Applications and the Cloud: An Ideal Union

Network World published an article about the rise of SaaS implementation, based on a study by Gartner. The article states that “More than 95 percent of organizations expect to maintain or grow their use of software as a service (SaaS).” Clearly there are a lot of organizations discovering how to maximize the Cloud for their needs.

However, there are some skeptics who are very leery of implementing a SaaS solution.

The good news is that there are numerous benefits to using a hosted application or SaaS that just aren’t available with traditional software.

Automatic Updates

When using a hosted application, you don’t have to worry about updates that are standard with standalone software. I can’t tell you how many times I have logged onto my PC to see that another one of my programs has another update available. Even worse is when my operating system updates my computer, then tells me I have 15 minutes to restart or it will do it for me (I usually postpone it for an hour but I digress). A SaaS solution will automatically update itself at the host’s end, meaning you don’t have to waste time waiting for the program to upgrade itself.

Data Backup

One of the strongest attributes SaaS has in comparison to desktop based software is the fact that your data is continually backed up. If your computer crashes, or your laptop has to get sent off for repairs, you can still access all of your data because the SaaS operates over the internet. The mobility of SaaS is perfect for those who travel frequently. Updates made across the country will show up when you log on back at home.

The Bottom Line

Hosted applications have some incredible benefits. I’m not saying ditch all of your current programs for SaaS solutions, but at least consider SaaS the next time you find yourself window shopping in the software department.

Implementing CRM Solutions Without A Staff Overhaul

I came across David Taber’s article in CIO titled “The CRM Talent Shortage: Here, Now” and agreed with some of his points, but there were some things he said that struck a chord with me. The article talks about how there is currently a shortage of CRM talent, and due to the fluctuating economy CRM professionals are hard to come by.

According to Taber, “there’s [an] increasing demand for external staff and consultants.” He also says that the vacant openings include “system administrators, operations types, data analysts, and power users.”

I have to say, I disagree.

Before you even look into outside support for you CRM solution, before you even consider implementing a CRM solution, you need to find a CRM that is easy to use. You can’t waste valuable time and money dealing with a complex application.

Ease of use allows for a smooth user adoption experience. CRM is all about having information available, easily, and right at your fingertips.

A point Taber mentioned that I do agree with is about growing your own talent.

“Grow your own talent, investing a junior technical person to give them CRM and business domain knowledge.”

I’m going to take this point one step further and say that not only should your CRM solution be easy to use, it needs to be easy to learn. Complex tasks should be limited. Yes, your organization should have a trained professional on staff or readily available for support needs. However, education should not stop with the initial introduction of the CRM solution. Your organization should provide ongoing CRM education to make sure the CRM application is being used to its fullest potential.

Make sure you review all of your options before selecting a CRM solution. Don’t just assume you need an entire team to maintain your organization’s CRM. Implementing an easy to use, easy to learn CRM will help you quickly and efficiently train your current team to help streamline your business processes, without wasting valuable time and resources.

The Benefits of Mobile CRM

How Deployment of Mobile CRM Can Help Your Business

Because pads of paper aren't enough!

Chances are that your employees already use a smartphone such as a BlackBerry for work. With the ease of mobility and the convenient size of the smartphone and other web-enabled handheld devices, why not choose to make your CRM application accessible on there, as well? Employees who work remotely are able to access client data in a matter of seconds with mobile CRM.

Mobile CRM can be very helpful to your team. Many businesses have employees on-the-go, and yours could very well be one of them. What's surprising is that not as many businesses as you may think have taken advantage of mobile CRM - which is an opportunity for your business to get ahead.

The ability to access client data and manage complex business relationships while out of the office is invaluable. Why not take advantage of the opportunity to increase productivity while improving organization and communication?

Using a CRM application that has mobile capabilities helps you to stay on top of data entry. For example, if you just met with a client, and you agree to set a date for another meeting, you have your CRM at your fingertips. With some solutions that have Outlook and calendaring integrated, you could immediately check what dates and times work for you and enter the appointment right then and there. This decreases the chances that you will forget about your future meeting or forget to put it on your calendar. Many CRM applications allow you to enter your points of contact with a person, whether it is a meeting, phone call, or E-mail. Mobile CRM allows you to enter this information instantly before you get back to the office and while the information is still fresh in your mind.

Mobile CRM is an easy, secure way to get the information you need, when you need it. An interesting statistic is provided by the maker of BlackBerry, Research In Motion. It collaborated with Forrester to research the market for mobile CRM, and they found that more than half of the people who responded to their study lost business opportunities before they made their CRM available on the road, because they couldn't access the information without being in the office.

