation Research finds

Required Reading: Building a Story Brand that Customers Will Remember

Marketers should consider focusing on the customer's favorite subject: the customer

Apttus Launches Incentive Compensation Management Tool

The software is designed to boost sales by incentivizing seller and partner behaviors.

Aprimo Launches Its Digital Asset Management in the Cloud

The software-as-a-service solution promises faster, more robust DAM deployments and lower total costs of ownership.

eTail East 2017: eTailers Focus on Meaningful Connections With Customers

Company executives detail strategies for creating brand resonance in the age of Amazon.com.

eTail East 2017: Personalization is Imperative in E-commerce

Companies must go above and beyond to understand their customers' needs and reach them on a one-to-one basis.

Openprise Launches the Openprise Data Marketplace

The marketplace is designed to help companies leverage data from multiple third-party sources.

Demandbase Adds 'Real-Time Intent' to Its Account-Based Marketing Platform

The technology uses artificial intelligence to register early buying signals, seeking to give sales reps an edge on their competition.

Jetlore Adds Content Performance Analytics Tools to its Prediction Platform

The updated platform aims to help online companies understand and respond to customer shopping habits.

Revving up the Customer Experience Engine

General Motors drives loyalty across its brands with a customer experience initiative. A Q&A with David Mingle, global director of customer experience strategy and enterprise experiences at General Motors

Companies Need to Get Serious about Customer Experience

When it comes to managing CX, companies need to take a disciplined approach

Required Reading: With Customer Experience, More Is More

In today's marketplace, companies should make things harder on themselves, not their customers

The Homework Hotline Aces Its Assignments with PureCloud

Rose-Hulman's tutoring service ups user satisfaction thanks to Genesys and Interactive Intelligence's PureCloud contact center solution

Zoho Launches the Zoho One Business Suite

The package grants end users access to apps for customer support, sales, marketing, business intelligence, and beyond, within one operating system.

TouchCR Integrates with Online Shopping Carts from Amazon, Shopify, and others

The integrations aim to help marketers shed light on customer behavior and engage shoppers who have abandoned their carts before completing a transaction.

Intercom Launches Conversation Ratings to Boost Survey Responses

With its emoji-based 1-5 rating scale, Intercom aims to streamline satisfaction surveys for end users.

SAP Launches Innovation Services for Leonardo

The services aim to help companies quickly build, test, and implement solutions on the Leonardo platform.

Front Row Solutions Adds Mobile Reporting Capabilities

The system updates allow mobile sales reps to update, submit, or retrieve information forms before and after customer interactions.

7 Myths of Customer Experience (And Why They're Wrong)

Companies need to stop living in a fantasy world and start seeing things as they really are (through their customers' eyes)

Blue-9 Harnesses Its Resources with SAP Anywhere

An online pet product seller prepares to scale with SAP's front-office solution for small and midsize businesses

Required Reading: Using Content to Reduce Friction

The middle of the funnel brings with it new opportunities

SugarCRM Launches Hint, its First 'Relationship Intelligence' Release

With Hint, SugarCRM helps customer-facing professionals cut the time they spend researching prospects.

Forrester Customer Experience Forum 2017: Sticking to Valuable Customer Segments

Speakers touted the benefits of homing in on the segment of customers with the greatest lifetime value.

Forrester Customer Experience Forum 2017: Aim to Delight

Speakers urge businesses to pay more attention to the nuances and emotional qualities of customer experience.

Salesforce.com Unveils Einstein Analytics Apps

The release puts delivers advanced analytics 'into the hands of every CRM user.'

Aviso Launches Aviso Sales Vision

The sales forecasting platform arms sales organizations with tools to improve their quarterly performances.

Splice Software Releases Voice Apps for Amazon Alexa Skills

The apps allow companies to interact and engage with customers in their homes.

PegaWorld 2017: Pegasystems Stresses the 'T Switch' Function

A Pegasystems' executive says that organizations should determine on a case-by-case basis whether to blindly trust artificial intelligence or require transparency.

PegaWorld 2017: Pegasystems Sharpens Personalization Focus with AI

At its annual user conference, Pegasystems announces it is revamping its software tool set to provide "intelligent guidance."

MapAnything Unveils Spring '17 Updates

The geo-productivity applications aim to help traveling professionals interface with more customers and minimize their scheduling efforts.

Avtex Acquires Integrated Access Solutions

Avtex expands its customer experience portfolio, as well as its geographic reach.

Cognitive Computing Energizes the Enterprise

Today's intelligent systems can learn from customer data to discover and provide insights that drive better experiences, heighten employee engagement, and inspire companies to innovate

Wiredrive Accelerates Customer Success with Totango

The media sharing and collaboration firm has built stronger bonds with its customers

Following The Sales Manager’s Guide to Greatness

Effective sales team leadership calls for a strategic approach to individualized coaching.

Marketers Must Protect Their Reputations in the Age of Fake News

Pressure is mounting on marketers to better control where their brand messages appear.

Marketers Gain Reprieve in Privacy Rule Repeal

Internet service providers, and social networks, can continue to collect and sell customer data

ON THE SCENE—CRM Evolution: For Customers, Time and Efficiency Trump All

Speakers urged companies to adopt technologies that get customers in and out without a hassle

Genesys CX17: Executives Outline the Road Map for Its Customer Experience Suite

Genesys product managers detailed coming attractions on its contact center platforms.

Genesys CX17: Genesys Unveils the G-NINE Innovation Framework

G-NINE brings blended artificial intelligence, smart micro apps, and a proactive human touch to Genesys' Customer Experience Platform.

SAP Sapphire Now 2017, Day 2: Creating Smarter Businesses with Machines

Hasso Platner, chairman of SAP's supervisory board, discussed "The Intelligent Future."

SAP Sapphire Now, Day 1: SAP Introduces Leonardo, a “System For Digital Innovation”

The system can help connect "people, businesses, and things" so that companies can "know more, care more, and do more for customers," says the company's CEO.

Showpad Releases Showpad Experiences

The platform aims to help sales reps engage buyers with memorable presentations.

Aprimo Introduces Campaign Management Capabilities

The cloud-based offering aims to help enterprises leverage data to improve cross-channel marketing efforts.

DigitalGenius Offers Zendesk Integration

The 'off-the-shelf' application brings artificial intelligence capabilities to text-based customer service channels.

Clarabridge Releases New CEM Tools

With AI-based conversational surveys, predictive analytics, and bot integrations, the software aims to help companies 'listen everywhere,' 'analyze everything,' and 'engage everyone.'

Oracle Adds Adaptive Intelligent Apps and Chatbots to Its CX Cloud

The features draw on artificial intelligence to drive customer experience.

Required Reading: Connecting with The Transformational Consumer

The most impactful customers are seeking health, wealth, and wisdom

AmRest KFC Satisfies Customers with LoyaltyPlant

A fast-food chain franchisee increases Eastern European foot traffic with a mobile app

Tips for Maximizing CRM Investments

It's good to have a powerful CRM system, but one that is useful offers the best payoff

CRM Evolution, Day 2: Artificial Intelligence Will Drive Customer Engagement

Industry authorities underscore the AI imperative.

