CHICAGO & FRANKFURT – BigMachines, Inc., the leading provider of on-demand configuration and proposal software, announced today that CCS, Inc. has selected BigMachines to provide on-demand software to streamline quote and order processes for its sales of industrial computers and enclosures. CCS will also be using BigMachines for its subsidiary, Qualtrax, Inc. that provides compliance management software.

CCS manufactures computers, environmental enclosures and rugged monitors for demanding industrial applications. Qualtrax provides document and process control software to industries who must comply with stringent regulatory standards, such as ISO and FDA. The company has been integrating best-of-breed systems to support their growing business, including Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics GP. After evaluating several applications for their front-end implementation, they selected BigMachines.

“BigMachines is a very flexible solution that can be integrated to leverage the existing architecture between our Microsoft CRM and ERP systems,” said Tim Lawson, CFO, CCS. “We looked at other products, but we were impressed with the capabilities of the BigMachines application and its tight integration with our existing systems. With BigMachines, our sales team will be able to streamline the quoting process.”

BigMachines announced complete integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM earlier this year. This extends BigMachines’ integration options to include three of the fastest-growing CRM vendors: salesforce.com, Oracle and Microsoft. BigMachines will be demonstrating its SaaS-based selling platform at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans, July 13-16, in Booth 1100.

“We are delighted that CCS has selected BigMachines to streamline their sales processes,” said Godard Abel, CEO and co-founder of BigMachines. “In adding BigMachines software to its portfolio, CCS will enhance its own sales efficiencies and create even greater value for its business. We pride ourselves on the great relationships we have with our customers and look forward to working with CCS through a swift implementation and delivering rapid ROI.”

About BigMachines, Inc. and BigMachines AG

BigMachines is the global leader in on-demand sales configuration, quoting and proposal software, helping companies sell more and sell faster. BigMachines solutions empower sales across customers’ channels by streamlining their sales processes from opportunity to order. Using BigMachines software, sales teams and channels can quickly configure products, generate quotes and proposals, manage complex pricing, generate legal contracts, and manage orders. BigMachines offers extensive reporting capabilities and easily integrates to leading CRM and ERP systems, including those from salesforce.com, Oracle, Microsoft and SAP. BigMachines’ rapidly growing customer base includes global leaders such as Kodak’s GCG, Siemens, Ingersoll Rand, and NTT Communications, as well as innovative growth companies such as ShoreTel and Voltaire Ltd. For more information, visit www.bigmachines.com.

About CCS, Inc.

Located in Christiansburg, VA, CCS-Inc. offers a wide range of industrial enclosures and computer products. This includes integrated workstations, NEMA-rated computer and printer enclosures, and industrial rackmount, node, and panel PCs. Products are designed to withstand harsh environments such as hose-down washings, dust, extreme temperatures, and vibration. Each has a variety of mounting and thermal management options available. Choose from our standard configurations or work with our engineering design team for a custom turnkey solution. To learn more, please visit our website (www.ccs-inc.com).

About Qualtrax, Inc.

Qualtrax, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of CCS-Inc., provides compliance software that enables electronic document and process management. Qualtrax focuses on heavily regulated industries where compliance with standards such as ISO, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, HACCP, and others presents challenges to organizations. Qualtrax greatly simplifies document management, workflow tracking, and business and manufacturing process control. To learn more, please visit the Qualtrax website (www.qualtrax.com).

EIC has built its business on Customer Service as it is critical to both their current and future success. As they continue to grow and compete in a global marketplace, the ability to quickly access the right information and profitably attend customers with a high degree of Customer Service becomes even more important. With top notch Customer Service in mind, EIC was looking for the best business system to meet the following objectives:

* Familiarity and ease of use for employees, customers, and suppliers
* Leverage advanced technology to provide competitive advantage for many years
* Support global expansion with a single integrated system
* Provide the functionality required for batch process manufactures

After conducting in-depth research and viewing the Microsoft Dynamics AX demonstration, it became clear to EIC that Microsoft Dynamics AX addresses the major challenges and will best meet the organization’s needs. I.B.I.S. Inc., a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner that specializes in implementing large-scale installations will implement the new solution.

“Microsoft Dynamics AX will allow EIC to service our customers better while permitting us to create new eco-friendly ink and coating formulations for leading edge applications. Dynamics AX has the technology to help EIC maintain and improve the competitive advantage in our high velocity, global reaching business,” stated Paul Schroeder, President & CEO at EIC.

