Ranking and segmenting customers according to their value to your business can play an important role in defining future service level agreements and marketing activity. You may for example choose to modify your service contracts for customers that consistently require a high level of customer care thereby increasing profitability.  In addition, by segmenting those customers with the highest potential for up-selling or cross selling, you can create specific marketing programs targeted at this customer segment. The color coding feature enables management and each end user to quickly identify the top rated or most profitable customers allowing you to pay special attention to them and provide the type of service that ensures customer retention.

Automated Customer Ranking Process

Account Summary View

Commence Corporation continues to be an innovator in the field of customer management software providing advanced functionality not offered by industry competitors, Microsoft and Salesforce.com.   The company has been providing CRM business solutions to mid-size and small enterprises for more than two decades.  For more information about Commence’s  CRM software solutions, call 1-877-266-6362 or visit the company’s web site at www.commence.com.

The new automated business process allows you to rank and color code customers based on criteria such as company size, annual revenue, cost to deliver services, profitability, future growth potential, service level requirements and more.  The pre-defined criteria are completely customizable by the customer, providing them with the ultimate flexibility in determining how to rank their customers.  This customer ranking feature is a unique business process that is not available from competitive CRM software offerings.

Commence CRM has been designed for mid size and smaller enterprises and as such is modular in design, easy to use and affordable.  Commence CRM software is also very customizable and can be deployed and operational within 24 hours.  Perhaps the greatest strength of this online CRM solution is the products home page or CRM dashboard.  The dashboard displays information such as your e-mail, today’s calendar and to-do’s, new leads, sales opportunities to follow-up on, alerts, service tickets, projects, and even a sales funnel that displays where each new sales opportunity is in the sales cycle.  End users find that they can conduct 90% of their daily business without ever leaving the CRM dashboard home page, making the learning curve extremely short and enabling them realize a rapid return on their investment.

Commence online CRM is ranked among the top ten cloud CRM systems in the industry. Learn more about Commence online CRM and how it can help grow your business.

When people think about hosted CRM software they think about using the Internet to access their data.  This is because the majority of CRM solutions today are web based, deployed as a hosted service over the Internet and accessed as a browser based CRM application.

Commence Corporation has taken a slightly different approach to the deployment of their CRM software.   While the majority of businesses do select the company’s web based CRM offering, more and more are beginning to turn to a hybrid CRM deployment, where the CRM software is implemented on each personal computer with only the server being hosted by Commence Corporation.  This hybrid approach provides a full offline CRM client and is attractive to companies that do not have a reliable Internet connection and for those that would like to ensure that they have a copy of their data in-house.

Because the software is implemented on each computer, the Internet is only used periodically to update the main CRM server.  As a result, if an Internet connection is not available each employee can continue using the CRM system since they are interacting with their local offline CRM client on a desktop or laptop computer.  When the Internet connection returns, the CRM server is automatically updated with any changes that have been made.

“It’s really the best of both worlds”, says Larry Caretsky, president of Commence Corporation. “The customer can utilize our CRM software on premise and have immediate, local and offline access to their data without having to rely on an Internet connection.  Meanwhile our professional engineers are taking care of managing the server hardware and providing critical IT services such as back-up and recovery and managing the system security, such as virus protection.  This allows our customers to focus their energy on growing their businesses”.

To learn more about this unique hybrid CRM solution including full offline CRM client functionality, visit the Commence web site at www.commence.com.

As a software reviewer I have spent more than a decade looking at business solutions for the enterprise and mid-market space. While all the hype and fanfare traditionally surround the mainstream players, every so often I come across a smaller, less-known company whose products do an even better job than the big players of meeting the functional and financial requirements of the customers they serve. In Human Resource software an unknown company like NuView Systems of Wilmington, MA will go head-to-head with giant PeopleSoft or Oracle, for example, and sometimes win. In payroll, unknowns like OPEN4 of Addison, TX or Genesys Software of Methuen, MA win accounts from known giants like ADP and Ceridian.

