GroupLink Releases CRM Software Package As Appliance

CRM

What's new,besides grouping version 7 of its Leads Generation, Sales Force Automation and Customer Satisfaction applications under one package,is that the package now comes in appliance form.

Because it supports both Novell NetWare and, with this release, Linux, CCE can be tailored to resellers' hearts content.

Perhaps even more intriguing is how resellers can deliver the appliance: They have a choice of light, medium and robust hardware configurations.

GroupLink installs the operating system, database, system utilities, identity management services and CCE applications. It then updates the system with the customer's data imported over the Internet, and configures it to the client's specifications,all within 15 minutes. Customers can then remotely test the system via the Web, paying for the appliance only after approving the resulting system. It's then shipped to the customer's site.

"We build the system and prove [it] in our site, and then we turn it over to customers," said David Turner, president and CEO of GroupLink, Bountiful, Utah. "We will offer this ourselves initially, and perhaps the channel will take it on later. Because it's on the Linux platform, we can deliver products at a much lower cost. We can abstract out the licensing requirements for the OS and the database,we particularly use mySQL and PostgreSQL,and have eliminated other variables by providing these platforms on an appliance. We think this is a compelling solution for resellers, as Linux lets them take a very functional product and form fit it to their skills and customer specifics."

That's a new opportunity for many of GroupLink's resellers, but it's one that at least some are eager to try.

"There's a lot of buzz but also a lot of fear around Linux among customers, who don't know how to use it," said Andreas Bach, owner of Bach Solutions, Toronto. "This let's them play with Linux and, as a reseller, I can make sure it does what they want. And because I haven't done anything like a service migration before, I like that I'm not on the hook for getting it to work."

Available now in both professional and enterprise licenses, GroupLink CCE starts at $28,000 and $58,000, respectively, for up to 50 users.