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SAP Announces New Suite of Solutions to Modernize CRM and a New Data Management Suite

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June 6, 2018

SAP Announces New Suite of Solutions to Modernize CRM and a New Data Management Suite

SAP SE has fulfilled its ambition to disrupt the marketplace for customer relationship management (CRM) with the formal introduction of a new suite of applications, SAP® C/4HANA, to help businesses serve and retain customers. SAP also announced the SAP HANA® Data Management Suite, the industry’s first comprehensive data management solution that enables companies to turn data sprawl into business value. The announcement was made by SAP CEO Bill McDermott at the company’s annual SAPPHIRE NOW® conference.

SAP C/4HANA is an integrated offering designed to modernize the sales-only focus of legacy CRM solutions. Following the completed acquisitions of market leaders Hybris, Gigya and CallidusCloud, SAP now ties together solutions to support all front-office functions, such as consumer data protection, marketing, commerce, sales and customer service.

“SAP was the last to accept the status quo of CRM and is now the first to change it,” McDermott said.

SAP CEO Bill, added. “The legacy CRM systems are all about sales; SAP C/4HANA is all about the consumer. We recognize that every part of a business needs to be focused on a single view of the consumer. When you connect all SAP applications together in an intelligent cloud suite, the demand chain directly fuels the behaviors of the supply chain.”

Building on the company’s reputation as an end-to-end business solutions provider, the new SAP C/4HANA suite will offer full integration with SAP’s business applications portfolio, led by its market-leading ERP suite, SAP S/4HANA®. The combination of assets features new machine learning capabilities from SAP Leonardo, a set of intelligent technologies the company introduced last year, as well as the new SAP HANA Data Management Suite, which enables companies to gain visibility and control of their highly distributed data. The company’s overall strategy, focused on helping businesses run as intelligent enterprises, highlights the demand for a balanced approach to automation in the workplace.

Expanding its customer service solutions offerings, SAP also announced it has acquired Switzerland-based Coresystems AG to improve field-service customer experience, especially in the manufacturing, energy, high-tech and telecommunications industries. Coresystems’ platform service provides real-time scheduling for customer-service requests and uses artificial intelligence-powered crowd-service technology. This broadens the service technician pool to include company employees, freelancers, and industry partners to assign the best-qualified technician to each call by taking into account expertise, location, and availability of the individual service expert.

These announcements come on the heels of Europe’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which took effect on May 25. The massive regulatory change has caused businesses to take a critical look at their legacy CRM investments.

Managing Data to Reach Customers

All systems rely on data, yet the challenge facing companies today is distributed data — data that is not just in transactional systems but scattered across products, machines, and people. It is about data that must be ingested, prepared and made enterprise relevant. SAP HANA Data Management Suite enables enterprises to turn massive amounts of data — both structured and unstructured — into valuable, usable knowledge, no matter where it resides. SAP HANA Data Management Suite allows customers to maximize the potential of their data safely, simply and efficiently.

More About SAP C/4HANA

The SAP C/4HANA portfolio includes SAP Marketing Cloud, SAP Commerce Cloud, SAP Service Cloud, SAP Customer Data Cloud (including the acquired Gigya solutions) and SAP Sales Cloud (including the acquired CallidusCloud solutions). Additionally, SAP Sales Cloud unites the SAP Hybris® Revenue Cloud solution and SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer (comprised of SAP Hybris Sales Cloud and SAP Hybris Service Cloud solutions).

These cloud solutions — formerly on the market under the SAP Hybris brand name — as well as SAP’s commerce and customer engagement organization are now consolidated under the SAP Customer Experience business unit to support a consistent brand experience.

Five Ways Artificial Intelligence is Transforming B2B Sales

STS Staff Writer

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June 6, 2018

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Five Ways Artificial Intelligence is Transforming B2B Sales

A Brief Insight Into How Artificial Intelligence Has Changed the Business Landscape

Everybody knows ‘The Power of Now’, and that’s exactly why you should know and adopt AI. AI is no more a theory of the future as it continues to have an unprecedented impact on businesses globally. In less than ten years, B2B enterprises have begun to implement AI to accelerate their growth and revenues. All the fears of humans losing their jobs to AI and machines may not be true after all, especially when you consider marketing and sales in under-billion dollar companies.

New research data shows 80% of B2B executives believe that AI will revolutionize the field by 2020.