I have recently found the same unexpected power and value to be available from lesser-known providers in the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) space. While we industry analysts and gurus tend to pay homage to the big guns like Siebel and Microsoft, smaller companies like Commence Corporation of Tinton Falls, NJ that may not appear on our analyst radar screen are quietly meeting customer needs in the CRM sector.

Commence has been supporting the business requirements of small to mid-size companies for more than a decade and has an impressive track record for delivering quality products and services. Positioned squarely between low-end contact managers and costly, overly complex higher-end solutions, Commence CRM strikes a nice balance among functionality, ease of use, and low cost of ownership.

Full Range of CRM Applications

The company offers a full suite of applications from contact management and sales automation to marketing campaign management and customer support (or help desk). In a nice marketing stroke, the applications are modular in design yet fully integrated, so you can purchase just what you need. I found the product’s functionality to rival that of many higher-end solutions costing thousands of dollars more.

Commence Corporation’s long history as a provider of database management tools is apparent when looking at the underlying architecture of the product, which is easy to customize without programmer intervention. End users can even personalize their individual desktops to the way they work. The well-designed, flexible interface makes the system intuitive and user friendly. The architecture also does an excellent job of supporting the client not connected to the server. Commence offers a utility called “Sync Link,” which enables an authorized end user to copy database information to a laptop or hand held device for remote use. The user can update the remote device with FTP synchronization, e-mail, or VPN.

The Contact Management component of Commence is quite robust and similar in design to offerings from mainstream CRM companies, meaning it’s account centric as opposed to contact centric as in less powerful systems. A feature, called connection controls, allows you to link one-to-many or many-to-many relationships. With connection controls, for example, you can manage and track multiple companies or multiple partners that may be involved in an opportunity or a project. This linking is a powerful differentiator and one I have not seen in other CRM products.

The Sales automation system supports lead management, opportunity or pipeline management, telesales/telemarketing, forecasting, and reporting; and it meets the functional checklist of traditional mid-market sales force automation systems. One of the product’s strengths is the ability to deploy automated business processes. Sales people, for instance, can ask the system to identify any potential opportunity that has not had any activity linked to it for a period of time, such as a telephone call, direct mail piece, or on-site meeting. They can then direct the automated business process to automatically perform a function such as send a fax, letter, or press release based on “what if” scenarios. Commence also enables the company to incorporate a standard sales methodology for managing pipeline activity or create its own if one is already established.

Addressing Special Needs of Small to Mid-size Business

The Marketing application does a good job of supporting campaign management. Customers can plan a campaign, establish a budget, assign tasks, estimate results, and track responses. They can incorporate mailing lists within the product, making it easy to update the lists and also track marketing cost and activity by prospect. The marketing application is fully integrated with the sales system, enabling the automatic transfer of leads from marketing to the appropriate sales representative or sales team.

The Support or Help Desk module very capably manages service tickets, contracts, and problem resolution. The system tracks call duration and can quickly associate contracts and service levels with products purchased. I like the mail merge feature that enables a support representative to notify and provide a documented resolution via e-mail to customers. The application also incorporates a comprehensive knowledgebase feature that allows the support rep to attach an article to a service ticket for easy and fast problem resolution. (The product does not, however, enable customers to access this knowledgebase without purchasing an add-on component.)

Commence has a robust report writer built into the product, and each application comes with a large number of pre-built reports. The company states that the custom report writer reduces the cost and reliance on third-party reporting products such as Crystal Reports. While the product does free the user from such reliance on outside vendors, the lack of analytical reporting that evaluates customer buying trends and patterns as provided in higher end systems is a weakness in Commence. (The company indicates that such reporting is planned for its next release.)

Commence also supports desktop integration with seamless links to desktop applications like MS Word and MS Outlook.

During the past twelve months we industry analysts have begun to take an increased interest in small to mid-size business (SMB). Reports indicate that the SMB space is underserved and that the requirements of smaller businesses are significantly different from enterprise companies. We have been asserting that ease of implementation and use, along with a low cost of ownership, are the driving factors for the purchase of CRM systems among the small to mid-size business community.