CRM Evolution, Day 1: Saving Customers Time and Effort Will Drive Better Relationships

'Great customer experience, for the vast majority of things we do today, is measured in time,' keynote speaker Gerry McGovern told attendees.

Lead Liaison Releases OneFocus CRM

The solution aims to 'trim the fat' and home in on essential sales functionality.

Cisco Offers Customer Success Manager Certification

The enhanced learning certification service aims to help sales reps take on managing customer success beyond the dotted line.

Datorama Launches Salesforce.com Connector

The marketing intelligence platform now supports personalized Salesforce reports.

SugarCRM Releases Version 5.0 of Its Mobile App

The app has been enhanced with customization, management, and security features.

Salesforce.com Unveils Einstein High Velocity Sales Cloud

The software combines artificial intelligence with online learning tools to "empower the sales rep of the future."

NICE Enhances Its Robotic Process Automation Software for the Enterprise

The technology has been updated with management, security, and connectivity capabilities to 'raise the bar' for scale. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Affinity Solutions Launches its Purchase-Driven Marketing Cloud

The software suite draws on credit and debit card transaction data to inform customer interactions.

The 2017 CRM Service Leaders: Customer Case Management

The 2017 CRM Service Leaders: Workforce Optimization

The 2017 CRM Service Leaders: Contact Center Search

The 2017 CRM Service Rising Stars: Freshdesk Puts a Fresh Spin on Collaboration

The vendor has been on an acquisition spree to help agents work together and across departments

The 2017 CRM Service Rising Stars: NICE—the Contact Center Consolidator

Big acquisitions propel the company to a coveted spot in the industry

The 2017 CRM Service Elite Customer Companies: Salt River Project

The water and electricity supplier diverts a customer call overflow with Interactions' virtual contact center agents

Customer Service Software Sees Rising Interest

Companies are extending cloud-based customer service tools across departments

Required Reading: Strategies for Hacking Growth

Rapid development calls for rigorous approaches to collaboration.

IBM Amplify 2017, Day 2: Speakers Tout the Potential of Watson

At IBM's Chairman's Address, executives urge companies to get ready for "the next era of business."

IBM Amplify 2017, Day 1: Cognitive Computing's Goal Is 'One-to-One' Customer Engagement

IBM Watson will guide businesses to understand the "full individual," speakers say.

InsideView Strengthens Integration With SAP Hybris’s Sales Cloud

The native Sales Cloud offering now cleans, updates, enriches, and standardizes account data.

CafeX Launches Live Assist for Microsoft Dynamics 365

The technology helps agents personalize contact with customers across different channels.

Pitney Bowes Announces a Data Practice

With the new line of business, Pitney Bowes aims to help firms tap the full potential of its data assets.

Salesforce.com’s CRM Platform Gets an AI Makeover

The spring release extends Einstein artificial intelligence capabilities to all customer-facing professionals and enables advanced image recognition.

Accusoft Releases OnTask to Automate Business Workflows

The technology aims to eliminate administrative tasks and allow sales reps to focus on selling.

Zoho Introduces Zia, an AI-Powered Sales Assistant

The intelligent agent analyzes CRM data to make selling recommendations.

The Case for Unified Commerce

Leading retailers are going beyond omnichannel to improve customer experience

Required Reading: Closing The Customer Loyalty Loop

Businesses must think about retaining customers long before they acquire them

DRG Speeds Up Sales Cycles With SpringCM

A healthcare information and technology company closes business faster with SpringCM's contract management software

The Three Ts of a Winning Sales Team

Talent acquisition, training, and time management can help sustain a successful sales culture

Freshdesk Launches Marketplace for Customer Support Apps

The Marketplace aims to help businesses customize their help desks with apps they can find "under one roof."

Pegasystems Launches Pega Self-Service Advisor

The feature uses artificial intelligence to analyze browsing history, determine a customer's immediate needs, and serve them in the moment.

Avaya Tightens Ties With Salesforce.com’s Service Cloud

Deeper integrations between the vendors' contact center solutions aim to help agents improve customer experience. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Companies Must Rethink their Loyalty Programs, Accenture Report finds

Accenture Strategy finds that organizations are investing billions on retention methods that are no longer very effective.

Velocify Adds ReportHub to Its Sales Acceleration Platform

The analytics tool places a magnifying glass on three key performance areas.

Masergy Unveils Its Cloud Contact Center

The newest addition to Masergy's unified communications-as-a-service offering supports intelligent call routing and compatibility with Salesforce.com. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Vendavo Releases Prepackaged Pricing Solutions

The ready-made software aims to quickly guide sales reps toward the optimal pricing options.

How to Avoid Sales Tool Sensory Overload

Companies can benefit from consolidating their most essential sales tools in a seamless digital setting

HuHot Puts Loyalty on the Menu with Paytronix

A casual restaurant chain nearly doubles its rewards program membership

Sales Organizations Must Tighten Ties With Channel Partners

Managing offsite teams is a different ball game, but sales leaders must step in for the required huddles

Required Reading: Cooking Up Marketing’s Secret Sauce

Firms must concoct copy that appeals to the customer's taste buds

SugarCRM Partners with TrustSphere

SugarCRM tightens ties with TrustSphere to help companies act on customer email trends.

X2Engine Bolsters Its CRM System With Location Tools

Version 6.5 of the open-source X2CRM includes location-based marketing and workflows, improved mobile apps, and added email connectors.

YesPath Adds Account Rooms to its Account Engagement Platform

The AI-powered collaboration tools aim to shorten correspondences between sales professionals and customers.

NRF's Big Show, Day Three: Personalization Takes Center Stage

In 2017, the P-word will take on ever more relevance to retailers.

NRF’s Big Show 2017, Day Two: Virtual Reality Is Creating New Opportunities for Retail

The digital and physical are merging to redefine shopping.

Swiftpage Releases Act! Version 19

The combined CRM and marketing platform now includes a mobile application, additional reporting fields, and deeper third-party integrations.

GK Software Releases Its Mobile Customer Engagement Platform to U.S. Companies

The solution suite integrates with in-store enterprise technologies to help retailers boost cross-channel shopping experiences.

MegaPath Partners with Tenfold and Launches the Connector Add-On Service

CRM and help desk integrations aim to help businesses optimize their telephony systems.

Are CMOs’ Jobs in Jeopardy?

Research suggests that more than 30 percent of chief marketing officers could soon be out of work

Companies Need to Get Serious About Social Communities

With customer community pages, companies must demonstrate an ongoing commitment

REQUIRED READING: Harnessing The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader

Like it or not, marketing leaders must prove their value

BrightCurrent Energizes Inside Sales Reps with NewVoiceMedia

The clean-power agency takes on more leads with ContactWorld for Sales

10 CRM Trends to Watch in 2017

All eyes will be on automation as the lines between humans and machines (and sales, service, and marketing) continue to blur. What else lies ahead?

Nielsen Picks Up Gracenote for Customer Behavior Insights

The audience measurement giant will tap Gracenote's resources to help marketers personalize campaigns in real time.

SugarCRM Launches Sugar 7.8

The enhancements aim to help companies design workflows that "reflect real-world behavior" and further break down departmental silos.