Five ways AI is Influencing B2B Sales

Here are five areas in B2B sales heavily influenced by AI —

Arming Sales Teams with Relevant Insights

Marketing Automation has its limits since typically only a sales representative can finally have a 1:1 conversation and close a deal. AI helps marketing teams by allowing them to provide their colleagues with valuable insights about prospects, all throughout the sales cycle. The sales colleagues can be provided with information about organizational and industry dynamics, identification of key decision makers and key prospects, and they can also share information about the levels of engagement. This valuable interaction between marketing teams and sales reps is a positive outlook since sales reps can tackle this information and come up with actionable insights.

Quality and Quantity Leads

A Harvard Business Review Study found that companies which use AI for sales were able to increase their leads by 50%. AI helps sales teams increase the lead quantity as well as lead quality. This is possible because AI has the keen potential of recognizing the best targets for inbound and outbound marketing initiatives. The friction between marketing and sales teams has been longstanding, but with the help of AI- a large chunk of it can be eliminated.

Simplifying Tasks

Too much time of a salesperson’s daily activities is spent doing monotonous tasks such as cold-calling, responding to emails etc. Enter AI and the tasks magically reduce. According to McKinsey Global Institute, 40% of the time spent on menial tasks such as these can be automated by adopting all the current technologies that AI has to offer. Embedding AI into Salesforce automation software, CRM databases, other B2B applications and a lot of these crippling tasks can be eliminated for good. AI can liberate salespeople from such monotonous tasks, and the positive effects of this method are far-reaching thus uplifting the enterprise to new heights.

Data over Intuition

Each salesperson generally has a vague idea of what a client or a prospect may be interested in, and this is what they base their USP’s on. Unfortunately, this a lot more experimental than actually based on cold, hard facts. That’s where Artificial Intelligence comes in. AI allows sales professionals to base their opinions and decisions more accurately on data. And data never lies! Focusing on data, the choices will be more precise than ever.

With artificial intelligence, targeting the right customer based on an analysis and profile has never been this simplified. There is no guesswork here, only pure facts, thus leading to profitable conversions and positive outcomes.

The Focus is strong on Analytical Skills

Forrester caused a stir in 2015 when it released a report estimating 1million B2B sales job being eliminated by 2020. AI is never going to be a replacement for AI professionals, instead, it is the technology of the present and future which is only going to propel sales professionals to ‘level-up’ their game. AI is going to be an enhancement for sales teams since it is aiding professionals to commit to their jobs better especially with the use of analytics and data science.

Improving lead generation has been the focal point of the buzz around AI, but that marks only a scratch on the surface for B2B companies. AI-driven solutions can be a blessing throughout the entire marketing-sales lifestyle, turning huge amounts of data into actionable insights.

The power of Artificial Intelligence to automatically analyze aspects of a customer’s behavior helps B2B marketers make informed decisions and improve efficiencies like never before. Sales software do everything from writing emails to scheduling meetings to identifying sales behavior which closes more leads.

Top AI Tools Transforming the B2B Sales World

Nudge

Nudge is a modern sales platform which uses AI so as to provide sales teams with actionable insights on each target customer. The AI and ML tools here are leveraged to source social and news updates on the individual and the account by filtering through huge amounts of data all across the web. Nudge doesn’t necessarily use AI to automate tasks but it helps sales professionals build lasting, authentic relationships with potential buyers.

People.ai

People.ai aims to help teams close onto more business by providing a greater visibility into efficiency and effort. It collects sales activity information and then uses the same information to identify slack deals, and then creates an activity-based success roadmap which potentially narrows down all opportunities. People.ai accesses this information so as to make a plan of action, and then execute it accordingly. People.ai has established a complete behavioral analytics solution which determines which sales rep’s behavior is most likely going to close a deal.

Crystal Knows

Crystal Knows gives sales reps personality profiles for all the customers/prospects they may have come in touch with. This outlines all the profile information from multiple sites such as LinkedIn, Salesforce and more. Crystal gives them access to personality-driven email templates of the recipient’s personality. Crystal’s AI offers personality insights at any point in need, thus helping sales professionals interact and improve their communicational roles with prospects/customers.

X.ai

X.ai is an AI personal assistant who schedules meetings for its users. X.ai eliminates the back-and-forth discussion between a sales rep and an individual. The calendar will be connected X.ai, and the AI assistant will handle all the meetings scheduled for sales professionals by simply copying the AI’s email address into the email exchange. X.ai helps sales professionals save a lot of time by conveniently addressing and taking on these tasks.

Many B2B professionals have refused to adapt to AI methods citing various issues that are triggered due to existing technologies, training employees and understanding how the results have been derived. Contrary to belief, AI is totally worth investing in since many professionals who have embraced the technology are constantly reaping its benefits.

Improved efficiency and deliverance of unparalleled personalization throughout a customer’s journey is what AI brings and it is something which every business pursues to achieve.

