New CRM Product Spotlight

Siebel CRM OnDemand UpShot Edition: A Unified Customer View

Siebel Systems has rolled out a fresh customer support module for its cloud‑based CRM, called Siebel CRM OnDemand–UpShot Edition. The move is part of a broader effort to give users a seamless, 360‑degree picture of each customer, starting from the first marketing touch and following all the way through sales, service, and support. The new features are designed to capture every interaction and provide teams with the data they need to deliver quick, accurate service without having to switch systems or dig through separate logs.

At the heart of UpShot is a robust ticketing engine that tracks support requests from initial submission to final resolution. When a customer calls the support line or opens a web ticket, the system automatically logs the request and ties it to the existing customer record. Service agents can see not only the current issue but also the entire history of past interactions, product purchases, and marketing campaigns that have involved that contact. That historical context helps agents answer questions faster and often turns a routine call into a moment of upselling or cross‑selling.

Another key element is the integration with Siebel’s existing workflow engine. When a ticket is created, the system can trigger automated processes: assign the ticket to the correct team, set SLA deadlines, and even prompt agents with suggested knowledge‑base articles based on the ticket’s keywords. Because the engine is already part of the OnDemand platform, these new rules run without any extra licensing cost. The same applies to the mobile app, which now lets frontline workers open, update, and close tickets from their tablets or smartphones.

For marketing and sales teams, UpShot adds a layer of insight that was previously missing. The system now aggregates data on how many support tickets a particular campaign generated, or how many sales leads came from a post‑purchase support interaction. Managers can view dashboards that show ticket volume by product, by region, or by time of day, and then correlate those metrics with revenue streams. This visibility turns support from a reactive function into a proactive lever for revenue growth.

Support staff will appreciate the new screen pops that appear on the agent’s desktop whenever a high‑priority ticket comes in. The screen pop includes the customer’s recent purchase history and any open warranty claims, allowing the agent to anticipate questions before the customer even asks. If the ticket involves a recurring issue, the system can automatically suggest a service reminder to the customer, preventing future escalations and improving satisfaction scores.

From an operational standpoint, the biggest win is that all of these new capabilities are delivered at no additional cost. Siebel’s pricing model for OnDemand is based on user seats, and the UpShot add‑on simply expands the existing license to include support functions. Companies that were already invested in the OnDemand platform can start using the new features immediately without renegotiating contracts or paying for a separate support solution.

In practice, the rollout of UpShot has already helped several mid‑market retailers cut their average ticket resolution time by 20 percent. A case study from a clothing retailer showed that the integration of ticket data with purchase history reduced the time agents spent on hold calls, allowing the customer service team to handle more tickets per day. Likewise, a B2B supplier of industrial parts reported a 15 percent increase in upsell opportunities after sales reps used the post‑support data to identify customers who had recently resolved a major issue.

Siebel’s approach aligns with a broader trend in CRM adoption: moving from siloed marketing or sales tools toward a single source of truth for all customer interactions. UpShot provides that bridge by treating support as an integral part of the customer lifecycle rather than a separate function. By delivering support data directly into the same workflow used by marketing and sales, the solution eliminates friction and speeds up the time it takes to close a deal.

For organizations already on Siebel CRM OnDemand, the transition to UpShot is straightforward. Administrators can enable the new module through the platform’s configuration portal, assign support roles, and set up the ticketing rules that fit their processes. Because the underlying database remains the same, there is no risk of data duplication or migration headaches. Training materials and webinars are available through Siebel’s customer portal, ensuring that staff can start using the new features without a steep learning curve.

In summary, Siebel CRM OnDemand–UpShot Edition turns a traditional support system into a full‑fledged customer experience tool. By connecting support tickets to the broader customer journey, it provides insights that can boost both service quality and revenue. And since it ships free with the existing OnDemand license, companies can adopt it without extra financial risk.

SAP AG mySAP CRM for Utilities: Tailored for Energy and Water Sectors

SAP AG’s latest release of mySAP CRM brings utility‑specific functionality that speaks directly to the operational challenges faced by companies in the energy, water, and waste‑management industries. Leveraging the SAP for Utilities portfolio, the new version aligns every touchpoint - sales, service, billing, and customer engagement - into a cohesive lifecycle that meets regulatory and operational demands unique to the utilities space.

One of the standout features is the closed‑loop sales process for commercial and industrial customers. Utilities often face multi‑stage sales cycles that involve technical approvals, long‑term contracts, and regulatory clearances. SAP’s new workflow engine automatically tracks each stage, assigns tasks to the right teams, and updates the opportunity status in real time. The result is a single dashboard that shows the pipeline, the likelihood of closing, and any compliance checks still pending. Sales managers can use this view to reallocate resources, prioritize high‑value prospects, or flag deals that risk falling behind regulatory timelines.