When compared to other products EIC evaluated, Dynamics AX demonstrated its superiority because of its flexible, robust and powerful platform yet it had an easy-to-use interface. Dynamics AX was simply the best choice for accomplishing business goals and ensuring user adoption.

“EIC needed to leverage technology in order to profitably grow while providing the best customer experience possible,” said Andy Vabulas, I.B.I.S. Chief Executive Officer. “With our track record of success, and the integrated multi-site information system – Microsoft Dynamics AX – to support faster business decisions, EIC will see a dynamic change within their organization.”

About Environmental Inks and Coatings Corporation

Environmental Inks and Coatings (www.envinks.com) was established in 1979 by Edward G. Redman. Several factors such as the environmental legislation of the 1960s, the oil embargo of 1974, and the belief that companies are responsible to the communities in which they live and work gave Mr. Redman the entrepreneurial vision that water based inks were the product of the future. Water based flexographic inks and coatings were the primary focus for EIC for many years. However, as printing has evolved so have EIC’s product lines. Our ink portfolio now includes a variety of inks designed for paper and film applications in both water based and UV curable ink systems. Environmental Inks and Coatings strives to deliver unprecedented quality, consistency and value through our knowledgeable sales staff, technologically advanced laboratories, dedicated customer service programs and an experienced technical service team.

About I.B.I.S., Inc.

Founded in 1989, I.B.I.S., Inc. (www.ibisinc.com) provides complete enterprise business solutions to maximize business success. Through a solidified relationship with Microsoft, we provide world class solutions for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Business Intelligence, and Custom Development.

CHICAGO & FRANKFURT – BigMachines, Inc., the leading provider of on-demand configuration and proposal software, announced today that it now provides on-demand software solutions for users of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Sonoma Partners, specialists in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, partnered with BigMachines to develop the packaged integration of BigMachines software to the Microsoft Dynamics platform.

BigMachines offers a comprehensive platform of web-based software and services enabling sales teams, channel partners, and strategic customers to quickly configure products; generate quotes and proposals; manage complex pricing; generate legal contracts, rich proposals and sales documents; and submit and manage orders. Since 2000, more than 150 customers have successfully integrated BigMachines with leading CRM and ERP systems, including those from salesforce.com, Oracle, and SAP. With its newest offering, customers can now integrate BigMachines with Microsoft Dynamics CRM to help their sales teams and channels to sell more and sell faster.

“Salespeople need quick access to the most accurate and comprehensive business information available,” said Brad Wilson, general manager for Microsoft Dynamics CRM. “We are very excited that Sonoma Partners and Big Machines are partnering to provide a SaaS-based quoting and configuration platform for Microsoft Dynamics CRM that will help customers grow their business and better serve existing customers.”

“We have worked with many best-in-breed solutions for Microsoft Dynamics CRM, to extend functionality of the CRM platform and provide additional value,” said Mike Snyder, Founder and Managing Partner of Sonoma Partners. “BigMachines is the leader in quoting and configuration solutions and has developed market dominance with other CRM integrations. Extending their application to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform creates new growth opportunities for both BigMachines and Sonoma Partners. The BigMachines software integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Dynamics CRM and provides Microsoft users with consistent, easy-to-learn solutions.” Learn more and watch an online demo of BigMachines for Microsoft Dynamics CRM at www.bigmachines.com/microsoft.

“We are pleased to work with Sonoma Partners on our integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM,” said Godard Abel, CEO and co-founder of BigMachines. “Sonoma Partners has the expertise and experience to ensure that our solutions for Microsoft Dynamics CRM customers will be as robust and successful as our integrations have been with the other leading CRM solutions.”

About Sonoma Partners

Chicago-based Sonoma Partners LLC sells, customizes and implements Microsoft Dynamics CRM for mid-size and enterprise companies throughout the United States. Founded in 2001, it has worked exclusively with Microsoft CRM since the Beta release of version 1.0, winning the Global Microsoft CRM Solution Developer of the Year Award and twice winning the Global Microsoft CRM Partner of the Year Award. Sonoma Partners has also been ranked on the 2008 Chicago’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For and the 2008 Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies list.

The company’s unmatched expertise in Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers a rapid path to value and return on investment. In addition, Sonoma Partners has extensive experience in several vertical industries, including franchises, real estate, healthcare, professional services, and finance. For more information, visit www.sonomapartners.com.