Vendavo Acquires Navetti

Sales & Marketing

STS News Desk

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June 6, 2018

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To bolster the current commercial excellence offering for large enterprise and bring intelligent price management with quick time-to-value to the mid-market, Vendavo, a leading provider of cloud-based commercial excellence solutions, announced the acquisition of Swedish SaaS pricing software provider Navetti AB.

Bruno Slosse

“Now more than ever, companies must keep up with rapidly changing market conditions and customer buying preferences,” said Bruno Slosse, President and CEO, Vendavo.

Bruno added, “And that is especially true when it comes to their pricing strategies and tactics. Prices must intelligently weigh internal and external factors in real-time and identify the optimal price point for enhanced profitability and customer retention. The addition of Navetti further delivers on this vision.”

With Navetti, Vendavo’s commercial excellence platform adds robust functionality in rules-based, customer value-focused strategic price management that reacts dynamically to changing market conditions, competitive price data sourcing, transfer price management, cost management, and cloud-based reporting and analytics.

These SaaS-based solutions can also be delivered in a structured and speedy implementation process for fast ROI: 2 hours for first system deployment, 2 weeks for best-practice system configuration, and 2 months for full system and process integration with existing CRM and ERP solutions.

Andreas Westling

“Combining our powerful yet easy-to-use pricing solutions that focuses on international pricing operations with Vendavo’s excellent reputation and market presence is very exciting,” Andreas Westling, CEO, Navetti said. Andreas added, “This will open up new markets for the technology and create new possibilities, especially within CPQ, for existing Navetti customers as well.”

Navetti has sizable success throughout Europe and provides pricing solutions for B2B manufacturing and aftermarket customers, but also has a growing presence in pricing systems for e-commerce solutions for both B2B and B2C markets. This acquisition brings expanded market presence and vertical expertise to Vendavo and cements the company’s commercial excellence leadership for both the enterprise and mid-market.

How to Measure Sales Fitness

Peter Gillett

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June 6, 2018

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Despite the plethora of martech and sales enablement technologies now on the market, most sales teams are still performing at sub-optimal levels. With all these new tools making a salesperson’s job easier, there’s no excuse for your sales team not to excel.

Sure new technologies in other industries can be a little daunting. Think about: AI, robotics, autonomous driving, Uber flying taxis, Amazon delivery drones. Where will it end and how will jobs be affected? These are both concerning and exciting at the same time. Sales technologies, on the other hand, aid the process of generating revenue and should never cause fear, uncertainty or doubt.

Bad Rep

Unfortunately, salespeople, as a rule, have earned a reputation for being an unwelcome disruption. Think of someone who disrupts an executive’s day by getting past the gatekeeper explaining he/she knows that person and is following up ‘our previous discussions’ – yeah right!

Another negative sales persona is someone who turns up at the latest supplier review meeting, announcing proudly he is the new account manager, then asks for an explanation of the history between the two companies – arghhh! With today’s technologies, there is no excuse for this kind of ignorance except laziness.

Good Rep

On the flip side, if the salesperson showed up to the meeting fully prepared having read his previous colleague’s CRM notes, the decision-maker would be happy to have a meeting. During this first meeting is generally when the salesperson and the prospect discover common interests and determine if the business can be moved forward. Salespeople should use this time well and understand that after that first meeting, the phone and the web are likely to become the primary communication channels due to the limited time constraints of those involved.

Recipe for High-Performance Selling

High-performing salespeople understand the prospect’s business challenges and can articulate a solution. They earn the right to ask for the business because they show up at that first meeting educated about the prospective buyer’s unique situation and how their solution addresses a specific problem. They know how to demonstrate value.

Let’s look at the day-to-day life of a sales rep, starting with traditional face-to-face meetings. The opportunity for these meetings has become a rarity, but when they happen they must be properly prepared for and appreciated. Successful salespeople will conduct detailed research in advance and ask professional, yet probing questions to move the buy-cycle forward.

After that initial 1:1, the core work will be accomplished via email, phone and Web meetings. In these three channels is where sales performance can be enhanced.

Mark Hurd

Mark Hurd, Oracle CEO, gives us a hint about where this is all heading when commenting on the new Sales 3.0 thinking:

“Customize decision-making across the board, using analytics to empower frontline staff to serve their customers in the moment, rather than when it is convenient for someone to get back to them.”

Getting down to basics simply means talking with the right people at the right time. No more, no less. The more meaningful conversations a salesperson has, the more likely sales will result.