Swiftpage Enhances Act! with Tiger Pistol's Facebook Ads Connector

Premium users can now import leads from ads on Facebook into the Act! database.

Gartner Application Strategies Summit 2016, Day Two: Businesses Should Be More Thoughtful with Data

Using data is one thing; using it gracefully is another.

Gartner Application Strategies Summit, Day One: Companies Must Embrace Digital Ecosystems

Speakers urge enterprise leaders to build technology platforms that are "digital, programmable, and smart."

Bigtincan Adds SalesAI to the Bigtincan Hub

The upgrade uses machine learning to help salespeople improve their performance.

3 Key Rules of Customer Engagement

Organizations that don't interact well can ‘lose customers for a long time'

JanSport’s Online Presence Packs a Punch with Clicktale

With insights gleaned from the customer experience software, the backpack company revamps its website's home page

What to Learn from Wells Fargo’s Mistakes

Companies that ignore their customers' best interests do so at their own peril

Required Reading: Getting a Peek Inside Content Marketing

Content marketing is merging with traditional marketing, but it calls for a different approach

Bullhorn Introduces Canvas Reporting Tools

The business analytics and intelligence suite leverages customer data to surface actionable insights.

Episerver Releases Omnichannel Personalization Tools

The products leverage machine learning and Big Data to surface customized content and recommendations.

Infor Launches Sales Intelligence for CRM

The release leverages data science to predict which customers are most likely to purchase, and which products they'll be most interested in.

AppDynamics Adds Business iQ to Its App iQ Platform

The performance engine aims to give enterprises quicker access to application user data.

CallidusCloud Acquires Datahug

With the purchase, CallidusCloud adds predictive sales forecasting and analytics capabilities to its Lead to Money suite.

Salesforce.com Announces Lightning Partner Community

The update allows companies to extend Salesforce.com's Lightning and Einstein functionality to channel partners.

Nextwave Software Unveils Conversant.im for Facebook Messenger

The "conversational commerce" platform aims to keep live agents connected with bot activity to manage chat-based customer interactions.

Required Reading: Searching for Jobs to Be Done

Companies must actively anticipate customer needs, rather than wait to hear what they are

MedPro Stops Wasting Leads with Velocify

The medical waste management firm's new platform keeps a lid on promising sales opportunities

5 Hurdles to Clear on the Way to Sales Transformation Success

A list of barriers organizations should expect to encounter when stepping up their sales game

Qubit Adds Machine Learning to its Digital Experience Management Platform

The DXM platform draws predictive insights to bubble up valuable customer segments.

Outreach Releases Outbound Analytics to Boost Sales Rep Productivity

The "system of action" is designed to help sales pros drive pipeline velocity and book more customer meetings.

Medallia Acquires Kampyle for Its Voice of the Customer Capabilities, Launches Medallia Digital

Medallia Digital aims to unite web, mobile, and offline data to provide companies with omnichannel customer views.

Swrve Introduces In-App Conversation Features

With added functionality and templates, the platform aims to help marketers boost in-app customer engagement.

Agent.AI Launches Intelligent Tools to Speed Up Customer Service Interactions

The CRM platform leverages machine learning capabilities to streamline common support interactions. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Savo Releases Aero to Streamline Sellers' Access to Content

The platform is designed to help reps locate content suitable for their sales interactions.

ClearSlide Unveils the ION Version of its Sales Engagement Platform

The technology leverages customer engagement data to help sales professionals tend to their teams, and their most promising opportunities.

Create an Addictive Mobile Application

Today's short-attention-spanned mobile users are likely to abandon a mobile app, but there are ways to keep them hooked

Indochino Tailors Customer Experiences with Qubit

The online-first suitmaker is building an in-store customer base, and cementing new locations, using the Visitor Cloud

Required Reading: We Need to Start Speaking Frankly About Customer Relationship Management

Companies must move from transactional customer relationships to holistic ones

Apttus Adds a Virtual Agent to its Intelligent Cloud

The new "Max" bot brings conversational elements to Apttus's user interface.

Xactly Updates Inspire to Boost Sales Coaching

The enhancements are designed to help sales reps quickly master their pitches.

Brandlive Enhances its Live Video Platform

The new features are designed to strengthen live video streaming sales and marketing strategies.

OpenWorld 2016: Oracle Introduces Cloud-Based Analytics Offerings

At its annual user conference, Oracle releases a set of tools to help business users glean insights from their customer data.

At OpenWorld 2016, Oracle Unveils Adaptive Intelligent Cloud Applications

On days one and two of its annual user conference, the vendor expands its cloud-based product portfolio with 'next generation' applications that learn over time.

Zappix Adds Drag-and-Drop API Support for Visual IVR Integrations

The enhancement allows contact centers to infuse Visual IVRs with data from their back-office systems. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

PandaDoc Announces Its Add-on Store

The new marketplace makes it easier for companies to customize transactional documents .

Salesforce.com Unveils Lightning Bolt for Community Cloud

The framework is designed to help companies get up and running with their web-based customer community pages.

Salesforce.com Offers Configure, Price, Quote Tools on Service Cloud Lightning

Customer support representatives will have the means to manage the sales life cycle.

Salesforce.com Releases Industry-Specific Apps for Wave Analytics

The new offerings include apps for B2B marketing and financial services, plus dashboard enhancements.

Required Reading: Becoming The Analytical Marketer

Interacting with data needs to be top-of-mind for today's marketing pro

ALKU Technologies Recruits Sales with Bullhorn CRM

A staffing agency boosts growth—and customer satisfaction—with the CRM vendor's reporting and tracking tools

Security in the Internet of Things Era

The benefits of connected product ecosystems are numerous, but companies will have to take considerable precautions to gain customer trust

FunnelCake Announces its Marketing Operations System

The solution is designed to give B2B marketers a holistic look at customer revenue attributions.

Jivox Adds Personalized Video Advertising to Jivox IQ

The platform processes a variety of data to generate video configurations geared for each customer.

ShopAdvisor Makes Its Proximity Marketing Platform More Intelligent

New tools arm retailers with insights for more timely, and relevant, mobile messages.

eTail East 2016, Day 2: To Succeed with Omnichannel Strategies, Retailers Must Know the Customer Journey

Taking a holistic look at your customers can identify gaps on their paths to purchase.

eTail East 2016, Day 1: For Retailers, Shareable Content Is More Important Than Ever

Speakers noted that 'word of mouth at scale' is the route to big returns on investment

Terminus Unveils Account-Based Marketing Cloud for Salesforce.com

The partner program aims to help B2B marketers build their ABM technology stacks by consolidating and classifying software vendors according to their functions.

LevelEleven Adds Metrics-Driven Tools to its Sales Activity Management

The new tools aim to help sales organizations develop strategies around key performance indicators.

CaliberMind Releases Buyer Intelligence Software for Account-Based Marketers

The technology applies machine learning and human language analysis to outline "psychographic" customer profiles.

Customer.io Releases Actions for Personalized Multichannel Communications

The Actions update allows users to extend tailored messages beyond a customer's email inbox.