Residential customers, on the other hand, benefit from an enhanced sales management module that integrates with the company’s billing and payment systems. The tool automatically pulls usage data, payment history, and past service requests into the sales record. When a homeowner calls to request a new service or an upgrade, the agent can immediately see the account’s status, past billing issues, and potential service plans that fit the customer’s profile. By providing a data‑rich view, the system reduces the need for manual data entry and speeds up the time it takes to close a residential sale.

Campaign management is another area where SAP’s myCRM has been sharpened for utilities. Utilities often run large‑scale outreach programs - think solar panel installations, water conservation drives, or emergency outage notices. The new module offers granular targeting based on geographic zones, consumption patterns, and demographic data. Marketers can set up email, SMS, or even direct mail campaigns that trigger automatically when a customer’s usage falls below a certain threshold, or when a new service promotion is launched. Campaign performance metrics, such as open rates, click‑through rates, and conversion rates, are tracked against the customer’s historical engagement, enabling more precise ROI calculations.

The account manager portal is designed to give utility managers a 360‑degree view of every customer. The portal pulls in usage data, billing status, service tickets, and even social media sentiment into a single interface. Managers can drill down into individual customer histories or pull aggregate reports to understand regional trends. This visibility is essential for utilities that must meet strict regulatory reporting requirements while also maintaining customer satisfaction scores.

Interaction center capabilities have been expanded to include computer‑telephony integration (CTI), email, text chat, and web communication. The CTI layer ensures that when a customer calls, the agent’s screen pops up with all relevant data - billing history, usage trends, and even recent outages in the customer’s area. This reduces call handling time and improves first‑call resolution rates. Email and web integration means that customers can open tickets from any device, and the system automatically syncs those tickets into the CRM. Text chat and web messaging allow for real‑time support without the need for a phone call, catering to a younger, tech‑savvy demographic that prefers instant communication.

Utilities also face the challenge of coordinating with multiple stakeholders - engineers, field technicians, regulators, and customers. SAP’s myCRM solves this by enabling collaboration across these roles through a secure, role‑based access framework. Engineers can update job tickets, regulators can attach compliance documents, and customers can receive status updates directly through the portal. By keeping all parties on the same platform, the solution eliminates the back‑and‑forth communication that often slows down outage response times.

From an implementation standpoint, SAP has designed the new utilities features to integrate smoothly with existing SAP ERP modules. Data flows between the CRM, billing system, and field service management without custom coding, reducing implementation time and cost. SAP also provides industry‑specific templates that accelerate configuration, allowing utilities to go live in weeks rather than months.

Utilities that have piloted the new myCRM release report a noticeable improvement in customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. One city water utility noted a 12 percent reduction in average outage resolution time after implementing the new interaction center. Another electric provider experienced a 20 percent increase in residential upsell conversions thanks to the data‑driven campaign management tools.

Overall, SAP’s focus on utilities has resulted in a CRM platform that not only meets the technical and regulatory demands of the sector but also enhances customer engagement across every stage of the lifecycle. By consolidating sales, service, billing, and marketing into a single, data‑rich system, utilities can deliver better service while driving revenue growth.

Artisoft TeleVantage Meets Cynergy Help Desk: A Seamless Customer Service Experience

Artisoft TeleVantage, the industry‑leading call‑center platform, has partnered with Cynergy Software to deliver a fully integrated solution that brings screen pops, IVR routing, outbound dialing, and web‑based remote support into one seamless workflow. The collaboration focuses on delivering real‑time visibility into customer issues, enabling call‑center agents to serve customers faster and giving technicians the tools they need to resolve problems on the spot.

When a customer dials into a service center, the screen pop that appears on the agent’s workstation is more than a simple list of the caller’s name. It pulls together the customer’s full history - previous tickets, billing status, usage patterns, and even notes from past interactions. That level of context allows agents to anticipate the caller’s needs and propose solutions before the call even ends. The pop also highlights any open tickets that may be relevant, preventing duplicate work and ensuring that the most urgent issue is addressed first.

Artisoft’s IVR (interactive voice response) system plays a key role in routing calls efficiently. Customers can navigate through a menu to indicate the nature of their issue, and the IVR automatically assigns the call to the appropriate skill group. The integration with Cynergy’s help desk means that once the call is connected, the ticket number generated by the help desk is transmitted back to the agent’s console, creating a single point of reference for the entire call. This eliminates the need for agents to manually create tickets and reduces the chance of data entry errors.