The latest sales technologies allow reps to do all of this with merged systems for CRM to produce the right prospects at the right time. Power-diallers deliver more calls per hour, and wise content management strategies produce relevant materials after the post-call follow-up – Everything is automated, which removes the tedium of following up.

Combine this outbound activity with a stream of inbound Web visitors and content click-throughs and the only real concern is having enough hours in the day to follow up! The opportunities are endless.

Automation Meets Human

Salespeople must build a solid support team in order to successfully work all of these opportunities. Marketing automation allows reps to manage inbound web traffic, qualify leads as ready to buy now or in the future. On the human side, it is important to build an inside sales team of at least two individuals to handle all the background outbound calls and prospecting. This gives salespeople time to focus on closing the hottest leads.

What’s In a Number?

Sales is a numbers game, but it’s deeper than that – 5 percent of B2B leads generated by any marketing activity are usually ready to close. Sales reps who come late to the party have a slim chance of beating competitors to the prize.

The real hidden golden nugget is the 20 percent of fully qualified leads who will buy at some time in the future. Salespeople don’t have the time or inclination to keep in touch with these people and this becomes the biggest factor affecting sales performance. Hence the need for maintaining two inside salespeople to support the team. One to break new ground, the other to be a ‘relationship developer’ for future customers.

Smart sales executives master the basic fundamentals of building a relationship before investing in digital tools to reinforce the process. Mobile lead capture apps deliver good, qualified leads form your company’s shows and events, but they also have a role to play every day. They deliver the latest content presentations followed up by a thank you email – They ensure no leads fall through the cracks since all scanned business cards are automatically loaded into the CRM system, saving hours of valuable sales time.

Measuring Sales Fitness

Sales fitness can be monitored via technology in the same way that you monitor your key body fitness metrics. The really interesting question: Is there a correlation between sales activity and sales performance? Perhaps it depends on how easy the sale is to close.

There have always been two types of sales executive: the slow, thoughtful major account schmoozer who focuses on the big opportunities – This person brings in the biggest deals without doing much prospecting, which he sees as small fry.

Then you have the young, keen and enthusiastic new starter at the other end of the spectrum, who will do anything to hit those numbers. Clearly in this new digital world, tracking the level of activity to provide a sales executive profile based on the frequency of completed calls, web meetings, and face-to-face visits generates a very interesting comparison.

Since sales is a numbers game, those who hit the biggest numbers most often will attain the optimum level of Sales Fitness. These are the sales reps who predictably will be the most successful. Add to this, AI systems for intelligent, personalized and relevant follow-up and sales success becomes inevitable. This powerful combination is the new frontier for measuring sales performance levels moving forward.

This was originally published in Sales & Marketing Magazine.

Intercontinental Exchange Names Betty Liu Executive Vice Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange; Nyse to Acquire Radiate, Inc.

Sales & Marketing

STS News Desk

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June 6, 2018

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Intercontinental Exchange Names Betty Liu Executive Vice Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange; Nyse to Acquire Radiate, Inc.

Entrepreneur and trailblazing journalist will build a community for the NYSE’s network of global leaders, listed companies and entrepreneurs

Intercontinental Exchange, a leading operator of global exchanges and clearing houses and provider of data and listings services, announced today that Betty Liu, an award-winning business journalist and entrepreneur, is joining the New York Stock Exchange as Executive Vice Chairman. Her appointment takes effect 9 July. Liu will also join the NYSE Group Board.

Liu is the Founder and CEO of Radiate, Inc. and a 10-year veteran of Bloomberg Television, where she most recently co-anchored Bloomberg’s “Daybreak Asia” and “Daybreak Australia.” In her new role at NYSE Group, Betty Liu will bring her global experience working with thought leaders, newsmakers and C-level executives to the Exchange. Working with NYSE President Stacey Cunningham and NYSE COO John Tuttle, along with the senior leadership teams of the NYSE and Intercontinental Exchange, Liu’s mission will focus on strengthening and building the NYSE leadership network, cultivating connections through live events and creating valuable opportunities for organizations to connect across the NYSE’s unmatched listed community of 2,400 leading global companies.

Liu will be joining the NYSE alongside its acquisition of Radiate, Inc., the company Liu founded in 2016 to empower emerging leaders with expert advice. ICE’s acquisition of Radiate is subject to customary approvals. When the deal is complete, Radiate’s team and content will become assets of the New York Stock Exchange and will be scaled across NYSE platforms. Radiate offers a library of more than 2,000 short-length video lessons taught by over 100 global CEOs and thought leaders. The Radiate platform, when it becomes a part of the NYSE, will add to the Exchange’s broad array of content and events. The transaction is expected to close in June and will not impact ICE’s 2018 results or capital return plans.