Zoho Remakes its CRM System, Introducing SalesInbox and Launching Zoho Marketplace

Zoho gives its CRM interface a makeover, unveils new sales efficiency tools, and opens its app store.

Swiftpage Releases Act! 18.2

The contact management solution now gives subscribers access to the Act! Connect Link integration tool.

The 2016 CRM Market Leaders: Enterprise CRM Suite

The 2016 CRM Market Leaders: Midmarket CRM Suite

The 2016 CRM Market Leaders: Sales Force Automation

The 2016 CRM Market Leaders: Incentive Management

The 2016 CRM Market Rising Stars: ClearSlide Enables Sales with Engagement Analytics

The 2016 CRM Market Influential Leaders: Jason Goldberger, Chief Digital Officer and President, Target.com

The 2016 CRM Market Elite Customers: Boston Globe Media

BlueConic's customer engagement platform helps the media company shape content to meet reader preferences

Salespeople Need Better, but Fewer, Tools

Professionals are expressing demand for digital aids that are more easily accessible and intuitive

Required Reading: How to Wow Your Customers

Before a company can delight its customers, it must become ‘brilliant at the basics'

Nuance Communications to Acquire TouchCommerce

The acquisition will unite Nuance's IVR solutions and TouchCommerce's omnichannel offerings under a common umbrella.

LinkedIn Updates Sales Navigator for Quicker Contact Access

The social selling tool gets a makeover for Salesforce.com, Gmail, and mobile devices.

Mindtree Releases Decision Moments

The platform aims to help customer-facing professionals mine data for stronger business insights.

Avention Upgrades its OneSource Platform

New features aim to bolster account-based marketing and sales strategies.

Gryphon Networks Offers Its Sales Performance Dashboard on CRM Systems

Sales managers can now monitor team performances from within their CRM systems.

PandaDoc Integrates with Microsoft Dynamics CRM

PandaDoc's document automation capabilities are now available on the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform.

Required Reading: Building The Social Business Imperative

Integrating social media into the customer journey is a must

Retailoring Retail for a Mobile-First World

To compete with pure play e-commerce outfits like Amazon.com, companies must bolster their mobile strategies and focus on expertly combining digital and physical shopping realms. Part of a special Retail Report

Dormify Doubles Down with Dotmailer

The e-commerce company can now send out relevant and personalized emails to capture the attention of shoppers

MaritzCX Launches PredictionCX to Boost Customer Retention

The added capabilities aim to predict—and prevent—customer churn.

Infor Acquires Predictix

The CRM vendor bolsters its CloudSuite Retail platform with machine-learning capabilities.

Forrester Customer Experience Forum, Day 2: Corporate Culture Translates into CX Excellence

At CXNYC, speakers highlight the correlations between strong company cultures and customer approval ratings.

Forrester Customer Experience Forum, Day 1: CX Imperative Equals 'Survival'

Organizations must continuously study their customers and prospects, and adjust their operations accordingly.

At Information Builders Summit, Analysts Stress Forging Trust in Data

Speakers encouraged companies to brand themselves as cultures that value the benefits of data-driven insights.

Information Builders Releases WebFOCUS Business User Edition

At its annual user conference, the business intelligence vendor introduces self-service tools to help non-technical users "harmonize, visualize, operationalize, and monetize" their data.

Pegaworld, Day 2: Speakers Advocate for Digital Transformation Initiatives

At Pegasystems' annual user conference, customers share their digital transformation stories.

At Pegaworld, Speakers Call for More Human Customer Interactions

Speakers suggest rethinking processes from the customer's perspective, and enabling authentic interactions.

Salesforce.com Acquires Demandware

Salesforce.com plans to leverage Demandware's capabilities to build out its Commerce Cloud.

Six Pack Shortcuts Lifts Profits With NewVoiceMedia

With ContactWorld, the gym beefs up its sales force, and sales

Six Steps to Social Selling Success

In the age of the super-savvy, hyper-connected buyer, sales professionals should blend modern technologies with traditional methods

Live Video Streaming Lends Authenticity to Outreach

Marketers might be tempted to hit the live record button, but precautions must be taken

Required Reading: Promises—and Pitfalls—of the Blockchain Revolution

How the technology powering Bitcoin could reshape e-commerce

Brainshark Enhances Its Sales Coaching Product

The new features encourage collaboration among sales reps.

CRM Evolution 2016, Day 2: Customer Experience Is the Path to Customer Retention

If businesses wish to hold on to their customers, they must go beyond their demands for outstanding experiences and reach them in their channels of choice.

CRM Evolution 2016: Insight-Driven Business Models Are the Future of the Enterprise

Gathering insights to give customers the experiences they want will give companies an edge.

Xactly Sharpens its Sales Performance Management Tool Set

The enhancements enable managers to coach their sales reps in alignment with company goals, and adjust compensation plans according to industry best practices.

Amplify 2016: IBM Introduces New Cognitive Computing Tools to Accelerate Customer Engagement

Executives stress that enhanced technologies can learn over time and work to uncover insights that drive richer customer experiences.

Connections, Day 2: Salesforce.com Introduces Customer-Centric Tools to Encourage Collaboration

Cross-departmental communication is a must for companies who wish to nail customer experience.

Salesforce.com Launches Marketing Cloud Lightning at its Connections Conference

At its annual digital marketing event, Salesforce releases mobile, email, and advertising tools to power more personalized customer interactions.

Infer's Profile Management Update Helps Get Marketers Up and Running

"Quick-start" self-service capabilities give marketers a push in contacting their strongest prospects.

Sales 2.0 Conference 2016: Restructuring Mind-Sets Will Lead to Higher Performance

To reach the next level, sales professionals should consider challenging their old ways of thinking and acting.

Boost Slumping Sales With Video

Sales organizations can gain an edge on competitors by supplementing email and phone calls with video presentations

Required Reading: The Big Deal About Small Data [Video Interview]

Companies need to take a more intimate look into the lives of their customers

11 Ways to Make Sales Training Stick

How to ensure that your organization sees tangible, ongoing payoffs from its coaching initiatives

8th Light’s Future Looks Bright with PipelineDeals

The software consultancy can store and share account data and plan projects using the intuitive platform

Oracle Unveils Enhancements to its Marketing Cloud

New integrations are designed to improve data-driven and account-based marketing initiatives.

Terminus Updates its Account-Based Marketing Platform

Additions to the platform enable marketers to plan and adjust targeted ad campaigns to boost pipeline velocity.

Handshake Launches its Direct Mobile App to Simplify B2B Commerce

The application aims to help distributors and manufacturers increase their sales by giving retailers a "captivating" buying experience.

LiveHive Updates its Sales Acceleration Platform, Launches the Sales Connect Partner Network

The updated platform accommodates third-party applications to enable increased visibility throughout a sales cycle.

Infer Releases Predictive Ad Targeting Platform

The open architecture platform enables integrations with account-based marketing tools.

33Across Joins Oracle's Data Cloud to Help Marketers Hone Campaigns

The vendor enriches Oracle's Audience Data Marketplace with more than 200 segments.

Velocify Releases SalesCaddy to Boost Lead Generation

The new tool scours social and professional networks to surface prospects, while making follow-up work easier.