Companies like Siebel and others have made attempts to scale down their solutions and costs to better serve these requirements but have failed to achieve their goal, and, while web based solutions seem to be growing in popularity, client server-based systems like Commence CRM are delivering on the promise for functionality, ease of use, and value for small to midsized companies.

Bigger, then, does not always mean better. Nor is fame any guarantee of quality, though in the world of software it generally is the basis for higher pricing. For companies looking for a comprehensive, easy-to-use solution at an attractive price point, this is one CRM solution worth further investigation.

About the Author: Jim Meade, Ph.D., is author of The Human Resources Software Handbook: Evaluating Technology Solutions for Your Organization, published with John Wiley Publishing He has a 20 year history in the software industry, has reviewed more than 100 software packages for magazines such as Human Resource Magazine, and is author of 24 books on computers, including several in the bestselling Dummies series.

Customers Offered Big Discounts on Top Rated CRM Software

TINTON FALLS, N.J. (March 01, 2011) – Commence Corporation, a leading provider of Customer Relationship Management software (CRM), is offering new customers big discounts on their world class online CRM software during the month of March.  “March is the company’s fiscal year end and we are looking to sign up as many new customers as possible” says Larry Caretsky, president of Commence Corporation.  “In order to achieve this we are offering substantial incentives to earn their business. We appreciate that customers have a lot of options to choose from, but Commence is a top rated CRM solution from a company with a twenty-three year track record of performance.  The incentives we are offering should make the selection of Commence an easy decision over competitive offerings.”

“We are taking a page out of the college basketball March Madness program says Tom Gibson, a senior account manager with Commence.  In week one, the first (64) companies to sign up will get the first incentive, in week two, (32) companies will receive a different offer, in week three, (16) and so on until the final week.  Each week the offers will be posted on the company’s web site in the CRM pricing section.  This is an exciting program that will provide exceptional value to new customers continued Gibson.  I am confident a large number of them will take advantage of it.  It’s a “win-win”; great for the customers and good for Commence Corporation”.

About Commence Corporation:

Founded in 1988, Commence develops and delivers a diverse suite of award winning CRM software that integrates people, processes and technology.  Commence CRM is used by several thousand businesses to streamline the front office business processes that directly impact sales execution and customer service.  As a result, Commence clients increase workforce productivity, generate positive customer interactions and reduce operational cost.  For additional information visit www.commence.com or call 1-877- 266-6362.

Media Contact:

Nicole Reed
info@commence.com

Why are so many people disappointed with their CRM system?  Nigel Park, Managing Director of TPS Consulting believes he has the answer.  “Customers are simply not experts in selecting CRM software.  I often find that they have not properly documented their critical requirements list.  As a result, these firms have tendency to shop solely on price because they perceive that all CRM offerings are the same. They find out later that there are limitations they were unaware of.  Another reason customers may be hesitant about making a decision is because the vendor’s free trial offering does not enable the customer to truly ensure that the software meets their requirements.  The free trials often consists of a vanilla out of the box program that is not tailored for the customer’s business so while free, they have limited value.  Unique work flow capabilities may not be incorporated in the trial versions and other key components such as e-mail integration that traditionally involve some assistance from the vendor cannot be properly tested.  And because it’s just a trial, customers are unable to take advantage of the vendor’s expertise in helping them to realize the maximum value from their software.  I don’t blame the vendors says Park, because they cannot afford to address questions, tailor the software, integrate e-mail, and provide support services for a free trial, but if I am a customer I want to ensure that the software will work as advertised,”  he concluded.

Commence Corporation has introduced a unique solution to this problem by offering customers a 90 day pilot program that includes the company’s award winning CRM software coupled with a set of best practices that ensure that the customer attains immediate value from the solution.  “We appreciate that customers may be apprehensive about making a CRM decision and may not fully understand the value they can realize from our software, said Larry Caretsky, president of Commence Corporation.  We want to mitigate the risk for them by providing them with an opportunity to utilize our software and provide the professional expertise to solve their business requirements.  Our professional services staff will implement the software, assist the customer with the customization they require, integrate their e-mail, Outlook, calendar, mobile devices, and even provide training.”

View the full press release.

