Palm, Inc., a 3Com Company (NASDAQ: COMS) and Siebel Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SEBL) today announced an alliance to jointly market and sell handheld eBusiness solutions. As part of this alliance, Siebel Systems will integrate its eBusiness solution with the Palm Address Book, Calendar and To-Do applications that allow users to synchronize data between Siebel and Palm applications. This solution will be available in Siebel 2000, scheduled for release this spring. In addition, the two companies will explore the extension of Siebel eBusiness Applications to Palm OS(R) handhelds, providing customers with a broad range of Siebel functionality from Palm OS devices.
The deployment of handheld solutions improves a company's ability to compete in the post-PC era by enabling businesses to streamline the collection of information, improve efficiency of business processes and ensure the overall accuracy of corporate data. Mobile access to up-to-date customer information enables companies to deliver timely and seamless customer service across multiple points of interaction, from sales to customer service. In addition, handheld solutions provide a compelling platform to gather data by mobile workers in order to fully understand customer buying cycles.
"Handhelds enable corporations to provide critical decision-making information and data capture updates wherever they interface with their customers," said Mark Bercow, vice president, strategic alliances and platform development for Palm. "By extending Siebel Systems' industry-leading suite of eBusiness solutions to the Palm OS platform, our mutual customers will be able to empower their mobile workers with the information in their Siebel database on any products based on the Palm OS software."
"Siebel Systems develops a comprehensive suite of eBusiness software that allows companies to better serve their customers and partners across the entire demand chain -- slashing sales cycles, speeding resolution of service problems and delivering consistently superior customer service," said Bruce Cleveland, vice president, alliances, of Siebel Systems. "Siebel Systems and Palm will team to deliver compelling handheld solutions that enable mobile workers, such as field sales and field service professionals, to deliver dramatically higher levels of customer and partner satisfaction."
Industry analysts emphasize the need for all businesses to leverage technology to gain a more comprehensive view of their customers. "Integrated hybrid selling systems, not the e-channel in isolation, will be the dominant driver of revenue growth, customer relationship quality and selling effectiveness," according to Meta Group and IMT Strategies (September 1999 study).
"Putting vital customer information in the hands of mobile professionals helps companies compete more effectively - from enhancing customer service to better understanding customer buying patterns," said Stephanie Hahn, General Manager, Customer Relationship Management, IBM. "We are enthusiastic that Siebel and Palm are collaborating towards solutions that tie the Palm OS software, the backbone of the IBM WorkPad product line, into the powerful Siebel product suite. IBM expects that our customers will be eager to integrate products developed under this alliance as part of and end-to-end IBM network."
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