Pegasystems Continues to Enrich its CRM Platform with Mobility and Analytics [Video Interview]

In this exclusive interview, CMO Robert Tas discusses the company's 'record year,' recent enhancements to the Pega 7 platform, and future product goals.

Seismic Releases Workspace to Build Collaboration on Sales Presentations

A new tool serves as a digital forum for sales and marketing reps to work together

With Paytronix, a Pizza Chain Gets a Bigger Share of the Pie

Pie Five Pizza Co.'s new rewards platform delivers the goods

Customer Success Management Comes of Age

Ensuring that clients are getting the most out of what companies have to offer is key in today's as-a-service, subscription economy

Customer Experience Metrics Are on the Rise

Continuity, consistency, impact, and integration are the key competencies driving CX change

Required Reading: Dance of the Rainmaker—How to Become a Sales Superstar

Focusing on the right clients, listening to them closely, and acting as trusted advisers are central to sales excellence

IBM Acquires Bluewolf, Strengthens Ties with Salesforce.com

The consultancy will join IBM's Interactive Experience division.

Hootsuite Acquires Sales Prodigy to Help Reps Engage Leads on Social Media

By integrating the social selling app, the platform aims to help salespeople ‘jump in and start a conversation.'

Pipeliner CRM Releases Automata to Keep Salespeople on Track

With version 9.0, sales reps can manage their most pressing deadlines on one screen.

Salesforce.com Releases Wave Analytics for Community Cloud

The updates provides channel partners with added intelligence to boost sales performance.

Lattice Engines Releases Lead Enrichment

The new tool arms B2B marketers and sales reps with insights to better segment and target their accounts.

Salesforce.com Releases Field Service Lightning

Field service reps can now tend to on-site customer issues using their mobile devices.

Infogroup Partners with Neustar to Extend Its Digital Reach

The alliance enables Infogroup to provide offline data for multichannel marketing campaigns.

LiveOps Cloud Releases Redesigned CxEngage Platform for Contact Centers

The reimagined platform promises improved customer service for enterprises.

SugarCRM Buys Contastic's Natural Language Processing Capabilities

The addition of Contastic's recommendation engine aims to equip salespeople with personalized content pieces.

SalesPredict Bolsters its Offerings with Predictive Demand Generation

The vendor's newest release helps B2B marketers anticipate which leads will generate the most revenue.

TouchCommerce Releases TouchSMS

New capabilities enable live chat agents to connect with customers via a mobile text messages.

Social Customer Service: Hug Your Haters

Companies should respond to their most vocal, critical customers, on their ground

The 2016 CRM Service Leaders: Customer Case Management

The 2016 CRM Service Leaders: Workforce Optimization

The 2016 CRM Service Leaders: Contact Center Search

The 2016 CRM Service Rising Stars: Freshdesk Simplifies Customer Service for Growing Businesses

The 2016 CRM Service Rising Stars: TouchCommerce Bridges Gaps Between Traditional Ads and Digital Engagement Channels

The 2016 CRM Service Elite: Labor First

With revamped call center technology from NewVoiceMedia, Labor First puts customers first

Clari Launches Flow Analytics to Boost Sales Team Performance

A single-view dashboard enables sales organizations to monitor the status of opportunities in their pipelines.

Lytics Releases Content Affinity Engine for Content Marketers

The tool unites CRM data with behavioral data to personalize customer engagements.

Salesforce.com Adds Dashboards to Sales Wave Analytics

Visual analytics tools aim to let sales professionals craft better strategies and boost team performance.

Jivox Partners with Taggstar to Drive E-Commerce Conversions

In leveraging Taggstar's Social Proof Engine, Jivox aims to give online retailers access to personalized digital advertising features.

Bigtincan Updates its Mobile Content Enablement Platform

Tighter links with CRM systems help mobile sales and service professionals glean insights about content.

RingCentral Launches Global Office

The cloud-based unified communications system breaks down the barriers separating international teams to improve customer engagement.

Required Reading: Making Sales a Team Sport

When a sale gets stuck, a cross-departmental effort can help spring it loose

GENERATION Y: In Control, Content, and Community-Minded

As Millennials take on more significant roles in the American workplace—and their spending power increases—the stakes are up for marketers

StrongView Helps Extra Space Storage Make Room for New Customers

The storage space provider reaches movers on the go with personalized, mobile-friendly emails

iQventures Taps IBM Watson for Sentiment Analysis

IBM supplies an additional layer of assistance to users of the speech analytics platform. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

ZOOM International Releases Performance Analytics for Customer Service Professionals

The cloud-based solution aims to consolidate data and surface actionable insights for contact centers.

Exclusive Video Interview with SugarCRM’s CEO Larry Augustin

The CRM executive reflects on the company's recent developments, plans for 2016, and the economy.

Shutterstock Partners with Sprinklr, Optimizely

A new API enables customers of the platforms to incorporate Shutterstock content directly into their workflows.

NRF's Big Show 2016: Retailers Must Future-Proof their Businesses for an Evolving Value Chain

Capgemini's Kees Jacobs outlines characteristics of a changing consumer climate.

ToutApp Launches Sales Campaigns

The sales productivity tool aims to automate workflows and streamline complex processes.

Gryphon Networks Adds Visibility to Its Sales Intelligence Platform

The updates promise to equip sales managers with insights that help them bring reps up to speed.

CareerBuilder Predicts Healthy Growth in Service, Sales, and Marketing Departments

This year's poll finds that CRM efforts will remain a top priority in 2016.

X2CRM Unveils Version 5.4 of its CRM Platform

The latest edition of the open-source CRM software includes enhanced sales processes, workflow automation, and a mobile Android app.

Xanterra Has Monumental Marketing Success With RedPoint Global

The vacation and landmark resort management firm sharpens email campaigns with the data management and marketing tool

How to Craft a Clear and Effective CRM Strategy

Guidelines for tackling some of the common barriers on the road to CRM nirvana

Required Reading: Mercedes-Benz Steers Toward Better Interactions

A new book explains how the luxury automaker set out to move beyond just offering great cars

U.S. Contact Centers Added 22,265 Jobs in Q3

The domestic contact center job market continued its expansion during the summer. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Box, Salesforce.com Strengthen Ties with Files Connect

The CRM vendor and the content management provider bolster offerings for customers of both platforms.

Businesses Will Gain from Cloud Contact Center Suites, Frost & Sullivan Says

A report from Frost & Sullivan shares predictions about the state of the cloud contact center solutions market. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Infer and InsightSquared Partner to Offer Predictive Dashboards

The vendors unite to give marketing and sales professionals visual tools that help them examine their pipelines.

Swiftpage Launches Act! Version 18

The new release includes beefed-up marketing features and a Web API platform, making it easy for SMBs to integrate Act! with external programs.

2015 Gilbane Conference Day Two: Companies Must Personalize Content for Global Markets

Analysts and executives shared their approaches to global customer experience management, including shaping messages for—and gathering insight on—local markets.

Gilbane Conference 2015: Understand Customer Reactions, and Deliver Content Accordingly

Marketers must keep customers top of mind when working on their content strategies.