About BigMachines, Inc. and BigMachines AG

BigMachines is the global leader in on-demand sales configuration, quoting and proposal software, helping companies sell more and sell faster. BigMachines solutions empower sales across customers’ channels by streamlining their sales processes from opportunity to order. Using BigMachines software, sales teams and channels can quickly configure products, generate quotes and proposals, manage complex pricing, generate legal contracts, and manage orders. BigMachines offers extensive reporting capabilities and easily integrates to leading CRM and ERP systems, including those from salesforce.com, Oracle, and SAP. BigMachines’ rapidly growing customer base includes global leaders such as Kodak’s GCG, Siemens, Ingersoll Rand, and NTT Communications, as well as innovative growth companies such as ShoreTel and Voltaire Ltd. For more information, visit www.bigmachines.com.

“We’re going to show people how CRM and SharePoint deliver a flexible platform that can be used to significantly reduce costs involved in developing and maintaining custom applications,” explains Customer Connect CEO Geoff Ables. “In addition, they will learn how SharePoint can combine with Microsoft Dynamics CRM to enhance employee, vendor, distributor, partner and supplier relationships.”

Attendants must have Windows 2000® or later, or – for Mac users – Mac OS ® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or later to be compatible with the presentation.

Founded in 2000, Customer Connect Associates helps companies get customers faster and keep them longer by using their unique LUCK™ process for creating more profitable relationships. Clients include Travelocity, SAS, LandAmerica, AMF, BB&T, MedImpact, Jacobsen, AAA, Cardinal Health, Covelight Systems, Realty One and Huber Engineered Woods. For more information, please visit www.customer-connect.com.

This TecTrends Reporter considers both the opportunities and challenges posed by cloud computing as an important new development in information technology.

Topics include:

* ASP (Application Service Providers)
* Cloud Computing
* Computer Security
* Computer Telephony
* CRM
* Customer Relationship Management
* Data Management
* Email
* Enterprise Systems
* Entrepreneurs
* Innovation
* IT Management
* Managed Services
* Mobile Computing
* On-Demand Compu

Products Mentioned:

* Amazon Web Services (AWS)
* Azure Services Platform
* Concentric
* Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)
* Etelos CRM for Google Apps
* Gmail
* Google Apps
* Google Docs
* Macintosh (Mac)
* Mac OS X Mail
* Microsoft Entourage
* Microsoft Exchange
* Microsoft Outlook
* Pingdom

Key Topics Covered:

* Hey! You! Get Onto My Cloud!
* The Google-ization of CRM
* Clearing the Air on Cloud Computing
* XaaS: What Gets Delivered from the Cloud
* When the Forecast Calls for Clouds
* IT in the Balance

Companies Mentioned:

* Amazon.com Inc
* Apple Inc
* AT&T Inc
* Australian Online Solutions Pty Ltd
* ELASTRA Corp
* Enomaly Inc
* Etelos Systems Inc
* Forrester Research Inc
* Gartner Group Inc
* GigaSpaces Technologies Inc
* Google Inc
* Microsoft Corp
* ParaScale Inc
* Pingdom AB
* Ribbit Corp
* RightScal

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/f9ce50/cloud_computing_k

SINGAPORE – Software spending by medium businesses (MBs, companies with 100-999 employees) in ASEAN (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) reached US$233 million in 2008—with $24 million coming from CRM solutions. The spending is nascent across ASEAN countries but its growth rate has been impressive. CRM software spending grew by 21% since 2007 and is set to continue growing even in the current economic situation.

“Medium businesses in ASEAN are beginning to look at CRM software as a tool to enable their companies to be more competitive – especially in the current recession,” says Daniel Sim, Consulting and Research Manager for AMI-Partners. About 80% of medium businesses have rated “competition” as highest among the list of challenges they face. “Next to competition, the next most challenging area for is improving profitability. In addition to generating new sales, companies are paying more attention to retaining existing customers and not losing them to competitors. “Companies with CRM deployment are in better position to compete given the access to customers’ information and fine tuning the information into actionable plans,” maintains Mr. Sim.

Comparing across countries in ASEAN, Singapore has the highest penetration of CRM at 18%. Singapore’s high level of ICT adoption and its strong global business relationships are key reasons for the high adoption of CRM solutions. In terms of CRM modules adopted by medium businesses in ASEAN, sales force automation is currently the highest. Call centers are the next highest in demand. Businesses are looking to understanding their customers’ preferences in greater detail. As companies generate lesser sales in the current economic climate, businesses are increasingly focusing on retaining existing customers to generate sales.