This is another reason why making CRM available on-the-go is so important. Try not to use lack of time and money as an excuse to not invest in mobile CRM, because the business opportunities that are lost as a result of inaccessible information will cost you time and money in the long-run.

CRM SaaS Exhibit at Boston ACG Conference

CRM SaaS Exhibit at Boston ACG Conference
EquityTouch® CRM to Be Exhibited at ACG Conference

Boston, MA, June 3, 2010 - Touch Ahead Software, developer of EquityTouch® CRM, will be exhibiting at the June 9 & 10 ACG Capital Growth Conference in Boston. Touch Ahead Software has attended past ACG conferences, both locally and nationally. One of these includes the recent 39th Annual ACG InterGrowth Conference in Miami Beach, Florida, which took place from May 4-6.

The ACG Boston Growth Conference takes place annually and attracts the private equity and alternative investments industry. The conference consists of guest speakers and networking opportunities. When exhibiting EquityTouch® at past ACG conferences, Touch Ahead received a great deal of positive response from attendees.

John Binda, Director of Sales, left, and Nancy Keddy, Co-Founder & CEO, right

John Binda, Director of Sales at Touch Ahead, says he is looking forward to Touch Ahead being a silver sponsor for the upcoming ACG conference. He says, "This event gives us a huge opportunity to showcase EquityTouch®, since it is designed specifically for the alternative asset community, whose members will be attending the conference, as well."

Nancy Keddy, Co-Founder and CEO of Touch Ahead, is also thrilled about the event.
"I look forward to connecting with the many successful deal makers and finding out what is on the horizon."

Binda and Keddy are not the only ones excited about the upcoming Boston conference. According to Co-Founder and CTO Tim Lasonde, "ACG is a great place to connect with experts in the deal world and get an understanding of what is happening in our economy. I am interested to learn what companies are using to get deals done in this new landscape."

Touch Ahead just released an updated EquityTouch® 2.1 on Friday, May 21. This update included the ability to use keyboard navigation in search results, color coding, and advanced relevance sorting. Touch Ahead is constantly coming up with new ways to improve user experience, which is another reason to get excited about what is to come at next week's ACG conference.

About Touch Ahead Software LLC
Touch Ahead Software is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions company, focused on providing unparalleled benefits of advanced technology to the alternative asset community. The benefits include higher user satisfaction and increased deal sourcing productivity by utilizing user-friendly collaboration tools, as well as a dramatically reduced cost of ownership and time for implementation. Touch Ahead Software is the developer of EquityTouch®, the premiere deal CRM service for the financial industry and other specialized industries. For more information, please visit http://www.touchahead.com.



Press Contact
Cathie Briggette
Touch Ahead Software LLC
(p) +1 866 960 9301
(e) cmb@touchahead.com

Touch Ahead Software Releases Updated EquityTouch® 2.1

Touch Ahead Software Releases Updated EquityTouch^® 2.1

Popular CRM deal sourcing application receives update; including Keyboard Navigation in Search Results, Color Coding, and other enhancements.

Boston, MA, May 26, 2010 – Touch Ahead Software, LLC released EquityTouch^® version 2.1 this past Friday. EquityTouch, a customer relationship management (CRM) software application is unlike other CRMs on the market in that all transactions or communications are recorded as “Touches” that are then easily referenced to multiple companies or individuals. Ideal for Private Equity and Venture Capital firms, EquityTouch allows users to easily organize and chronicle the deal cycle.

Founder and Senior Partner, Nancy Keddy says that the updates provide additional functionality and ease of use. “EquityTouch makes you feel like you are using an application locally, yet it is on the web.” The newest version contains multiple program enhancements such as Keyboard Navigation, Color Coding, and Advanced Relevance Sorting. “These additions give users a more efficient method of working through their data, making them more productive,” says Keddy.

EquityTouch 2.1 Updates Include

• Keyboard Navigation in Search Results
• Users can now use the keyboard arrow keys to navigate search results.

• The feature offers ease of use, eliminating the need for multiple mouse clicks. Users can move back and forth with simple keystrokes.

• Color Coding in Search Results
• Company search results can now be configured to be color coded based on Company Type.

• The Color Coding option is available under the Administration section.

• Advanced Relevance Sorting
• Companies with the exact search string in their name or alternate company name will be placed at top of the search result list.

• The results are then sorted by where the search string appears in the Company Name.
  