Tinton Falls

“The new applications add significant value for our customers” said Larry Caretsky, President of Commence Corporation “ and continue to differentiate Commence in a very crowded market.  The Project Management solution is designed to enable project managers to properly assign resources, manage project delivery dates, stay within budget and address issues before they become a significant concern and impact deliverables. The integration of this information with all other CRM data provides authorized personnel with complete access to full account, contact and project information.”

“The Customer Service Portal is all about enabling our customers to provide customer self service to their customers by allowing customers to update their profile, check the status of a service ticket or access the company’s knowledgebase for information anytime and anywhere.   This capability significantly enhances the quality of service Commence customers can offer to their customers and should give them a leg up on their competition”.

The company concluded the year with a company luncheon that included several international dishes followed by a highly competitive miniature golf tournament inside the company’s corporate headquarters in New Jersey.  “We don’t have the luxury of going outside this time of the year” says Caretsky, “so we had the course set up inside our offices.  We also offered prize money for first, second and third place which made the tournament highly competitive.”

About Commence:

Founded in 1988, Commence develops and delivers a diverse suite of award-winning CRM solutions that integrate people, processes and technology.  Delivered via the popular software as a service (SaaS) model or implemented as on premise software, Commence CRM solutions are used by thousands of businesses to streamline sales and customer service front-end business processes. As a result, Commence clients increase workforce productivity, generate positive customer interactions and reduce operating cost.  More information about Commence can be accessed at www.commence.com or by calling Commence sales at 1-877-COMMENCE.

Media Contact:
Nicole Reed
info@commence.com

“After much consideration, we’ve made the decision to discontinue Customer Manager, effective October 11, 2010”

“Intuit Customer Support will provide support for all issues through November 30, 2010.”

These surprising notices were posted on the Intuit website just 2 months ago leaving many small and mid-market businesses scrambling to find an alternative solution for their Customer Management and CRM needs.

“Many of these businesses were taken by surprise by this announcement and then further surprised that they had to find an alternative by November 30 when the system was being shut down”, said Todd Pape, CTO at Commence Corporation, “We are happy to provide an option for these customers to migrate to our web-based CRM solution with QuickBooks integration. We invite these customers to review our CRM solutions and believe we offer a very compelling option with our web-based Commence CRM and optional QuickBooks integration.”

Commence offers a robust suite of CRM software applications for managing sales, marketing, customer support, and project management. The Customer Management software can also be integrated with QuickBooks for 2-way synchronization of customer data.

Larry Caretsky, president of Commence Corporation, welcomes the addition of these customers. “Commence has been servicing small and mid-size businesses for over twenty years,” noted Caretsky. “A good portion of our business comes from companies that have outgrown traditional contact management software such as Sage ACT! software and Goldmine software. These companies need more than a simple contact manager, but not the cost and complexity of enterprise CRM software. We are positioned right in the middle of the two, which has served our business very well over the years. Our CRM solution is comprehensive yet intuitive and affordable, and is quickly deployed over the Internet,” says Caretsky.

About Commence Corporation:

Commence Corporation is a leading provider of Customer Manager software. The company’s products are designed to provide small to mid-size businesses with flexible solutions that leverage the Web to offer an integrated platform for managing sales execution and customer service. Commence supports several thousand customers through a worldwide distribution network, with outlets in North and South America, Europe and Asia. For more information see www.commence.com or call 1-877-COMMENCE.

The Survey Says:

Question 1   How long have you been using Commence?

• 31% 1-3 years
• 53% more than 5 to 10 years
• 16% more than 10 years

Question 2  What is the principal industry of your company?

More than 27 industries were represented.

Question 3  Which Commence product do you use?

• 78% Designer Edition CRM Toolkit
• 16% Desktop CRM Application Suite
• 6% Commence OnDemand (New Cloud based CRM offering)

Question 4  What is your primary use of the product?

Evenly split among the choices:
Contact & account management, sales, marketing, customer service

Question 5  How important is Commence to your business?

• 79% Mission Critical
• 19% Important
• 2% Not that important

Question 6  How satisfied are you with the product you are using?

