Peoplesoft has launched what it calls the most significant release
of its customer relationship management (CRM) software since the
debut of its Web-based software last year, writes Antony
Adshead.
The launch of Peoplesoft CRM 8.8 coincides with a new release of
the company's portal-based, Web services-capable analytic tools,
Enterprise Warehouse 8.8.
The latest iteration of the CRM software includes six new products,
about 150 new features and new industry-specific modules for
high-tech, insurance and energy.
Among the added features is the ability to have multi-level
transactions with clients via e-mail and instant messaging as well
as telephone.
Other highlights include enhancements to the Marketing module; a
sales tool that can dynamically guide selling to customers; and a
mobile order capture which can give price, discount order and quote
information through a mobile device.
Thirty new analytical capabilities are built in and a new pricing
module allows sales staff to take advantage of up to 200 business
rules to provide customer-specific pricing.
The company said the product is now easier to set up through the
introduction of a graphical configuration tool, pre-built
integration points and built-in business processes.
The Enterprise Warehouse tools provide pre-packaged analytical
content, a portal interface and Web services capabilities.
According to Peoplesoft, the software will reduce the time and cost
of deploying, managing and delivering enterprise analytics and
enable users to get a consistent view of enterprise data and
pre-defined business metrics.
Henry Morris, an analyst at IDC, said, "A packaged warehouse
provides value by pre-defining processes and content, thereby
reducing the time to get consistent reporting and analysis. It also
provides a framework for deploying analytic applications that can
positively impact an organisation's bottom line."
The Warehouse suite can be used with Peoplesoft's Enterprise Portal
and consists of an operational data store for offline reporting, a
datawarehouse for hosting analytical applications, and pre-defined
data marts for multi-dimensional analysis.