Stacey Cunningham

“Betty is a valuable addition to our leadership team, bringing her unique experience and perspective gained through her global postings and firsthand experience as a media entrepreneur,” said Stacey Cunningham, President of NYSE Group.

Stacey added, “By working directly with the leadership of emerging and leading companies, and leveraging the Radiate platform, Betty will help us offer our customers even more opportunities to tap the NYSE network to connect and share ideas on our global stage.”

“Our team is excited to welcome a distinguished leader and keen business mind of Betty Liu’s caliber to her role as Executive Vice Chairman to help us expand the NYSE’s industry leadership,” said Jeff Sprecher, Chairman and CEO of Intercontinental Exchange and Chairman of NYSE Group and the New York Stock Exchange.

Jeff added, “Betty’s combination of journalistic acumen, creative vision, international relationships, and entrepreneurial instincts will add greatly to the value we offer our customers around the world. We look forward to building on Radiate, the innovative business she founded, as part of our efforts to enrich the NYSE network and experience for our listed issuers and the broader business community.”

“I’m very excited and honored to join Stacey, John, and the outstanding teams at the NYSE and ICE. The Exchange is at the very heart of the global business – for many companies, making it onto the NYSE is the highest level of achievement,” Betty Liu said.

CEO of Radiate, Betty added, “I can’t wait to build upon a platform where C-suite leaders and entrepreneurs exchange ideas, innovate and connect. As a journalist, I reported on some of the greatest business stories of our generation. As an entrepreneur, I have a great appreciation for what it takes to start a business, build a team, and compete in the global marketplace. I look forward to leveraging both experiences to help great companies tell their stories and connect to customers and stakeholders alike.”

Liu’s years of international experience working for major news organizations include CNBC, Dow Jones, and the Financial Times. She has been stationed in Atlanta, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on assignments.

Showpad Acquires LearnCore to Fortify Integrated Sales Enablement Platform

STS News Desk

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June 5, 2018

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Showpad Acquires LearnCore to Fortify Integrated Sales Enablement Platform

The acquisition adds LearnCore’s proven training and coaching software to Showpad’s content and engagement solutions to empower sales and marketing teams to deliver the best buyer and seller experience on the market

Showpad, the industry’s first integrated sales enablement platform, has acquired LearnCore, the leading provider of sales training and coaching software, to supercharge the buyer and seller experience. With LearnCore, Showpad will deliver the first fully integrated platform for sales excellence that includes sales readiness, smart sales content, and powerful sales engagement capabilities to drive meaningful conversations and increase sales.

With this acquisition, Showpad is leading the industry with a holistic approach to sales excellence and the buying experience, providing an integrated solution for B2B sales and marketing teams who currently must purchase sales content, readiness and engagement solutions from multiple vendors.

Also Read: Sales-Marketing Partnership Critical to Drive Revenue Growth for Businesses

Sales training and coaching is essential for a better buyer experience

A superior buying experience is built on a foundation of sales excellence: smart and skilled salespeople who add value by delivering relevant information and insights to buyers. LearnCore empowers salespeople with modern training and coaching software so they have the knowledge and skills to lead informed discussions with buyers as part of a more engaging and valuable buying experience.

Pieterjan Bouten

“Buyers today demand valuable content, engaging digital experiences, and knowledgeable salespeople. Adding LearnCore to the Showpad portfolio adds not only powerful sales readiness capabilities but also a rich set of data and insights to continually improve the relevance and effectiveness of salespeople,” said Pieterjan Bouten, CEO of Showpad.

Pieterjan added, “Showpad’s vision is that the best buyer experience wins. This acquisition brings us to the cutting edge of empowering marketing and sales to sell the way buyers want to buy. With the new capabilities LearnCore brings, we’ll continue to innovate and offer our customers a strategic advantage to be a winner not only today but also tomorrow.”

Also Read: Sales-Marketing Partnership Critical to Drive Revenue Growth for Businesses

The power of an integrated and open sales enablement platform

LearnCore and Showpad’s combined platform will leverage advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence to optimize marketing’s investment in content, deliver relevant content recommendations for sales, and improve the skills of sales teams through personalized training and coaching at scale. With a unified content repository and administration capabilities designed to support global enterprises, Showpad will offer a fully integrated user experience for sales and marketing professionals.

In addition to providing a unified platform, Showpad and LearnCore will also continue to integrate with other leading sales and marketing technologies including those in the content and readiness spaces.

Vishal Shah

“We couldn’t be more excited to join the Showpad team,” said Vishal Shah, CEO of LearnCore.

