New Oracle software targets Salesforce
Oracle on Tuesday announced new on-demand CRM software aimed squarely at Salesforce.com.
The new software, Oracle CRM on Demand 15, is a revised version of a product acquired via Oracle's purchase of Siebel Systems in 2005.
Oracle's on-demand software, designed to help companies manage customer resources, will include a browser-based interface and can be customized to run on mobile devices such as BlackBerrys, and included in personalized Google and Yahoo pages.
Oracle's CRM on Demand 15
(Credit: Oracle Corp.)Another aspect of the release is the inclusion of what Oracle calls "Social CRM" capabilities, including social networking and collaboration tools. ZDNet's Phil Wainewright explained more in a post earlier on Tuesday:
The lead component of Oracle CRM's new social capabilities is a new feature called 'Sticky Notes'. This allows a user to mark any object -- for example an account in a given salesperson's portfolio -- with a comment and then subscribe to the message stream related to that object. Team members can then follow and participate in the conversation around that object, which is all co-ordinated within new functionality called the 'Message Center'.
While Salesforce.com has enjoyed years of leadership in the on-demand business software market, Oracle and others are launching rival products. In Oracle's case, analysts say recent sales wins for Salesforce.com have refocused the company's efforts. "That was a wake-up call. They have come to a realization that there is money to be made from delivery of software as a service," Trip Chowdhry, an analyst with Global Equities Research, told Reuters.