As AMI intelligence points toward greater relevance of CRM deployment in helping businesses stay competitive, CRM vendors would do well to capitalize on this opportunity. Vendors should look at their product offerings and determine the right product mix for medium businesses yet to deploy CRM solutions. Vendors should also be aware that more than half of the currently deployed CRM solutions are home-grown solutions. These home-grown solutions differ from solution to solution and do not necessarily have the capabilities of industry-proven solutions from the likes of Microsoft, Oracle or SAP. CRM as SaaS is still in its infancy at this moment. SaaS-based CRM contributed more than 1% of total deployed SaaS solutions in ASEAN. Although unchartered waters for most medium businesses, respondents are telling AMI-Partners that the low-cost and hassle-free setup are worth considering.

CRM is expected to grow in 2009 at a slower rate of 18% over 2008. Vendors focusing on new accounts from medium businesses will face more challenges. Creative selling is needed to sign up new customers from the 88% non-CRM businesses and convincing users of existing CRM-deployed solutions to switch to a better product. Developing relationships with the right channel partners with a good understanding of their customers’ business development requirement may hold the key to success in selling CRM solutions.

Related Studies

AMI-Partners’ offers many reports covering MBs in the ASEAN countries. These studies highlight major trends in the context of current/planned IT, Internet and communications usage and spending. Products and services covered include established and emerging hardware, software, applications and business process solutions. Based on AMI-Partners’ annual surveys of SMBs in India, the studies track a broad spectrum of issues pertaining to budgets, purchase behaviors, decision influencers, channel preferences, outsourcing, service and support. Also covered are detailed firmographics and critically important technology attitudes and strategic planning priorities. This data points to key opportunities and messaging hot buttons for vendors and service providers seeking to match their offerings to SMB market requirements.

In light of global recessionary fears and the impact of economic downshifts on business, AMI-Partners has expanded its tracking studies to include several questions pertaining to SMBs’ perceptions of their dependence on local, national and global economies as well as their expectations about economic growth. These questions gained added significance in light of the timing of this year’s studies, which overlapped with the global financial crisis starting in mid-September. AMI-Partners’ studies, thus, present an early picture of an SMB market undergoing a major transition. Given that many SMBs are at the leading edge of this transition, AMI-Partners has included an additional analysis in this year’s reports to assess demographics, attitudes, current IT adoption as well as planned IT purchases among “concerned SMBs” compared to the rest of the market. (AMI-Partners defines concerned SBs as those that expect the local/regional economy will get worse in the next one year and concerned MBs as those that expect the local/regional, national or global economy to get worse in the next one year.)

For more information about this study, AMI-Partners, or our global SMB research, call 212-944-5100, e-mail ask_ami@ami-partners.com or visit the AMI website at www.ami-partners.com.

About Access Markets International (AMI) Partners, Inc.

AMI-Partners specializes in IT, Internet, telecommunications and business services strategy, venture capital, and actionable market intelligence — with a strong focus on global small and medium businesses (SMBs), and extending into large enterprises and home-based businesses. The AMI-Partners mission is to empower clients for success with the highest quality data, business strategy perspectives and “go-to-market” solutions. Led by Andy Bose, the firm has built a world-class management team with deep experience cutting across IT, telecommunications and business services sectors in established and emerging markets.

AMI-Partners has helped shape the go-to-market SMB strategies of more than 150 leading IT, Internet, telecommunications and business services companies. The firm is well known for its IT and Internet adoption-based segmentation of the SMB markets; its annual retainership services based on global SMB tracking surveys in more than 25 countries; and its proprietary database of SMBs and SMB channel partners in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The firm invests significantly in collecting survey-based information from several thousand SMBs annually, and is considered the premier source for global SMB trends and analysis.

INDIANAPOLIS – On-demand email and one-to-one marketing solutions provider ExactTarget earned the title of Information Technology Company of the Year Saturday for the fourth time in five years.

Presented by Indiana technology association TechPoint, ExactTarget scored the top spot in the annual Mira Awards for its continued growth and innovation of its software as a service platform.

“ExactTarget is leading the industry by developing new technologies to help companies around the world better serve their clients,” said Scott Dorsey, ExactTarget’s chief executive officer and co-founder. “I am tremendously proud to once again be named the top software company in the state.”