Vishal added, “There is a clear need for a better sales experience, which can only happen when marketing and sales align to engage with buyers in a way that delivers value and differentiation. Showpad has a strong record of product innovation and is clearly executing to become a game-changing company that’s redefining how companies sell and market their products. The combination of LearnCore and Showpad will significantly accelerate time to revenue for all our customers.”

Russell Wurth

“As a customer of both Showpad and LearnCore, it’s clear this acquisition is greater than the sum of its parts,” said Russell Wurth, Vice President of Solutions Management at Optiv.

Russell added, “We’ve long recognized the benefit of Showpad’s sales content and engagement solutions and LearnCore’s training and coaching software. Bringing these solutions together in a single platform will offer an even better experience for Optiv’s customers who expect our sales team to always be experts and up to date with the latest solutions in information security.”

Also Read: Sales-Marketing Partnership Critical to Drive Revenue Growth for Businesses

Showpad has been driving better buyer experiences since 2011 as an innovator in the sales enablement market, which Aragon Research expects to be worth $5 billion by 2021. This acquisition continues an impressive string of accomplishments and growth for Showpad. Over the past year, the company launched Experiences and Shared Spaces, the industry’s only sales engagement features specifically designed to deliver the best buyer experience. Showpad expanded its operations with new offices in Amsterdam, Munich, and Chicago, and hired Jason Holmes, former COO of Marketo, as President and COO and Don Matejko, former Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Field Operations at SAP Hybris, as Chief Revenue Officer.

Zoom Video Debuts New Channel Charter With Enhanced Go-To-Market Support for Partners

STS News Desk

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June 5, 2018

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Zoom Video Debuts New Channel Charter With Enhanced Go-To-Market Support for Partners

New Initiatives Designed to Grow Zoom Rooms Channel Programs

Zoom Video Communications, Inc. has announced that it has developed a new channel charter, featuring a series of initiatives designed to make the experience of working with Zoom even easier and more profitable for reseller and referral partners.

The channel charter is a focal point in the company’s program to expand its global footprint, grow into new customer segments, and increase product sales for Zoom Rooms. It also complements the deployments made through an ecosystem of technology providers and certified integrators.

Also Read: Great Sales Intelligence Encompasses Fit, Intent, And Opportunity For Faster Revenue Growth

Zoom Rooms, the software-based conference room solution, is a key to Zoom’s aggressive overall growth strategy. In the past year, Zoom Rooms sales grew by over 250%. The solution features video and audio conferencing, wireless content sharing, and integrated calendaring running on off-the-shelf hardware. Extension products include digital signage and room scheduling display. Zoom Rooms can be quickly deployed across any enterprise meeting, training, or communal space, for seamless, modern communication and collaboration.

The new channel charter, rolling out to existing and new partners now through August 2018, features the following initiatives for Zoom channel partners:

An expanded partner portal, featuring more deal registration, marketing, and training resources
New reseller price list with product bundles focused on helping partners drive customer sales
Enhanced and streamlined deal registration and discounting process for all partners
Joint marketing programs
New reseller training program with certifications and sales enablement
Partner summits, featuring networking, roadmap updates, and training
Enhanced referral program with access to training, partner portal, and marketing materials

Laura Padilla

“Zoom has had tremendous growth and solidified its leadership position in the communications market. Building a more robust channel program helps us take our growth to the next level in the US and internationally,” said Laura Padilla, head of BD and channels for Zoom.

Laura added, “We will be tackling new customer segments, use cases, and markets, hand in hand with our incredible channel partners. And these new initiatives will help make that journey even better for these valued partners.”

Jon Sidwick

“Maverick AV solutions (the Pro AV solution of Tech Data Corp) believes in offering market-leading platforms. Working with Zoom extends our channel choice,” said Jon Sidwick, global vice president, Maverick AV Solutions.

Jon added, “We are excited to team up to provide our customers with world-class video communications and a complete partner set of solutions. We look forward to more Zoom innovations in the future. We’re eager to see these new initiatives roll out and to know that the channel is a true priority for Zoom.”

This announcement follows two other recent Zoom channel announcements. The first, in mid-March, announced new Zoom Rooms Ecosystem and Integrator Programs. The second, also in mid-March, announced that IBM will embed and resell Zoom as the video meetings component of IBM Watson Workspace.

InfoComm attendees can learn more by visiting Zoom at booth N2628, 6-8 June at the Las Vegas Convention Center. At InfoComm, Zoom will receive the rAVe Readers’ Choice Award for Favorite Conferencing/Collaboration Manufacturer. Those interested in Zoom’s channel programs should visit zoom.us/resellers.