Outbound desktop dialing, another feature of the combined platform, empowers agents to proactively reach out to customers when a follow‑up is needed. Whether it’s a scheduled callback for a technician visit or a reminder about a payment due date, the system can place a call automatically and update the ticket status in real time. Because the calls are initiated from the agent’s desk, there is no need for a separate dialing system, and the call logs are immediately attached to the ticket, ensuring a complete audit trail.

Cynergy’s web‑based help desk is designed to give field technicians a lightweight, portable interface that runs on tablets or laptops. When a technician arrives at a customer site, they can open the web app, view the ticket details, and record notes or upload photos directly. The app synchronizes with the central help desk, so any changes the technician makes are instantly reflected back to the call center. This two‑way communication ensures that agents on the other end are always up to date, which is crucial during multi‑step repair processes.

Beyond ticket management, the solution includes a “ticket status tracker” that sends automated email or SMS updates to customers. When an issue is resolved, the customer receives a confirmation message that includes the resolution details and any next steps. That level of transparency improves customer satisfaction and reduces the number of follow‑up calls agents receive about the same issue.

From an operational perspective, the integration also simplifies reporting. Managers can pull combined reports that show call volume, resolution times, technician performance, and ticket backlog across both the call center and field operations. Because all data points come from the same source, the reports are consistent and can be used to drive continuous improvement initiatives.

The partnership between Artisoft and Cynergy is particularly valuable for industries that rely on a mix of call‑center support and field service - such as telecommunications, utilities, and HVAC. By aligning the front‑end and back‑end components of customer support, companies can reduce resolution times, increase first‑call resolution rates, and improve overall service quality.

Companies that have adopted the Artisoft‑Cynergy integration report a noticeable drop in average handling time. A regional telecom operator cited a 30 percent reduction in call duration after implementing screen pops and automated ticket creation. Likewise, a home‑services provider noted a 25 percent improvement in technician turnaround time thanks to the real‑time web interface.

In addition to performance gains, the solution offers cost savings. By eliminating duplicate data entry and reducing the number of manual steps required to resolve a ticket, companies can lower the labor hours spent on customer support. Moreover, the unified system reduces the need for separate software licenses, leading to lower overall IT expenditures.

Adopting the Artisoft‑Cynergy solution is straightforward for organizations already using either platform. The integration relies on standard APIs and can be configured to match existing call‑center routing logic. Training resources and support are available through both vendors, ensuring that staff can quickly become comfortable with the new workflow.

Overall, the collaboration delivers a comprehensive, end‑to‑end customer support experience that blends the speed of call‑center routing with the depth of field‑service data. By providing agents and technicians with the same, up‑to‑date information, the solution helps organizations deliver faster, more accurate service - exactly what modern customers expect.

Infra Corporation PDAs: Empowering Field Technicians on the Go

Infra Corporation has extended its service‑management platform, infraEnterprise, to include full PDA support for BlackBerry and iPAQ devices. The enhancement is aimed at field technicians who need to access incident tickets, configuration data, and troubleshooting guides while out in the field. By delivering web‑based data directly to mobile devices, the new PDA module improves technician productivity and reduces the time between issue detection and resolution.

At its core, the PDA integration is a lightweight, browser‑based interface that pulls the same data from infraEnterprise that is available on the desktop. The interface is optimized for the smaller screens of BlackBerry and iPAQ PDAs, with touch‑friendly navigation and clear typography. Technicians can open an incident ticket, view the full history of the job, and mark the ticket as in‑progress or completed - all from their PDA.

One of the most compelling features is the ability to update configuration data on the fly. When a technician discovers a new hardware issue, they can immediately log the change, attach a photo, and save the updated configuration back to infraEnterprise. The change is then reflected in the central system and is visible to the entire team, ensuring that everyone works from the same information set. This real‑time data flow is critical for environments where configuration drift can lead to cascading failures.

Infra also included offline functionality, which allows technicians to download ticket data before leaving the office. When network connectivity is limited or unavailable, the PDA can still display ticket details and let the technician record notes. Once the device reconnects to the internet, all offline changes synchronize automatically, guaranteeing data consistency without requiring a manual upload.

From a security standpoint, the PDA interface uses the same authentication mechanisms as the desktop platform, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access sensitive data. Data transmitted between the PDA and infraEnterprise is encrypted, protecting customer information during transit. This level of security compliance is essential for industries such as healthcare, finance, and utilities, where data privacy regulations are stringent.

Infra’s partnership with device manufacturers ensures that the application is pre‑installed on new PDAs, reducing the deployment effort for field teams. In addition, the company offers a library of pre‑configured widgets that display key metrics such as ticket volume, average resolution time, or device health status. Technicians can pin these widgets to their home screen for quick reference.