B2B Companies Are Struggling With CX, and It's Eating at Their Bottom Lines

An Accenture study finds that business-facing companies are failing to deliver the experiences their customers expect.

Required Reading: Making Common Cause with Customers

Brands need to embrace more collaborative business models

Rethinking Data Quality

Why companies should closely examine their approach to collecting, cleaning, and maintaining their data

Orbitz for Business Shortens Sales Cycles with TinderBox

The corporate travel company sees a boost in efficiency with the contract-signing solution

Front Row Solutions Adds Sales Rep Mapping Tools to its Reporting System

Geolocation features give sales managers greater visibility into sales rep activity—where they are and what they're doing.

Bpm’online Releases Version 7.7 of Its CRM Platform

The updated platform includes a new business process management engine, an improved mobile user interface, and added automation and ease-of-use tools.

Salesforce.com Releases Predictive Journeys for Its Marketing Cloud

Scoring and segmentation tools will enable marketers to anticipate likely customer behavior—and engage them accordingly.

Salesforce.com Unites SalesforceIQ and Desk.com

The integration bolsters collaboration among sales and service departments in small to midsize businesses.

Oracle Releases Oracle Knowledge Advanced for Service Cloud

The vendor brings knowledge management capabilities to the cloud to improve customer support interactions.

Constellation Connected Enterprise 2015, Day One: Digital Evolution Begins at the Top

Speakers stress the importance of getting higher-ups on board with digital projects.

Vern Fonk Drives Sales Success with Conversica’s AI

The Seattle-based insurance firm converts more Internet leads with an automated email solution

Embrace Formal Sales Coaching

For sales leaders, guidelines are not always the preferred method, but they can have a big impact on the bottom line

On the Scene—Gartner's Customer 360: Let the Customer Be Your Guide

Customers can steer companies toward improvement but must be given the opportunity

Required Reading: Selling to Influencers

In today's complex B2B selling environment, businesses need to find allies in their customers' organizations

Third-Party Power: The Rise of the B2B App Store

How software development partners are shaping the future of CRM

Oracle OpenWorld 2015 Day Three: Oracle Moves Toward a Safer Cloud Environment

On day three of its annual user conference, Oracle promises "always on" protection features to cloud users.

Oracle OpenWorld 2015: Oracle Continues its Ascent into the Cloud

Oracle addresses rising standards in customer experience with new cloud-based tools.

IBM Launches Universal Behavior Exchange for Marketers

The new tool allows marketing professionals to consolidate customer data.

SAP Releases Jam Communities for SAP Hybris Commerce

The solution aims to smooth connections between a brand's community pages and e-commerce platforms.

Attensity Integrates with Informatica, Offers DiscoverNow Cloud-Based Text Analytics Tool

With DiscoverNow, businesses can leverage customer sentiment insights—and make more well-informed decisions.

Sparkcentral Launches Secure Authentication for Social Customer Support

Message encryption functions aim to facilitate trusted service interactions on Twitter and Facebook.

NRF's Shop.Org Digital Summit 2015, Day Two: Identify the Customer's Needs and Fill Them in Substantial Ways

At the Shop.Org Digital Summit, speakers urged the audience to stand out through personalization—and by catering to unmet needs.

NRF’s Shop.Org Digital Summit 2015: Mobile Is the Glue That Holds Omnichannel Together

At Shop.Org, companies push for a mobile-first digital strategy.

DMA's & Then 2015: Marketing Authenticity Is Central to Brand Success

To connect with customers, companies must communicate mission statements that resonate.

Datarista Offers Full-Featured Platform-as-a-Service to Data Providers

Data can be conveyed to cloud-based platforms through one all-encompassing integration point.

Navigating Big Data for Big Profits

How companies should choose it, when they should lose it, and why they should take cues from it

On the Scene--CRM Evolution: CRM Is Evolving Toward the Internet of Things

As companies gear up for an ecosystem of connected devices, they must evolve their technologies to accommodate the demands of customers

On the Scene--Etail East: E-Commerce Requires Customer Trust

Companies should focus on giving customers a risk-free, and enjoyable, digital payment process

Required Reading: Why Everybody Matters

Organizations need to give workers a sense of purpose

Salesforce.com's Pardot Helps Field Nation Work the Field

The freelance-management platform provider feeds its sales team high-quality leads with Pardot's marketing automation system

Retention Science Releases Adaptive Lifecycle for Marketers

Powered by artificial intelligence and predictive analytics, the platform aims to customize and automate email marketing campaigns according to customer preferences.

SocialBro Leverages IBM Watson to Offer Personality Insights to Marketers

Cognitive computing capabilities powered by IBM Watson aim to help marketers appeal to select audiences.

Totango Launches Customer Success Campaigns

With automated communications capabilities, the vendor strives to deepen customer engagement.

ClearSlide Releases Predictive Insights Tool

The new predictive dashboards are designed to help sales reps assess the deals in their pipelines.

SAP Announces New Portfolio of Tools for SAP Hybris

With added front office functionality, SAP aims to stimulate more personalized customer engagements.

Gartner's Customer 360 Summit 2015: Customer-Generated Conversations Build Reputations

Organizations must exert a positive influence on conversations surrounding their products and services—and give customers good reasons to advocate for them.

Gartner's Customer 360 Summit 2015: Customer Input Is Central to Growth

Organizations must embrace ongoing engagement with customers—and shape their digital experiences accordingly.

Velocify Releases Velocify Pulse to Help Sales Teams Work Together

The sales acceleration platform encourages consistent processes throughout an organization.

Salesforce Releases New Tools for Service Cloud

A new user interface and app aim to smooth customer service operations.

Hybris Baits the E-Commerce Hook for Wholesale Sports Outdoor Outfitters

A camping goods retailer creates a more personalized Web site using hybris's B2C Commerce

Brands Must Improve Customer Experience in E-Commerce

Customers expect excellent experiences, even during transactions

Pinterest and Instagram Offer Buy Buttons

Making visual social media sites "shoppable" has its pluses, but companies should be prepared to handle customer expectations

Required Reading: Crafting a Customer Service Culture

Organizations should experiment, get creative, and above all know their customer

When Customer Experience Is the Ticket

What can companies learn from organizations that sell experiences rather than services or products?

KnowledgeTree Adds "Blueprint" Tools to Help Guide Sales Reps

The augmented platform uses prescriptive analytics to pinpoint the best content to share with clients.

Salesforce Introduces Lightning Experience for Sales Cloud

New capabilities steer salespeople toward an intuitive user experience.

CRM Evolution 2015, Day Three: Customer Engagement Takes Center Stage

Industry experts speculate about the Internet of Things, and customer engagement's role in CRM's future.

CRM Evolution 2015 Day Two: With New Technologies, Organizations Must Do Their Homework

Speakers recommend adequate prep before committing to costly tools, and investing in flexible solutions that will evolve over time.

At CRM Evolution, Relevance and Incremental Improvement Are the Keys to Company Growth

Speakers on day one advised organizations to reach customers with relevant messages and build momentum with steady improvements to achieve consistent growth.

Salesforce.com Adds Buy Buttons to the Community Cloud

New Lightning Components allow companies to link e-commerce platforms into their discussion pages.