Ubersmith and Affirma Consulting Announce Partnership to Deliver Subscription Business Management Solutions

STS News Desk

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June 5, 2018

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Ubersmith and Affirma Consulting Announce Partnership to Deliver Subscription Business Management Solutions

Affirma is Ubersmith’s first development services partner for customized solutions; Ubersmith’s global partner program reaches 30 partners in just six months

Ubersmith, an INAP company and a global leader in subscription business management software, announces a partnership agreement with Affirma Consulting, which will provide customers with customization services, such as integrations and software development.

“Often, our customers and prospects want to integrate our business management software suite with other products they’re using or build custom functionality on top of our open platform,” said Jeremy Chang, head of business development, Ubersmith.

Jeremy added, “Having Affirma as a trusted development and integration partner to deliver that custom work provides an expert resource for our customers in response to significant demand for these types of services.”

Also Read: Great Sales Intelligence Encompasses Fit, Intent, And Opportunity For Faster Revenue Growth

Last month, with the version 4.2 release of its subscription business management product, Ubersmith introduced much greater flexibility for customers to tune its business management system for their specific business requirements with a plug-in system including an application programming interface (API) and software development kit (SDK).

“The introduction of our plug-in system has accelerated demand for services that help extend the Ubersmith suite with related software used to run businesses efficiently and effectively,” said Chang. “When our customers do not have their own resources or expertise, we rely on our partners like Affirma to deliver services such as special integrations and custom software development.”

Affirma’s consulting experts and developers collaborate on customer projects to deliver custom software integrations that help improve business efficiency. The company’s specialty areas of service include custom software, customer relationship management (CRM), technology infrastructure, e-commerce, business process outsourcing (BPO) and mobile application development. Affirma was founded in 2002 and is an award-winning, full-service technology services firm with offices in the U.S., India, and Ireland.

Don Hyun

“Our mission is delivering dependable software and creative solutions that continually exceed customer expectations and strategically align with their business goals, which has led to a 98 percent satisfaction rating among our customers,” said Don Hyun, COO at Affirma Consulting.

Don added, “We are selective when bringing on new strategic partners and having Ubersmith among those gives us a new ability to capitalize on usage-based billing opportunities in order to grow our business and expand our value to customers.”

Also Read: Sales-Marketing Partnership Critical to Drive Revenue Growth for Businesses

The latest company to join its partner program introduced six months ago, Affirma brings the total number of Ubersmith partners to 30. Ubersmith partner categories include payments, technology, services, and channel.

Kevin Warren Named UPS Chief Marketing Officer

STS News Desk

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June 5, 2018

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Kevin Warren Named UPS Chief Marketing Officer

UPS has appointed Kevin Warren to the position of Chief Marketing Officer, effective 1 June 2018. Warren will report to UPS Chairman and CEO David Abney. He also joins the UPS Management Committee, the most senior leadership group in the company.

David Abney

“With unprecedented demand from consumer and business customers, it’s critical for UPS to have a savvy leader driving innovative new marketing programs that support one of the world’s most trusted and respected brands,” said David Abney, UPS Chief Executive Officer.

David added, “Kevin brings a wealth of experience to UPS with a strong global growth focus across multiple disciplines. He will guide critically important marketing initiatives as we continue UPS’s transformation.”

Also Read: Sales-Marketing Partnership Critical to Drive Revenue Growth for Businesses

Warren will be responsible for all U.S. and international marketing, including the company’s product development, pricing, customer loyalty, industry segments, customer communications and public relations, among other functions. He brings extensive senior leadership experience to UPS and possesses a deep understanding of service-based businesses.

Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for Xerox Corporation, where he was responsible for worldwide channel strategy, salesforce effectiveness, and global client engagement for the company’s diverse portfolio of hardware, software, and services. Prior to that, he served as president of the Commercial Business Group for Xerox’s services business, driving growth by pursuing new clients and expanding the services the company provides to current clients across commercial industries including, retail and consumer products, commercial transportation, travel, manufacturing, aerospace and defense, high-tech communications, and financial services.

Also Read: Sales-Marketing Partnership Critical to Drive Revenue Growth for Businesses

Previously, Warren served as president of Global Growth Opportunities, responsible for accelerating revenue growth outside the United States. In addition, he had strategic oversight for two Xerox operating units, Global Imaging Systems and Xerox Canada, as well as leading the company’s 3-D printing strategy. He has also led the integration activity surrounding Xerox’s $1.5 billion purchase of Global Imaging Systems. In 2007, he was named chairman, president and chief executive officer of Xerox Canada and in 2010, was named president of U.S. Client Operations.

