Press Release
May 7, 2003
NetScreen Technologies Selects Salesforce.com Over CRM Software For On-Demand Customer Relationship Management
Rejecting leading client/server software package in favor of on-demand salesforce.com Wireless Edition, mobile sales force can freely track, manage and share customer information in the office or while traveling
San Francisco, CA - Salesforce.com, the technology and market leader in on-demand customer relationship management (CRM), today announced that NetScreen Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:NSCN), a leading developer of ASIC-based Internet security systems and appliances, has standardized its sales operations on salesforce.com. Selecting salesforce.com over client/server CRM software solutions, NetScreen has successfully improved sales productivity, efficiency and collaboration by providing nearly 200 global users with single-point access to comprehensive customer information via desktop or laptop, and wireless connectivity via BlackBerry® handhelds from Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq:RIMM; TSX:RIM). Management is also using the powerful, flexible application to effectively manage sales processes and forecasting and to evolve the sales organization to further NetScreen's success.
"We found client/server CRM solutions to have high implementation and maintenance costs, low usability and significant synchronization issues with mobile users," said Mark Smith, vice president of sales at NetScreen. "Salesforce.com's utility model delivers the functionality and accessibility we need without the ineffectiveness of conventional software. Salesforce.com with BlackBerry handhelds allows us to easily manage our business from any location in real time, making us a more successful sales organization."
Prior to salesforce.com, NetScreen was using Goldmine software for contact management. The system did not enable easy collaboration and lacked capabilities such as forecasting, pipeline management and off-network access for traveling sales. Turning to salesforce.com for full-featured CRM on demand, NetScreen quickly deployed Enterprise Edition across 32 international offices, as well as to a third party call center, without IT headaches or hidden consulting costs. Traveling sales professionals with BlackBerry handhelds were given access to salesforce.com Airforce Wireless Edition, eliminating the need to synchronize back at the office and ensuring data integrity. Included with Enterprise Edition free of charge, Wireless Edition has allowed NetScreen to utilize rep "down time" effectively and to maximize its existing wireless device investment.
NetScreen's immediate benefits from its salesforce.com deployment include productivity increases, enhanced real-time collaboration, and improved pipeline accuracy. Managers can now more effectively manage sales processes and forecasting, maintain real-time visibility into the activities of traveling reps and identify sales trends proactively. With end-to-end transparency into the sales process, including leads generated by an outsourced call center, NetScreen has been able to drive up close rates and shorten the sales cycle, improving its track record of sales success.
"Unlike CRM software, salesforce.com's utility model delivers all the functionality a mobile sales organization needs with none of the headaches," said Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO of salesforce.com. "We provide our applications on demand to desktop, laptop and handheld - whatever makes the most sense for our customers and their success. This is not only a profitable way to do business, it is the one that makes the most sense."
Salesforce.com Airforce Wireless Edition allows sales teams to access and edit real-time, up-to-the-minute customer information in salesforce.com via their wireless devices, including personal digital assistants (PDAs) and mobile email devices. Leveraging natural interaction-based mobile middleware from Dejima, Inc., the wireless application links users directly to the live salesforce.com CRM system, so there's no need for a local database and no synchronization hassles or data conflicts. Users are able to retrieve and update account, contact, and opportunity information, along with events and tasks, directly from salesforce.com using their handheld devices. During the first quarter of its availability, salesforce.com's Wireless Edition achieved record-breaking customer adoption, with over 300 companies signing up for the service.
"BlackBerry is popular with sales professionals because it provides easy, reliable and secure access to the information and people that drive their day," said Mark Guibert, Vice President, Brand Management at Research In Motion. "With salesforce.com's Wireless Edition and BlackBerry, NetScreen's sales team is able to quickly access, input and react to important customer information on the go, enabling them to increase productivity and enhance client service."
A recent survey found that 42 percent of all enterprise CRM software licenses purchased are never deployed (Gartner Group, March 2003). In contrast, salesforce.com's utility model delivers robust CRM technology on a pay-as-you-go basis for immediate success. The world's most successful application utility, salesforce.com currently has over 6,400 customers and 87,000 users in 110 countries, including global leaders such as AOL, Le Meridien and Coral Energy, an affiliate of Shell (NYSE:SC).
About salesforce.com
Salesforce.com builds and delivers customer relationship management (CRM) applications on demand via its web services platform. The salesforce.com product suite - Team Edition, Professional Edition, Enterprise Edition, Wireless Edition and Offline Edition - gives companies of all sizes a complete 360-degree view of the customer. The company's award-winning CRM solutions provide integrated online sales force automation, customer service and support management, and marketing automation applications to help companies meet the complex challenges of global customer communication. Salesforce.com has received considerable recognition in the industry, including Editors' Choice and two Five-Star ratings from PC Magazine, two Deploy Awards from InfoWorld, Red Herring 100, Upside Hot 100, Investor's Choice Award from Enterprise Outlook, Editors' Choice from TMCLabs, Top 10 CRM Implementation from Aberdeen Group, and InfoWorld's 2001 CRM Technology of the Year. Founded in 1999, salesforce.com is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia.
About NetScreen Technologies
NetScreen Technologies, Inc., is a leading developer of integrated network security solutions that offer the security, performance and total cost of ownership required by enterprises and carriers. NetScreen's innovative solutions provide key security technologies, such as virtual private network, denial of service protection, firewall and intrusion prevention, in a line of easy-to-manage security appliances and systems. NetScreen is located at 805 11th Ave., Sunnyvale, CA, 94089. More information on NetScreen's products can be found at http://www.netscreen.com or by calling toll free at 1-800/638-8296.
About Research In Motion (RIM)
Research In Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications. RIM technology also enables a broad array of third party developers and manufacturers to enhance their products and services with wireless connectivity to data. RIM's portfolio of award-winning products, services and embedded technologies are used by thousands of organizations around the world and include the BlackBerry® wireless platform, the RIM Wireless Handheld™ product line, software development tools, radio-modems and software/hardware licensing agreements. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. RIM is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq:RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.
Salesforce.com is a registered trademark of salesforce.com, Inc., San Francisco, California. Other names used may be trademarks of their respective owners.