Current EquityTouch users automatically received the update. Any technical questions/concerns can be directed to Touch Ahead Support via email (help@touchahead.com) or phone (1-866-960-9301).

For additional information on EquityTouch or to request a demo, please visit http://www.touchahead.com/equitytouch.html.

About Touch Ahead Software LLC

Touch Ahead Software is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions company, focused on providing unparalleled benefits of advanced technology to the alternative asset community. The benefits include higher user satisfaction and increased deal sourcing productivity by utilizing user-friendly collaboration tools, as well as a dramatically reduced cost of ownership and time for implementation. Touch Ahead Software is the developer of EquityTouch, the premiere deal CRM service for the financial and other specialized industries. For more information, please visit http://www.touchahead.com.

Press Contact

For more information, please contact:

Cathie Briggette

Touch Ahead Software LLC

(p) +1 866 960 9301

(e) cmb@touchahead.com

Touch Ahead Lends a Hand to Children's Hospital Boston

Boston-based software development firm participates in 6th annual Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament for Children’s Hospital Benefit

Boston, MA, May 20, 2010 – Touch Ahead Software, creators of EquityTouch® deal sourcing CRM software, recently participated in the 6th Annual Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament for the Children’s Hospital Boston. Held in the Wharf Room of the Boston Harbor Hotel, the event drew the best in business from Boston and New York as well as World Series of Poker Champion and Celebrity Apprentice Star, Annie Duke. In addition to purchasing tickets that allot a stack of chips and a seat at the table, the tournament also held an auction, which included prizes such as “Friends and Family” seats at a Red Sox game with VIP On-Field Access.

Touch Ahead joined other business leaders in hopes to raise funds for continuing care and research at Children’s Hospital Boston. Nancy Swan Keddy, founder of Touch Ahead, was accompanied by Director of Marketing for Touch Ahead, Cathie Briggette. Both volunteered as “dealers” for the tournament and the two had a wonderful time. According to Briggette “Both of us were a little nervous. We thought it was going to be really serious, however because no one was a winner (in that all proceeds were going to the hospital), it was a very fun and causal atmosphere.”

The event, co-hosted by Tony DiNovi of Thomas H. Lee Partners and David Filkow of General Catalyst Partners has raised over $2,000,000 to date for the hospital. “The tournament was a lot of fun” claims Keddy. “You could feel the excitement escalate at the table when the river card was about to be turned.” As a company that provides deal sourcing collaboration tools, Keddy is committed to making connections outside of the workplace. “We are in the business of building relationships and it is important to build and maintain relationships with the community.”

For more information about the tournament and how you can get involved for next year’s event, please visit: http://howtohelp.childrenshospital.org/texas.

About Touch Ahead Software LLC

Touch Ahead Software is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions company, focused on providing unparalleled benefits of advanced technology to the alternative asset community. The benefits include dramatically reduced cost of ownership and time for implementation, as well as higher user satisfaction and organizational profitability through deal sourcing and powerful collaboration tools. Touch Ahead Software is the developer of EquityTouch, the premiere CRM service for the financial and other specialized industries. For more information, please visit www.touchahead.com

Press Contact
For more information, please contact:

Cathie Briggette
Touch Ahead Software LLC
(p) +1 (866) 960 9301
(e) cmb@touchahead.com

What Makes CRM Work?

Building A Relationship With Your CRM

Ask anyone you know if they are using, or have used a CRM solution and you are bound to get the same response...What a painful experience!

Why is it that users see CRM as a hindrance, and not a productivity tool? The answer lies in the selection process and the way it is implemented. Most users are told that a decision has been made on a new CRM solution, and the training will begin on Monday. How would you feel if someone else made the decision to put you in a new car, or dress you in a new outfit, not great huh?

Selecting A CRM Solution

Here are a few suggestions that will make this whole experience less painful:

1. Get users involved early in the selection process. They will have a vested interest in the outcome.

2. Solicit user feedback on possible enhancements and new functionality.

3. Reward power users with bonuses and get them to talk about how they use CRM.

4. Provide proper upfront training and plan for periodic updates.

5. Get senior management involved by using reports, this will show the importance of user adoption.

6. Keep making improvements to the existing CRM solution. You business is changing and so should your CRM solution.

A successful CRM project really depends on user adoption, and you can make this a reality by taking a few extra steps.

Top down support is crucial, and giving the users a voice is a key. Be sure to keep them involved as your CRM solution evolves. You want your users to say they could not work effectively without their CRM solution.