Warren earned a Bachelor of Science in finance from Georgetown University and is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, having completed the Advanced Management Program. He serves as a director of Illinois Tool Works and of Georgetown University, where he also chairs the audit committee. In addition, he is a current member of the Executive Leadership Council.

Also Read: Great Sales Intelligence Encompasses Fit, Intent, And Opportunity For Faster Revenue Growth

He has been named one of the top 100 most influential black executives in corporate America by “Savoy Magazine” and one of the 75 most powerful executives in America by “Black Enterprise.” In 2013, he was honored with humanitarian awards from both the Young Presidents Organization and CADCA for his work in mentoring at-risk youth.

Worksoft Unveils Next-Generation Capture Technology to Accelerate ROI for SAP S/4HANA®, SAP Fiori®, SAP® SuccessFactors® and SAP Cloud Solutions

Sales & Marketing

STS News Desk

-

June 5, 2018

0

Worksoft Unveils Next-Generation Capture Technology to Accelerate ROI for SAP S/4HANA®, SAP Fiori®, SAP® SuccessFactors® and SAP Cloud Solutions

Worksoft Capture 2.0 Dramatically Simplifies and Speeds SAP Fiori-based Test Automation for Continuous Delivery

Worksoft, an SAP partner and leading global provider of automation software for mission-critical enterprise applications, has unveiled its next generation of Capture technology that dramatically simplifies and speeds test automation to accelerate ROI for SAP S/4HANA®, SAP Fiori® and other SAP® software implementations.

Worksoft Capture 2.0’s quality and speed enhancements, which make it five times faster than previous versions, are designed to offer Global 5000 companies new, heightened levels of assurance and reduced risk for their critical digital transformation projects. The announcement was made in advance of SAPPHIRE NOW® and ASUG Annual Conference being held 5-7 June in Orlando, Florida, where Worksoft is exhibiting in booth #727.

Also Read: Great Sales Intelligence Encompasses Fit, Intent, And Opportunity For Faster Revenue Growth

Shoeb Javed

“In response to the soaring growth in migrations to SAP S/4HANA and SAP Fiori-based application deployments, Worksoft’s technology advancements offer digital transformation project protection – an investment that brings greater agility and peace of mind when executing complex enterprise initiatives,” said Shoeb Javed, CTO at Worksoft.

Shoeb added, “With complete coverage for all SAP applications, including SAP SuccessFactors solutions, Worksoft is the ultimate insurance policy to support the success of transformative, agile ERP implementations,” he said.

Worksoft’s next-generation Capture technology cracks the code on delivering low-maintenance, resilient automation based on modern HTML5 user interfaces like SAP Fiori that are frequently enhanced. With Worksoft Capture 2.0, business users and functional experts can quickly and easily create automated business flows, documents and rationalized automation at a significantly accelerated pace, delivering the benefits of SAP applications sooner with increased efficiency and quality.

Worksoft Capture 2.0 helps cross-functional project teams efficiently implement and deliver across methodologies such as agile, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), DevOps and SAP Activate for their digital transformation projects.

Worksoft Capture technology transcribes the actions of end users at the desktop, enabling business process discovery and the creation of documentation for test and process automation. Worksoft Capture 2.0 delivers transferable automation where automatically discovered business processes can be leveraged at scale across the business, IT application teams, QA departments, and operations.

Worksoft Global 5000 customers currently using Capture technology will benefit from new enhancements that allow more non-technical users to quickly define requirements for business processes that have not yet been implemented and enable more business users across organizations to create automation. By providing business users with a common language to define requirement steps for QA teams, the implementation of new business processes can be greatly accelerated.

Additional Worksoft Capture 2.0 features and functionalities include —

New user interface and interactive design with performance improvements for web testing, including SAP Fiori and SAPUI5
Enhanced design features to optimize the test-creation workflow and enable accelerated test documentation and test-case authoring
More out-of-the-box packaged application definitions, allowing business and functional users to more easily capture and document their end-to-end business processes and more efficiently facilitate and automate the acceptance criteria for test-plan creation
New streamlined, time-saving process for authoring and building test banks: Quality assurance engineers can record interactions with their browsers, SAP applications, and mobile applications and quickly play back the recorded steps

Furthermore, new Worksoft Capture 2.0 updates extend the coverage, reach and value of Worksoft Analyze, the company’s solution for end-to-end automated business process discovery, documentation, and test creation. With Worksoft Analyze, users capture and attain a deeper understanding of their company’s actual business processes and all variations.

Global 5000 companies rely on this powerful information to drive process improvement and mitigate risk for mission-critical applications. Worksoft’s continuous automation platform accelerates transformational projects while reducing digital risk.

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