Performance metrics from companies that have adopted the PDA module show significant improvements. A mid‑size telecom provider reported a 15 percent reduction in average ticket turnaround time after technicians began using the PDA interface. Another industrial automation firm noted a 20 percent increase in field efficiency, as technicians no longer had to return to the office to update tickets.

Integrating the PDA module with infraEnterprise is straightforward. Administrators can enable the feature through the platform’s configuration panel, define user roles, and set data access permissions. The interface is built on standard web technologies, meaning that existing infrastructure - such as proxy servers and firewalls - does not require major changes.

The added value of the PDA module is not just in speed, but also in quality. By providing technicians with complete, up‑to‑date information in the field, the likelihood of re‑open tickets due to incomplete work drops. Moreover, the real‑time data feed allows managers to monitor ticket progress from anywhere, enabling proactive support for teams that might otherwise get stuck on a complex issue.

For organizations that rely heavily on field service, the PDA enhancement delivers a compelling return on investment. The combination of lower operational costs, higher first‑time‑fix rates, and improved customer satisfaction makes the module an attractive add‑on for any infraEnterprise deployment.

Spoke Software Spoke InTouch: Keeping Outlook Contacts Fresh and Connected

Spoke Software’s new product, Spoke InTouch, addresses a common pain point for professionals who juggle large contact lists in Microsoft Outlook. The solution automates the process of updating and maintaining contact information, saving users time and preventing the friction that arises when key details become stale.

Spoke InTouch uses an intuitive wizard interface that walks users through the steps of synchronizing their Outlook contacts with the Spoke Network. The wizard starts by scanning the user’s Outlook address book and identifying contacts that have no corresponding record in the Spoke Network. It then prompts the user to confirm whether they want to create a new Spoke profile for each unmatched contact or skip those entries.

Once the initial sync is complete, the user can schedule periodic updates. The system checks for changes in email addresses, phone numbers, or job titles and automatically pushes those changes to the Spoke Network. Conversely, if a contact’s information is updated in the Spoke Network - perhaps because the contact has recently changed companies - the changes are pushed back to Outlook. This bidirectional flow keeps both platforms in sync and eliminates manual copy‑and‑paste tasks.

Spoke InTouch also offers a customizable notification system. Users can set up alerts that trigger when a contact’s details are updated in either Outlook or the Spoke Network. The notifications appear as a pop‑up in Outlook or as a banner in the Spoke desktop client, ensuring that the user is aware of any changes that might affect collaboration or outreach.

The integration extends beyond simple data sync. Spoke InTouch includes a feature that allows users to request contact updates directly from Outlook. If a user sees that a colleague’s phone number is incorrect, they can click a “Request Update” button, which automatically opens a message template in Outlook and sends it to the contact’s current email address. The message includes a link that, when clicked, takes the contact to a web form where they can verify and update their details. This streamlined approach reduces the back‑and‑forth emails that often delay contact management.

For businesses that rely on an extensive network of partners, vendors, or clients, Spoke InTouch opens a door to deeper connectivity. By ensuring that contact information is always up to date, the solution reduces the risk of missed opportunities - such as failing to reach a client for a renewal or missing a key partner’s announcement.

Spoke’s own database contains more than eight million relationships indexed in the Spoke Network. After synchronizing with Outlook, users can explore the network to discover potential connections, view relationship histories, or find people who share common professional interests. This social graph can be leveraged for networking events, referral programs, or targeted outreach campaigns.

Security is a priority for Spoke InTouch. All data transfers between Outlook and the Spoke Network use encrypted channels, and the user’s credentials are stored securely using OAuth authentication. The application complies with industry standards for data protection, making it suitable for organizations in regulated sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government.

From an implementation perspective, setting up Spoke InTouch is a matter of installing a small Outlook add‑in and connecting it to the Spoke API. The add‑in is available for Windows and macOS, and the process requires no administrative privileges on most corporate machines. Once installed, the wizard provides a step‑by‑step guide that completes the integration in under ten minutes.

Companies that have adopted Spoke InTouch report higher productivity among their sales and marketing teams. By automating contact updates, teams spend less time chasing outdated email addresses and more time engaging with prospects. The result is a smoother sales cycle and fewer missed follow‑ups.

In addition to its core sync functionality, Spoke InTouch integrates with other popular CRM platforms. Users can export the updated contact list into Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, or HubSpot, allowing them to combine Spoke’s social insights with their existing customer data. This interoperability expands the value of the contact updates across the entire marketing stack.

Overall, Spoke InTouch provides a simple, reliable way to keep Outlook contacts fresh and to unlock the power of the Spoke Network. By turning a tedious manual task into an automated workflow, the solution frees professionals to focus on building relationships and driving business growth.