E-business software supplier Oracle SA, and Hewlett-Packard (HP) have formed a relationship to market customer relationship marketing (CRM) solutions in South Africa based on Oracle`s CRM software suite, HP`s hardware platform and HP`s business consulting services.
This comes on the heels of a similar initiative launched in the US and Europe by the two companies last year.
Glenn Lottering, Oracle SA CRM business development manager, says customer service and relationship management programmes are taking on more business-critical roles in South Africa as companies realise the value of customer retention strategies, in the face of rising costs of securing new business.
"Oracle needs to ensure that the solutions we deliver help our customers meet their business objectives in this regard," he says. "Our partnering approach with HP enables us to provide a greater depth of offering for customers seeking broad-based CRM solutions."
Lottering says the results of the relationship are evident: Oracle and HP have signed their first joint account in South Africa, while more than 40 customers have been signed on a global basis.
"In addition to these successes, the relationship has also resulted in HP and Oracle successfully implementing their joint solutions internally and realising significant cost savings and customer satisfaction," he adds.
Oracle recently consolidated 97 e-mail systems and 120 databases worldwide to two HP9000 Enterprise Servers running four databases.
The move played a key role in Oracle`s highly publicised billion-dollar saving in operating costs last year. Oracle is currently developing all CRM applications on servers powered by the HP-UX operating environment.
According to Leon Erasmus, CRM practice manager at HP South Africa, the relationship between Oracle and HP has resulted in a progressive and comprehensive approach to CRM.
"CRM implementation is a massive undertaking for any organisation," he stresses. "To be successful, a well-defined customer management strategy must be in place and proven CRM technologies must be used.
"As preferred partners, HP and Oracle work closely across both these spaces.
"On the one hand we have an experienced team of consultants who can help define a company`s strategy for relating to its customers, and they can help articulate the requirements of a suitable IT solution. We also provide the mission-critical platforms on which CRM implementations can run.
"And we have skills and experience in related solution areas such as, business process re-engineering, supply chain management and e-services. On the other hand, Oracle has the proven software technologies that cater for the business needs of CRM initiatives," he says.
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