PeopleSoft CRM Goes Mobile

PeopleSoft

The new release, slated to ship later next week, includes PeopleSoft CRM Mobile Field Service, which supports portable PCs running Windows CE, and which is expected to make it easier for nonconnected salespeople to access information and provide quotes.

The Palm Pilot "remains a target for future releases," said Stan Swete, vice president and general manager of PeopleSoft CRM. "Our focus is first focused on the disconnected PC and then other devices," he said.

PeopleSoft had been criticized for a lack of mobile support in the past. Users often had to export data to a local spreadsheet to work offline.

To expedite database updates, PeopleSoft has devised its own synchronization plan that does not download the entire corporate database to local devices. The company is using IBM's db2 Everyplace for the local data and then runs a synchronization API across HTTP to synchronize what has happened on the user's device to the home office.

"What we'll do is run targeted transactions in field and sales service and store the updates in the [local database. Then sync that up to the corporate database, automating transactions you enter vs. trying to figure out everything that's changed in the corporate database. ... There is dramatically less complexity and better performance," Swete said.

Integrators agreed that replication and synchronization has to be fast. "If it takes 30 minutes for a salesman to sync his data, chances are he won't do it," said Chris Rapp, vice president of delivery services for Apex IT, a Minneapolis integrator.

Analysts said PeopleSoft is gambling that most traveling users still work with PCs and do not need access to all the corporate data and applications. "They've recognized that not every single bell and whistle has to be replicated to a mobile client. ... Because of issues around replication and synchronization times, the complexity of building replication rules [and managing and distributing data, there has to be a better approach," said Steve Bonadio, analyst with The Meta Group.

The new release also adds a module for the communications industry that offers immediate sales order capture, order management and service management.

Offline CRM functionality "is an old requirement that is still relevant today," said Erin Kinikin, analyst with Giga Information Group.

"The issue with PeopleSoft is that the Internet architecture was great, but salespeople still want to work offline. They had converted the Vantive [technology PeopleSoft acquired to the PeopleSoft architecture, but they didn't have the mobile replication. They were missing an important piece," she noted.

"What PeopleSoft is doing is putting mobile CRM in a form factor of 1.5 [Mbytes to 3 Mbytes so you can actually e-mail the application around. That is dramatically different from both E.Piphany and Siebel, which [field local applications that are 100 Mbytes in size. They're mobile as long as nothing goes wrong," Kinikin said.

For its part, CRM rival Siebel Systems this week is expected to launch a publicity blitz surrounding the mobile capabilities in its current Siebel 7 offering. Siebel 7, available since late last year, supports both the Palm OS and Windows CE operating systems, the company said.