Customer Trust and Calculated Innovation Is Central to Company Growth

eTail East '15: Organizations should take chances, but eliminate risk for customers.

NewVoiceMedia Releases ContactWorld Quickstart for SMBs

The vendor of cloud-based tools offers its contact center solution to beginning companies on the rise.

Brainshark Adds Analytics to the Sales Accelerator

Improved analytics give reps a fuller picture of rep performance throughout the sales cycle.

The 2015 CRM Market Leaders: Enterprise CRM Suite

The 2015 CRM Market Leaders: Midmarket CRM Suite

The 2015 CRM Market Leaders: Sales Force Automation

The 2015 CRM Market Leaders: Incentive Management

The 2015 CRM Market Rising Stars: Conversica Simplifies Lead Follow-ups and Conversions

The 2015 CRM Market Rising Stars: PROS Packages CPQs for the Sales Force

The 2015 CRM Market Elite: PERQ

Marketing tech company PERQ accelerates its conversion rate by 500 percent with Salesvue.

The 2015 CRM Market Influential Leaders: Travis Kalanick, CEO, Uber

The 2015 CRM Market Influential Leaders: Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Facebook

Qstream Introduces Predictive Sales Tools for Salesforce.com

Mobile sales performance indicators work with CRM to help managers predict team success.

Oracle Adds Functionality to Sales Cloud

Enhanced dashboards, analytics, and industry specific capabilities aim to accelerate sales profits.

Infer Introduces Net-New Leads

The new offering will enable organizations to find the most fruitful outbound prospects.

Pipeliner CRM Launches Principia to Encourage Sales Team Efficiency

Version 8.0 of the sales-centric CRM platform enhances functionality at all stages of the sales process.

TeamSupport Spruces Up Screen Recording for Customer Support

With TeamSupport's new functionality, service agents can embed videos into customer support tickets that link with CRM.

8x8 Releases Latest Version of Virtual Contact Center

The updates aim to improve contact center workflow and drive customer loyalty.

Accenture Releases Accenture Insights Platform

With its new solution, Accenture promises rapid deployments and quickly actionable business intelligence.

BPMonline Debuts Version 7.6 of BPMonlineCRM

Prebuilt features aim to connect marketing, sales, and customer service.

The 7 Tenets of Sales Transformation

Tips for bringing your sales organization to the next level

Brisk Announces Google Apps Integration

The sales solution will now integrate prospect information stored in Gmail.

Union Metrics Unifies Social Suite, Adds Facebook Analytics Capabilities

Increased connectivity between platforms aims to give marketers insights into the key drivers of brand-related online conversations.

Salesforce Launches Service for Apps for Service Cloud

Embedded assistance tools will allow service reps to help customers from within an application.

BlueConic Introduces Pricing Tiers and Free Pyxis Offering

With the new pricing model, the vendor aims to challenge the market standard for sign-on terms.

Salesforce Unleashes Sales Wave Analytics App, Updates Marketing Cloud

At its Connections conference this week, Salesforce announces tools to help the entire organization.

At Forrester’s Customer Experience Forum, Leading Thinkers Stress Improving Pain Points

In an emotion-filled customer landscape, companies can stand out by fixing what competitors have overlooked.

LinkedIn Releases Sales Navigator App for Android, Integrates with Microsoft Dynamics CRM

The social network's selling app aims to help reps meet quota by making it easier to establish strong connections.

Brainshark Releases Brainshark Live for Sales Accelerator

New features allow sales organizations to share and track the success of their presentations within one interface.

Totango Releases ROI Metrics to Help Companies Monitor Product Performance

Improved satisfaction measurements aim to give organization tailored customer insights.

Information Builders Summit 2015: Reducing Organizational Data Divides, and Adding Spruced-Up Features

The Business Intelligence (BI) company makes data more practical for the average end user with added functions and a scalable interface.

What You Need to Know About Customer Experience Maps

Before a company designs its map, it should take a number of steps to make sure it doesn't go off course

LiveHive Releases Group-Email Features for Sales Organizations

New email automation tools give sales teams a deeper understanding of prospects' engagement.

InsightSquared Offers Sales Pipeline Analytics on Salesforce’s AppExchange

Detailed views of past pipeline activity allow organizations to put together better sales strategies.

Salesforce Makes Community Cloud Friendlier for Users

The CRM provider enhances the cloud with sharing and collaborative features.

TouchCommerce Releases TouchMedia

With the new solution, companies can use broadcast and print advertisements to link customers to chat representatives.

IBM Amplify Day 2: Seamless Workspaces Are Key for Marketers

Partnerships and integrations aim to make the Marketing Cloud more practical for teams.

IBM Amplify Day 1: Crafting Relevant Messages for Customer-to-Business

At its annual conference, the company introduced unified analytics capabilities to enable relevant and timely messaging.

SuiteWorld Day 2: NetSuite Plans to Bolster its Marketing Package

The company intends to meet the needs of larger businesses.

SuiteWorld Day 1: NetSuite Announces Deal with Microsoft, SuiteCommerce InStore

The software as a service (SaaS) provider of CRM, e-commerce, and ERP products outlines plans to smooth the seams of omnichannel customer experience.

The 6 Secrets of Successful Change Management

Are your salespeople resisting technology upgrade plans? ?Try these tips to bolster user adoption.

Rethinking Sales Incentive Management

Incentives offered to teams, instead of individuals, could better motivate reps.

At Forrester's Sales Enablement Forum, It's All About Getting the Story Right

As customers grow more independent, sales must leverage marketing content to become indispensible

Wine Enthusiast Uncorks More Personalized Email Campaigns with Bluecore Solution

A reduction in outgoing email increases revenue for the wine accessories company.

C9 Sharpens Forecast with New Features

User polls combined with machine learning capabilities give sales reps a better view into the future of their deals.

FirstRain Releases Personal Business Analytics for Sales 2.0 on Salesforce’s AppExchange

Added capabilities will update salespeople about their most relevant prospects within the CRM systems.

NetSuite Announces Acquisition of Bronto

With the acquisition, the company will attempt to close the gaps between commerce and marketing.

LiveHive Reveals Updated Version of its Sales Acceleration Platform

The additions combine engagement and automation capabilities that will speed up salespeople's emailing routines.

BrightFunnel Releases Revenue Waterfall

BrightFunnel will offer B2B marketers more ways to measure their campaigns' impact on bottom lines throughout the prospect funnel.

Salesforce Pardot Reveals Intelligent Engagement Studio, Sales Cloud Engage

New B2B marketing automation tools aim to help reps cultivate higher-quality leads.

Zoho Offers Zoho Expense to Supplement Its CRM Package

The new software makes it easier for salespeople to track client-related expenses.

ICON15, Day 2: For Small Businesses, Personalized Content Trumps All

'[Being] different is better than [being] better.'

At ICON15, Infusionsoft Reveals Improved Campaign Builder and Payments Options

The SMB vendor also introduces a 24-hour help center.

Athenahealth Increases Engagement with Force Management's QStream Platform

The learning-based gamification program teaches reps better sales techniques.