• 74% Very satisfied
• 19% Satisfied
• 7% Not satisfied

Question 7  What do you find is the greatest strength of the product?

• 61% Flexibility
• 39% Reliability

Question 8  How likely are you to recommend Commence to a colleague?

• 84.5% Likely

Question 9  How would you rate Commence Corporation’s ability to keep pace with current technology?

• 69% Very satisfied
• 13% Not satisfied
• 18% Don’t think about it

Question 10  How would you rate the level of functionality incorporated in the product you are using?

• 96% Very good meets our requirements
• 4% Does not meet our requirements

Question 11  What improvements would you like to see in a future release of the product? (Respondents could check several options)

• 51% Better integration with third party applications
• 43% Better documentation
• 37% Enhanced mobile capabilities
• 33% Remote access to data
• 30% More programming features
• 23% Make product easier to use

Question 12  Do you have a service agreement with Commence?

• 41% Yes
• 59% No, we do everything ourselves

Question 13  How would you rate the quality of service received?

• 64% Excellent
• 27% Very good
• 9% Fair

Question 14  How would you rate the value of the annual software maintenance program that provides updates and enhancements to the product(s)?

• 68% Very good value
• 22% Good value
• 2% Fair – program is too expensive

Question 15  How would you rate the level of communication the company provides?

• 62% Very good, we get all the information we need
• 32% Fair, would like to see more communication from Commence
• 6% Poor, the company does not communicate enough

Question 16  How would you rate your overall experience with Commence Corporation?

• 73% Very good, the company has an excellent product and service organization
• 19% Good – the experience has been good
• 8% Fair   – our experience is not what we had expected.

Question 17  Commence is evaluating some enhanced services for our customers. How would you rank each of the items below based on the importance to your business? (Respondents could select several options)

• # 1 — Searchable knowledgebase 53%
• # 2 — Internet forum 34%
• # 3 — Technical support blog 30%
• # 4 — Self help videos 26%
• # 5 — Quarterly webinars 17%
• # 6 — Social networking 6%

Question 18  Commence now offers a hosting service for managing the Commence database in our datacenter and a cloud based CRM solution, Commence On-Demand. How likely are you to consider moving to one of these offerings in the future?

• 21% Very likely – I would like to learn more
• 61% Not likely we are happy with the on-premise system
• 18% All ready using your hosted service

NOTE:   Responses containing personal information about your company, your name, your role  and if we may contact you have been removed from the results page.

This all changed for me a few years later when I joined Commence Corporation, a provider of Customer Relationship Management software.  At Commence, I was forced to trade in my spiral notebook for a sales automation tool and while I was a bit dubious that a sales automation system would help me, after a few weeks of use I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  I began capturing every customer and prospect interaction from basic telephone calls, quotes and documents I had sent to e-mail correspondence.   I learned to enter follow-up activities on my calendar and set alerts that reminded me to contact people on the dates and times I committed to.  Each day new leads with contact information were dispatched to me electronically and an automated sales methodology helped me to manage each opportunity through a structures sales cycle.  Best of all, with the simple click of a button I had the ability to view a complete 360 degree view of all current and historical information about my customers and prospects.  This was truly unbelievable.   I even learned that I could integrate a Smart Phone so that I could have contact information at my disposal and have also begun to utilize the systems mass e-mail feature to help generate more business.  I had never imagined that I would attain so much value from this tool.

“On a personal level I am more productive than ever.”

The CRM system has impacted me both personally and professionally.  On a personal level I am more productive than ever.  I have access to customer and prospect information anytime and anywhere and I am confident that things are no longer falling through the cracks. On a professional level I have become almost fanatical about the product, which has helped me to serve potential customers more effectively.  I continue to utilize my past experience as a vehicle for delivering a powerful testimonial of how CRM software has helped me better manage the sales cycle and improve sales execution.  It’s a well known fact that prospects are more likely to buy from someone who believes whole heartedly in the product or service they are selling and my newly found enthusiasm for CRM software has enabled me to gain credibility with potential buyers.

