sunflash-Distributed to mailing list sun/NC/north-carolina sunflash-Send requests, problems to owner-sunflash@suntri.east.sun.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash Sun Introduces Customer Management Solutions SunFLASH Vol 61 #33 January 1994 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61.33 Sun Introduces Customer Management Solutions The only open computing approach to the many computerized services aimed at delivering customer satisfaction. Sun has teamed with dozens of leading software, telecommunications, system integration and reseller vendors, who are trained and ready to help Sun offer Customer Management Solutions. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following announcement was made earlier today, January 25, 1994, in Washington, D.C. by SMI. If you have any questions regarding this announcement, please contact Karen Lusardi Richards at (415) 336-2814 or Lee Sigler at (415) 336-4625. SUN OFFERING FIRST OPEN, INTEGRATED COMPUTER SOLUTION FOR "CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT" FUNCTIONS Teams with Industry Leaders; Stakes Claim to Fast-Growing Market WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 25, 1994 - At the ComNet trade show today, Sun Microsystems, Inc., unveiled what it is calling Customer Management Solutions(TM), the only open computing approach to the many computerized services aimed at delivering customer satisfaction. In addition, Sun announced that it has teamed with dozens of leading software, telecommunications, system integration and reseller vendors, who are trained and ready to help Sun offer Customer Management Solutions. A key part of Sun's offering is the industry's first dedicated delivery channel for these types of solutions. According to Tom Kucharvy, president of market research firm Summit Strategies, "The entire customer management market, including customer service, telemarketing, sales management and product or market planning, will experience massive growth." With its partners, Sun's unique open approach to customer management combines network computing and telephony -- utilizing interactive data, voice, imaging and video technologies -- with a broad range of choices from different vendors. Competitors usually employ a single, one-size-fits-all solution. Sun is leveraging its world leadership in open client/server computing and its relationships with vendors like Andersen Consulting, AT&T Network Systems, MCI, Newbridge Microsystems, and SynOptics Communications Inc. to make Customer Management Solutions a success in the fast-growing area of computerized customer satisfaction services. In addition, Sun has joined with Access Graphics Inc., one of its major distribution partners, to develop an accreditation program for resellers. The program brings together members of TeamCMS with accredited resellers to deliver integrated computer-telephony solutions. An important component of Sun's solution is XTL Teleservices for the Solaris(R) operating environment, a set of new features and application programming interfaces (APIs) introduced today by SunSoft that will allow developers to create telephony-based applications and telecommunications hardware that can later be combined seamlessly in varied business environments. SunSoft has submitted the APIs to emerging telephony standards groups as part of the company's active participation in formulating standards for Computer-Telephony Integration (CTI) applications worldwide. Customer Management Solutions are built on Sun's industry-leading line of SPARC" workstations and servers and utilize the company's broad selection of networking products, including such important technologies as ISDN, ATM, X.25 and Ethernet. SunConnect, Inc., is contributing its extensive product base and networking expertise to the Customer Management Solutions effort. The Next "Killer App" According to Summit Strategies in a recent report, "Client/server-based customer service applications could be the next strategic killer app." The report's author, Tom Kucharvy, noted that "Many large corporations have implemented customer service and a range of complementary applications, and they are claiming very impressive financial and strategic payoffs." The report stated that 67 percent of companies interviewed that are still using terminals in customer service applications said they will replace these systems within two years. An even larger market, according to the report, is made up of companies still using paper, pen or stand-alone PCs for customer service. The market for customer management hardware and software solutions will grow to $6.9 billion by 1997, according to the Telecommunications Industry Group. Customer management includes many services, such as pre- and post-sales support, customer inquiry systems and portfolio management. The research firm, GartnerGroup, recently predicted massive growth in call center applications, one of the services within customer management. Like Summit Strategies, GartnerGroup believes that client/server is the architecture of choice for future systems. Customer Management Critical for Competitive Advantage Many observers are saying that a customer satisfaction revolution is underway, in which companies can significantly impact their overall success by using technology to improve customer relations. In fact, Summit Strategies believes that companies not using such technology for this purpose will find themselves at a competitive disadvantage within a few years. Sun and its partners already have many existing customers worldwide, such as NKK Steel, McCaw Cellular, Consumer Health Services and Citibank of India. Initial target markets are telecommunications, manufacturing, transportation, healthcare, government and financial services. Complete solutions are available today for Sun customer management customers. One example of how firms are using these Sun solutions for competitive advantage is Fingerhut Companies, Inc. One of the largest mail order operations in the United States, Fingerhut has deployed Sun solutions for inbound telemarketing, customer service and credit authorization. For example, telephone order-takers click on images of products, showing color and style, and can also access extensive data about the customer and his/her buying history. This system has increased efficiency, reduced training time, and improved customer satisfaction. The differences in needs and situation from company to company mandate a customer management solution that can be customized. Thus Sun has secured the participation of many leading vendors, and will be teaming with more vendors as well. Among the companies participating are: Application and Tool Vendors -- Advanced Control Technology Inc. (ACT), ALLINK, Answer Computer Inc., Ascent Technology Inc., Astea International Inc., AT&T Network Systems, Aurum Software Inc., Brock Control Systems Inc., Clarify Inc., DAVOX Corp., Daniel Integrated Software Corp. (DISC), Dialogic, Genesys Inc., Information Management Associates Inc. (IMA), Linkon Corporation, Newbridge Microsystems, Northern Telecom Inc., Perception Technology, (a division of Brite VoiceSystems Inc.) Periphonics Corp., Quintus Corp., The Renaissance Group Inc., SAP America, Scopus Technology Inc., SynOptics, Template Software Inc., TMW Trucking Systems Inc., and Voicetek Corp. Telecommunications Vendors -- AT&T Network Systems, McCaw Cellular, MCI, Northern Telecom Inc. and U S WEST Advanced Communications Services. System Integrators and Channel Partners -- Access Graphics, Andersen Consulting, AT&T Network Systems, Day and Zimmerman, IEX Corp., Pacific Access Computers, Science Applications International Corp (SAIC), SHL Systemhouse and Teknekron Infoswitch. In addition, SunIntegration Services`, Sun's own system integration organization, will be partnering with these vendors, resellers and other integrators. Access Graphics' TeamCMS-Accredited Resellers -- Automated Information Management (AIM), BASIS Inc., Berger & Co., CATsolutions Inc., Conway Computer Alternatives, Hayes Computer Systems, Integration Consortium Inc. (ICon) and Sonant Corp. In addition, the Sun sales force has received extensive training in how to assist companies looking for customer management solutions. Customer Management Solutions from Sun are currently available through Sun's direct sales force and participating channel partners. Applications will be demonstrated in Sun's ComNet booths #24 and #28. Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation (SMCC), the world's leading supplier of open client-server computing solutions, is an operating company of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Sun is the exclusive computer supplier to World Cup Soccer 1994. SMCC has its headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. # # # (c) 1994 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, SunIntegration Services, Customer Management Solution and Solaris are trademarks, service marks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. All SPARC trademarks, including the SCD Compliant logo, are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International, Inc. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based on an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. All other product or service names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners. ********************************************************************** For information about SunFlash send mail to info-sunflash@Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@Sun.COM. Archives are on draco.nova.edu, ftp.uu.net, sunsite.unc.edu, src.doc.ic.ac.uk and ftp.adelaide.edu.au For last month's digest, send email to flashadm@sun.com with a Subject line of 60.00 For Gopher and WAIS access: sunsite.unc.edu. (Login as 'gopher' for a simple gopher client, 'swais' for a simple WAIS client (over 500 databases). All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. 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