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Technology Stocks : Vantive Corporation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Notting Hill who wrote (1963)	5/1/1998 11:50:00 AM
From: Clam Clam	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3033

>>The other question to ask is: is vntv giving away their sales module, to gain marketshare? This is a key point, IMO. They aren't 'giving away' the sales module, they are selling a suite. That has been their vision since early-mid '96. 'Giving away' isn't the right way to say it. They are going with a lead product (SFA or support) at $2,500/seat but you get the entire suite for $3,500. Siebel was selling SFA seats ONLY for $3,000 to $5,000+. Siebel has been able to convince very large institutions to pay this price so they have grown like a weed. So the question is: do you buy VNTV's suite for $3,500 (and get probably the best support software on the market, one of the best field service modules on the market (released this summer) a high-end help-desk and 'B' SFA software) or do you pay up for SEBL's SFA software and 'C' support software and buy a help-desk and field service elsewhere (RMDY, CLFY etc...)? If you just want SFA software, you go with SEBL, no doubt. If you want an integrated package, you go with VNTV. SEBL lost a deal they really wanted to win at Fidelity (to Scopus) and realized that technical functionality matters. Tom has called Scopus a 'call center powerhouse' and knew he could no longer compete for call center deals based solely on a slick presentation and some palm pressing. Siebel lucked out in Scopus blowing up as they could buy first-class support software on the cheap. Now they just have to integrate it.