As I talk with new prospects each day I understand and appreciate the reluctance they may have in implementing a Customer Relationship Management solution.  I’ve learned that It’s a lot easier to understand their concerns and provide valuable assistance if you have been in a similar position, so I tell my story.  Their interest level grows and often turns into a new sale. If you are considering a CRM system give me a call.  I am confident that I can help you consolidate data, and improve sales execution so that your team and sell more and sell more easily.

About the author: Steve Fischkin is an Account Manager at Commence Corporation, a leading provider of CRM software which can be deployed in a web-based, cloud-computing environment or on premise. For more information about Commence visit www.commence.com or e-mail Steve at sales@commence.com

“Many of these businesses have simply stayed put and have continued to utilize discontinued versions of the Goldmine software”, said Nicole Reed, Customer Manager at Commence Corporation, “but with the release of the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system, these older versions will no longer work. This has generated a number of calls to Commence Corporation from Goldmine customers seeking a migration path to newer, supported CRM software.”

Commence offers a robust contact manager along with a suite of CRM software applications for managing sales, marketing and customer support. The Customer Management software is available for deployment on-premise or hosted under a “software as a service” or SaaS model.  Commence also supports the Microsoft Vista and Windows 7 operating systems along with the upcoming Microsoft Office 2010 software.

Larry Caretsky, president of Commence Corporation, welcomes the addition of these customers. “Commence has been servicing SME businesses  for twenty years,” noted Caretsky. “A good portion of our business comes from companies that have outgrown traditional contact management software such as Sage ACT software and Goldmine software. These companies need more then a simple contact manager, but not the cost and complexity of enterprise CRM software. We are positioned right in the middle of the two, which has served our business very well over the years. Our CRM solution is comprehensive yet intuitive and affordable, and can be deployed over the Internet,” says Caretsky.

About Commence Corporation:

Commence Corporation is a leading provider of Customer Manager software. The company’s products are designed to provide small to mid-size businesses with flexible solutions that leverage the Web to offer an integrated platform for managing sales execution and customer service. Commence supports several thousand customers through a worldwide distribution network, with outlets in North and South America, Europe and Asia. For more information see www.commence.com or call 1-877-COMMENCE.

Commence has been providing contact management, sales force automation and CRM software for more than two decades and has several thousand customers in more than 22 countries around the world.   The company’s web based CRM software has proven to be a comprehensive and affordable alternative to industry leaders such as Microsoft CRM and SalesForce.com.

The company provides personal demonstrations and free trials of their on-line customer management software.

TINTON FALLS, N.J., (October 15, 2009) – Commence Corporation, a leading provider of customer relationship management (CRM) software solutions, today announced that it is extending its managed services offering to existing desktop customers and offering a complimentary software upgrade with its new hosting service.

“Today’s economic crisis has created an environment whereby companies are finding it difficult to upgrade and maintain their own IT infrastructure,” said Larry Caretsky, president of Commence Corporation. “Some have been forced to reduce their IT staff, making the management of their systems even more challenging. As a result, these businesses may now be working with older, fragile hardware or unsupported software and they are rightfully concerned about the impact this will have on their business.”

Commence Corporation has created a unique Managed Service designed to address this business challenge for existing customers.  The service places the role of managing and maintaining the Commence Server hardware and software with Commence Corporation.  It provides customers with the use of state-of-the-art high-speed server hardware at Commence Corporation’s data center as well as 24/7 management of the system by trained engineers. Customers are also entitled to a free software upgrade and continued upgrades for as long as they remain on the service. This ensures that they are always working with the highest quality server hardware and the latest version of the software.

Abhijit Joshi, president of White Hedge Inc., recently switched over to the service and is pleased with the outcome.  “As a small company I did not have the resources to purchase the equipment and staff necessary to manage and maintain my Commence system,” said Joshi.  “In addition, keeping up with the latest product releases became difficult.  By outsourcing this function to Commence I freed up time and resources to dedicate to growing my business while Commence manages and maintains the hardware and software.”

Joshi, is not alone, several dozen new companies are already utilizing Commence’s managed service. For more information contact Commence sales at 1-877 – COMMENCE.

