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The article illustrates the significance of using information technology (IT) for companies like JetBlue Airways Corp., Netflix Inc. and BNSF Railway. Although JetBlue is a low-fare airline, the main contribution of IT to competitive advantage has been in supporting a customer-friendly strategy. According to JetBlue CIO Todd Thompson, the key to technology as a strategic advantage at the company is a very strong partnership between IT and marketing. The Web site of Netflix provides a better customer experience than its major competitor. It offers features such as customized recommendations and separate queues for each family member. The true source of the company's competitive advantage is Netflix's investment in proprietary software for inventory management, logistics and shipping. INSET: Nick Carr Backpedals...Just a Bit.

This article focuses on a service-oriented architecture platform designed to control services purchasing called Employee Business Services (EBS) developed by Rearden Commerce as of February 28, 2005. The product of Rearden executive Patrick Grady's singular vision, Rearden Commerce extends enterprise purchasing control to business services and sets a high-water mark for Internet applications with its unique SOA platform. Delivered through the browser, Rearden's EBS is capable of automating the purchase of many everyday services, including shipping, conferencing, meals, entertainment, and even travel. Yet Rearden's lineup of corporate customers is enough to make a believer out of anyone. Officially launching after five years in stealth mode, Rearden has already snagged Cingular, Genesys, JDS Uniphase, Motorola, Warner Home Video, and Whirlpool, all of which have signed up for enterprisewide deployments of EBS. This SaaS (software as a service) application goes where no enterprise software has gone before: to control spending on non-PO (purchase order) services, all according to identity-based business rules. Moreover, Rearden has partnered with American Express and Hewlett-Packard, which will resell EBS worldwide. INSET: Grady's Calculated Debut.

The article compares ACCPAC CRM 5.6 with Maximizer Enterprise 8, applications geared toward helping small and midsize companies improve customer relationships. Both offered features and automated workflow capabilities necessary for keeping sales and service efforts on track. But they differ in ease of use, ease of administration, customizability, and in the vendors' approaches to integration with other business applications. Maximizer would be a good fit for small, distributed groups. ACCPAC, might prove a good fit for centralized companies wanting to migrate to an integrated suite of front-and-back-end business applications. By comparison, Maximizer's interface is found to be cluttered. An overabundance of icons made descriptive text unreadable. Further, Maximizer offered none of the real-time graphical dashboards found in ACCPAC. For salespeople, who would prefer to use Microsoft Outlook as their central interface, both ACCPAC and Maximizer provide tools for synchronizing contacts and calendars. When it came to marketing, Maximizer offered both role- and team-based strategies as well as automated, Internet-based marketing templates for broadcasting e-mail and fax materials to prospects. ACCPAC offered good feature for marketing, too. Moreover, ACCPAC does a good job of integrating workflow into its system.

This article evaluates the SalesLogix Advanced v6.2 application software from Best Software. The 6.2 release shapes up deployment and administration efforts and bridges gaps in its customer service and support system. While it is well rounded for record keeping and basic workflow tasks, there remain underdeveloped areas, relegating SalesLogix to use in smaller shops. SalesLogix is great at organizing text data, now it needs to exploit the executive dashboard capabilities found in competitive customer relationship management applications. Also, despite improvements to its support features, SalesLogix does not yet fully exploit online chat or tools to drive post-sales spending. The marketing engine, sufficient for most small businesses, was somewhat lackluster in capability and analytics. But with stand-out features such as a variety of client options, good interface customization, a fairly minimal learning curve, and a Crystal Reports engine included in the sales price, SalesLogix still makes a good choice for businesses looking to improve conversion rates and long-term customer loyalty. On the plus side, SalesLogix now supports Windows authentication for single sign-on, and can directly import Windows users and map permissions to SalesLogix.

Evaluates UpShot Extended Service Plan (ESP), a service and set of applications for customer relationship management. Features of the software; Functionality; Advantages.

Focuses on a reworking of the set of Resource Reservation Protocol designed to provide guaranteed quality of service on Internet Protocol networks that is raising hopes for better application performance. Purpose of proposing the protocol; Protocols that are under development for setting up specific levels of service across local area networks and wide area network; Key to delivering the right levels of service.

The article presents a case study on the creation of a workflow for the customer service representatives of American National Insurance Co. (ANIC). After the processes used by ANIC had been modeled, Pegasystems was used to log on to all of the legacy systems of ANIC when a request would come from a workstation. A transaction would be launched and would come back to a clipboard behind the scenes of the workflow. When a customer call would come in, Pegasystems would tap into the different customer files and history and would send information up to the customer service representative.

Presents information on the technical services and software installation tools offered by Microsoft Corp. to help its customers regarding the Software Assurance purchasing plan of the company in the U.S. Details of the technical support programs offered by Microsoft; Features of the Corporate Error Reporting tool; Plan of the company to offer a TechNet tool that searches relevant technical information.

Provides pieces of advice for customer relations management (CRM) vendors on the emergence of self-service CRM technologies. Improvement of technologies which become an indispensable part of the CRM arsenal; Tips for the deployment of self-service CRM; Factors which must be taken into considerations when implementing self-service CRM.

Focuses on the rivalry between SAP and CRM computer software. Incorporation of analytical component; System of SAP; Profitability measurement on customer-by-customer basis.

Describes the options for software products that help distribute electronic commerce applications on the Internet. Efforts of several companies in improving customer service; Description of the distribution process; Software and application.

Focuses on some of the customer services issues in the computer industry in the United States. Information on the peoplesnacks program of PeopleSoft; Problem of Ameritech.net customers with their electronic mails; Details on the problem with Dell Host initiative.

Focuses on the plan of Hewlett-Packard Co. to offer a network management service based on its Open View management platform. How the service will be marketed; Tools to be configured on the service.

Introduces the Customer Interaction System 3.1 electronic commerce software from Blue Martini Software. Features of the software; Partnerships entered by Blue Martini.

Presents updates on enterprise computing in the United States as of November 15, 1999. Issue about customer service in the online retail business; Problem with software-related books; Information on the IBM Enterprise Information Portal.

Focuses on the complaints of Microsoft users. Information on integrated services digital network access option of Microsoft Network; Claims of Microsoft users regarding Windows 98 Second Edition; Action taken by brokerage firm A.G. Edwards & Sons regarding employee vacation on December or January in line with the year 2000 computer problem.

Elaborates on customers' complaints about Microsoft Corp.'s support for its Windows NT and BackOffice products. Microsoft's failure to reduce system complexity; Instabilities and incompatibilities created by Microsoft's upgrade for profitability; Inexperience of customer support personnel.

Highlights long-distance telephone service provider Cable and Wireless Inc.'s customer service application Isis. Migration of the application to a client/server platform from mainframe environment; Company's use of Qualix Group Inc.'s FirstWatch software to provide tight system backup to the client/server architecture; Connection of the Isis application to the company's existing paging system.

Features a directory of products and services for Lotus Notes called the `Lotus Notes Guide' from Lotus Development Corporation. Contact information.

Highlights Web-site monitoring systems announced in October 1996 by Accrue Software Inc., net.Genesis Corp. and NetCount. Isolation of problems in download times, server responses and visitor connections; Display of data in real time over multiple sites using Java applets; Availability; Pricing; Contact information.