The Software Version of One Stop Shopping for the Internet ?
Oracle adds CRM to free online tools
By Peter Sayer
PARIS -- ORACLE launched a free, online customer care service called Support.Oracle.com at its inaugural AppsWorld conference here Monday.
The online service is aimed at eliminating the cost to companies of building and operating physical customer support centers, Oracle said in a statement. It offers businesses an online version of the customer care elements of Oracle E-Business Suite, accessible via a Web browser from anywhere in the world.
The basic service will initially be offered free of charge, although "customers will pay a low monthly fee" for more advanced functionality, according to the Web site for the new service. In addition, the company may charge a fee for "request management" after the initial promotional offer expires.
In August 2000, Oracle introduced a similar service for sales staff, called Sales.Oracle.com. The company claims 150,000 users in 10,000 companies are already using this service.
The venue for the announcement, Oracle AppsWorld, is a user conference featuring 120 conference sessions and a string of keynote speeches from Oracle executives and users. Running through Wednesday, the conference agenda will focus on five themes: business-to-business marketplaces, Web self-service, wireless electronic commerce, applications hosting, and electronic marketing. Alongside the conference is an exhibition that features the latest Oracle-based electronic-commerce technologies.
Larry Ellison, chairman and chief executive officer, will deliver a keynote address on Tuesday. Sergio Giacoletto, executive vice president for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, will also speak at the conference, while Hewlett-Packard President and General Manager for Europe Bernard de Valence will be among the keynote speakers from outside Oracle, according to an Oracle statement.
Oracle and its partners took the opportunity to make a number of other announcements about new contracts and products at the conference.
The company's Dutch subsidiary, Oracle Netherlands, has struck a deal to connect all 4,000 employees of information and communication technology services consultant Landis Group to an Oracle E-Business Suite, according to an Oracle statement. The system will provide employees with access to marketing, sales, human resources, procurement, manufacturing, and financial functions and incorporates call center, e-mail, and scheduling systems.
Telia Net, the Danish subsidiary of Swedish telecommunications operator Telia Group, has recently upgraded to the Oracle E-Business Suite, according to Oracle. It said Telia Net was the first European company to upgrade to Oracle's Web-based suite of business applications, giving all employees in Denmark access to customer relationship management, order entry, order management, and financial functions from their Web browser. Telia Net will host the applications for other companies of the group in France, the United Kingdom, and Italy before offering the service to customers as an ASP (application service provider), Oracle said.
HP and Oracle together announced Monday that the CRM (customer relationship management) partnership they set up in September 1999 had brought them 23 major European customers, including Colt Telecom. HP and Oracle said they would jointly develop Oracle systems on the HP platform using internet-enabled technologies from both companies.
Based on the number of advance registrations made through its Web site, Oracle expects 4,000 visitors will attend the show, it said in a statement Monday.
Peter Sayer is a Paris correspondent for the IDG News Service, an InfoWorld affiliate. He can be reached at peter_sayer@idg.com.
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