Mobile Sales Force Automation Apps Are Set to Soar

As prepackaged SFA solutions are made easily available, businesses are expected to increase adoption.

Can Chat Apps Stimulate Mobile Commerce?

With applications from Line and WeChat taking hold, companies vie for a piece of the e-commerce pie.

How to Select a CRM System

Whether it's your first solution or your fourth, these tips will help make the vendor selection process easier.

Thismoment's Spark Provides Sales with Access to Tailored Sets of Content

The sales enablement app expands content sharing abilities to sales forces.

Bullhorn's Email Analysis Tool Gives Companies a Better Understanding of Ongoing Relationships

Pulse expands cloud-based CRM vendor's customer insights.

Oracle Debuts Data as a Service for Customer Intelligence

New platform, plus upgraded DaaS for Marketing, helps Oracle expand its cloud offerings.

Sales 2.0 Conference: Meaningful Connections Will Drive the Future of Sales

Speakers note that the human element cannot be overvalued.

Adobe Releases New Document Cloud to Transform E-Signatures

Adobe offers businesses a more convenient way to manage and store contracts.

DocuSign Expands Integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Strengthened integration will enable streamlined contract signing processes.

Salesforce Announces Salesforce for Apple Watch

The first iteration of Salesforce for Apple Watch will complement the iPhone app.

Marketers and Salespeople Must Rethink Customer Engagement Efforts

Speakers at Forrester's Forum for Sales Enablement stated that good content is as vital to salespeople as it is to marketers, and that customer engagement can be maintained by delivering meaningful messages.

Salesforce Bolsters its Marketing Cloud with Predictive Decisions

Additions will allow companies to tailor more personalized marketing campaigns based on data gleaned from online user activity.

Organizations Must Commit to Sales and Marketing Alignment

At this year's Forrester Sales Enablement Forum, speakers warned that companies must craft consistent interdepartmental strategies to keep up with increasingly self-sufficient prospects and customers.

The 2015 CRM Service Elite: NewVoiceMedia Helps Cancer Charity with Fundraising Efforts

New insights give the Canadian Cancer Society in Saskatchewan a running start on its Relay for Life event.

The 2015 CRM Rising Stars: Helpshift Pushes In-App Customer Service a Few Steps Ahead

The company improves feedback and customer service in mobile applications.

The 2015 CRM Rising Stars: Zendesk Gives Small Enterprises the Tools They Need to Grow

With the addition of customer survey feedback, activity reports, and mobile contact capabilities, the SMB specialist bolsters its platform.

The 2015 CRM Service Leaders: Customer Case Management

The 2015 CRM Service Leaders: Workforce Optimization

Companies Gear Up for the IoT Revolution

There's rising consumer demand for—and acceptance of—connected devices.

NRF's Big Show: Retailers Solidify Multichannel Strategies to Drive Customer Engagement

Digital technologies in stores are vital, but how they're being used is also important.

Attensity Introduces Semantic Annotation to Interpret Unstructured Data

New SDK enables companies to quickly parse unstructured texts and better understand their customers' needs.

Docurated Offers Its Content Cloud Through the Salesforce App Exhchange

The platform creates closer working relationships between sales and marketing.

Salesforce.com Updates Wave Analytics Cloud

Updates to Salesforce.com's mobile-first analytics platform make it easier for the average user to customize and share growing amounts of unstructured data.

HP Launches Haven Predictive Analytics

The open-source offering will enable organizations to better use data for effective predictive analytics.

Sage Group Integrates Its CRM with ERP X3

The integration will enable midmarket companies to provide SMBs with more centralized customer views.

SAP Company Hybris Launches Contextual Marketing Platform

The solution will integrate with SAP's Customer Engagement and Commerce Suite to help companies better understand the customer journey.

Citrix, Box Turn to Gainsight for Customer Success

For the companies, customer success management is a growing concern.

MindTickle Releases Version 2 of MindTickle for Sales

MindTickle's sales training solution will run on a cleaner user interface and provide quicker communications for DIY sales trainers.

Westerners Look to Alibaba to Ride China's E-Commerce Wave

American companies turn to the dominant online marketplace to reduce risks and sample the Chinese market.

Accenture Calls for Attention to the 'Frozen Middle'

Study finds that minor adjustments to a company's average performers can significantly raise revenue.

The 5 Distinct Customer Relationship Strategies

A clearly defined level of commitment to buyers is vital to growth.

Canadian La-Z-Boy Stores Draw More Customers with Splice Software's VIP Voice Invites

Personalized voice messages and first-class treatment help a furniture retailer increase sales and decrease costs.

Oracle Updates Service Cloud to Optimize Collaborative Interactions

New features aim to help service agents better understand the customer's journey and streamline cooperative processes.

CSI Integrates Workforce Optimization into 3CLogic's Contact Cloud Solution

The two companies' combined efforts will enhance customer experience within the cloud contact platform.

Zoho Expands Free Offerings to Help SMBs Grow into CRM

The new features will appeal to CRM beginners and companies on a budget.

OTRS Group Releases Business Solution Software for Improved Customer Support

The new offering will incorporate live chat and refined ticket access on a social media-esque interface.

NRF 2015 Day 3: For Top Tier Companies, Improving in-Store Mobile Experiences is Key

Physical stores might not be disappearing anytime soon, but their existence depends on smart digital strategies.

NRF Big Show 2015 Day 2: For Many Companies, A Seamless Multichannel Experience Is the Goal

Mobile needs work, but retailers are accommodating smooth transitions from physical to digital shopping.

Interactive Intelligence Adds Directory to Its PureCloud Collaboration System

The software and services provider's new cloud service is designed to foster collaboration in the enterprise.

HG Data and EverString Join Forces to Offer Improved Customer Analytics

Predictive algorithms will work with data sets to help with customer conversion.

Industry-Specific CRM Solutions Remain the Go-to Choice for Some Businesses

Two vertically focused providers supply companies with improved CRM tools.

Oracle Buys Datalogix to Bolster Its Marketing Cloud

The acquisition will give Oracle new offline analytics capabilities.

Paytronix Expands Integration with NCR to Help Predict Consumer Behavior

The loyalty platform provider makes its solutions available to more customers through NCR's Cloud Connect.

HP Releases Digital Customer Experiences Package for Oracle

New services intend to enhance, personalize, and solidify customer engagement in multiple channels.

Badgeville Offers Its Gamification Solution Through Salesforce Sales and Service Clouds

The company promises speedier deployment times and improved services for Salesforce.com customers.

ReachLocal Updates ReachEdge to Help SMBs Capitalize on Leads

The online marketing solution provider strengthens its software to boost small business growth.

Pipeliner CRM Launches Elements Solution to Smooth Sales Processes

New visual features are designed to help salespeople meet quotas through collaboration.

LevelEleven Launches Scorecard Solution to Stimulate Sales

The sales performance platform provider responds to customers' needs for effective behavior monitoring.

Oracle Streamlines the Path to Its Sales Cloud

The company facilitates CRM cloud migration options for midsized businesses.

SAP Expands SAP Business One, Version for SAP HANA, to Amazon Web Services

The "cost-effective option" will provide SMBs with scalability and flexibility.