More About Commence Corporation

Founded in 1988, Commence develops and delivers a diverse suite of award-winning CRM products that integrate people, processes and technology. Delivered via the popular software-as-a-service (SaaS) model or implemented as on premised licensed software, Commence CRM solutions are used by thousands of companies to streamline sales and customer service front end business processes.  As a result, Commence clients increase workforce productivity, generate positive customer interactions, and reduce cost. More information about Commence can be accessed at www.commence.com.

Industrial CRM Solutions That Eliminate Company Inefficiencies

When it comes to using Contact Management and Customer Relationship Management software for Industrial Sales, Commence literally wrote the book. Using Six Sigma, lean practices, Commence CRM can help you implement smart business processes that will make your company a more efficient sales and service organization. Manage the selling cycle from introduction to closure though our contact management, lead management, activity management, quoting and sales automation software. Our off-line or disconnected capability is ideal for field sales representatives who need customer information with them at all times.

Our Sales Tools Combined with Smart Business Practices will Help You To Maximize Every Business Interaction and Achieve Your Sales Potential

Industrial Sales Tools

Rapidly deployable, easy to use tools for managing the sales cycle from introduction to closure. Commence takes the guess work out of sales management, contact management, lead management, pipeline management, forecasting and reporting. Commence can even help your company set up it’s own sales force automation services.

Smart Practices for Industry

This compendium of CRM smart practices offers real life examples of how to create a customer centric marketing strategy, efficiently manage the sales process and use CRM technology to achieve industrial selling results.

Amazon EC2 is a Web service that provides resizable computing capacity for the “cloud,” enabling users to increase or decrease capacity needed for applications within minutes. In the EC2 environment, Commence’s popular CRM software will be run on secure, shared servers; customers will not need a data center, additional office space, or a technology team. The service will be offered under a subscription model, enabling customers to pay only for the functionality they desire.

“We are excited to leverage Amazon’s EC2 cloud computing environment and take advantage of the increased scalability, high availability, reliability and disaster recovery options that it offers, ” commented Todd Pape, chief technology officer at Commence. “This approach enables us to offer a world-class solution to our customers at a fraction of the cost of implementation on their own. In addition, the service leverages Amazon’s global cloud data centers enabling Commence to further extend our service within Europe.”

Commence provides a central CRM database for capturing, managing and sharing vital customer information, while customers retain ownership of data and business processes. It can be tailored to fit different industries and business requirements and, with the cloud technology, there are no restrictions on customizability. Its adaptable, modular design allows users to select applications from a comprehensive suite of business CRM functions, including contact management, lead management, activity management, sales force automation, marketing and campaign management, quoting, project management and customer service.

Commence Corporation, a leading provider of customer  relationship management (CRM  ) software solutions designed specifically for small- to mid-size businesses, today announced enhancements to its reports  library in the newest version of its software-as-a-service (SaaS) CRM solution, Commence OnDemand.

“While most CRM solutions offer report writing capabilities, the small- to mid-size business sector often under utilizes this capability simply because they do not have the time or resources to design the reports. With Commence OnDemand, users can view pre-built reports immediately with a simple click of the mouse. Sales and marketing management, for example, can easily access strategic reports such as a 30-, 60-, 90-day forecast, sales activity by sales rep or customer account or marketing campaign analysis. Customer service can review the number of open support tickets, who is handling them and how long they have been open,” commented Larry Caretsky, Commence’s CEO. “For many of the reports, users can choose between text-based or graphic formats.”

With capabilities that rival many enterprise-level solutions, Commence OnDemand provides a central database for capturing, managing and sharing vital customer information. Its customizable, modular design allows users to select applications from a comprehensive suite of business functions, including contact management, lead management, activity management, sales force automation, marketing and campaign management, quoting, project management, and customer service. A flexible, Web-based hosted solution, Commence OnDemand provides automatic updates and enhancements and seamlessly integrates with both PC and Mac operating systems.

The enhanced reports library is available immediately to Commence OnDemand customers. More information about Commence OnDemand can be accessed at www.commence.com.