ExactTarget has grown from a startup to a 420-person international enterprise in less than nine years. Founded and headquartered in Indianapolis, the company provides its clients with an on-demand platform to power email, SMS text messaging, voice messaging and online communications ranging from email marketing campaigns to business-critical messages such as fraud alerts and e-statements.

“ExactTarget’s continued innovation and unrelenting focus on bringing new technologies to market is unprecedented,” said Jim Jay, TechPoint’s president and chief executive officer. “Scott (Dorsey) and his team continue to grow the business and lead the industry in providing customers around the globe with a powerful, sophisticated technology.”

The award comes less than two weeks after ExactTarget posted its thirty third consecutive quarter of growth, thirteenth consecutive quarter of profitability and a $70 million round of venture capital investment by a triad of blue chip investors. The acclaim also follows the company being named one of the Best Places to Work in Indiana and a finalist in ClickZ’s Marketing Excellence Awards.

About ExactTarget

ExactTarget, Inc. is a leading provider of on-demand email marketing software solutions. The company’s on-demand one-to-one marketing applications enable clients to send business-critical and event triggered communications to increase sales, optimize marketing investments and strengthen customer relationships. ExactTarget offers four editions of its on-demand software application along with integrated solutions such as ExactTarget for Salesforce.com AppExchange, ExactTarget for Microsoft Dynamics CRM and ExactTarget for Omniture Genesis. ExactTarget offers a range of optimization services including support, implementation and training, integration, deliverability, account management, design and deployment and strategic consulting. ExactTarget’s software powers permission-based email communications for thousands of organizations including CareerBuilder.com, Expedia.com, Florida Power & Light, Gannett Co., Inc/USA TODAY, the Indianapolis Colts, The Home Depot, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Liberty Mutual Group, Papa John’s and Wellpoint, Inc. For more information, please visit www.exacttarget.com or call 1-866-EMAILET.

“Businesses that are evaluating a CRM solution don’t want sales pitches and advertising slogans,” says Geoff Ables, CEO of Customer Connect Associates. “What they need is to know which of these major tools will work best for their particular situation. Our expertise in the field allows us to better inform them in this regard.”

“Salesforce.com and Microsoft CRM – Side-by-Side Demo” will begin at 10:15 a.m. on May 28th. Those interested may register at www.successaccelerators.com. Computer requirements are at least Windows 2000 for PC users and at least Mac OS X 10.4 or newer.

Founded in 2000, Customer Connect Associates helps companies get customers faster and keep them longer by using their unique LUCK™ process for creating more profitable relationships. Clients include Travelocity, SAS, LandAmerica, AMF, BB&T, MedImpact, Jacobsen, AAA, Cardinal Health, Covelight Systems, Realty One and Huber Engineered Woods. For more information, please visit www.customer-connect.com

STOCKHOLM, Sweden – EventX provides organisations with a simple tool to plan and co-ordinate meetings and events.

For event organisers, EventX removes the headaches associated with managing invitations to an event and replaces the traditional excel spreadsheet. It gives a complete overview of registrations enabling these to be easily managed with booking confirmations and agenda updates issued automatically. EventX can also issue name badges with barcodes and close registration on a specific date or when an event is full. EventX can be easily integrated with CRM solutions such as those from Salesforce CRM and Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

For participants, EventX enables them to sign up, cancel and update their registration for an event or meeting – and create a personal agenda for the day online.

Peter Larsson, CEO of EPiServer, said: “Although we are a commercial software company we see the benefit of sharing applications that our growing community of partners and customers will find useful. We used EventX to manage the 1,200 customers and partners who attended our own sales event earlier this year. It saved our organisers a lot of time and energy.”

EventX is the latest open source module to be released by EPiServer for its CMS and Community customers and users. Also available at www.coderesort.com are TranslationX, a quick and easy way to localise websites, and WikiX which enables organisations to develop a personalised wikipedia on their sites.

About EPiServer

EPiServer AB is the world’s fastest growing provider of Web Content Management (WCM) platforms and online community platforms. More than 2,500 customers worldwide use EPiServer CMS to create collaborative and attractive Web sites. EPiServer CMS is the foundation for more than 8,500 Web sites and is used on a daily basis by more than 130,000 Web editors. EPiServer delivers its Web Content Management platform through an extensive network of over 300 competent partner companies in 25 countries. EPiServer is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, with an AAA-ranking by Dun & Bradstreet since 2000. The company was founded in 1994 and has offices in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, The Netherlands, South Africa and the United Kingdom. For more information, please visit www.episerver.com

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