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MARCH 2006 |
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Sales force automation reduces sales cycle time by 10-15% and win ratios by 10-20%* |
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Mobile field service improves worker productivity by greater than 27% and overall profitability by more than 17%* |
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*Aberdeen Group, 2004
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The New Zealand Lotteries Commission and LifeSource are just two of the many companies and government organizations worldwide who are using BlackBerry solutions for mobile CRM.
Have your own BlackBerry success story to tell? Please submit your story
Read more case studies.
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Mobile CRM: It’s About Time
Mobile CRM offers companies a competitive advantage. It provides access to real-time customer data, order information and sales activity, along with a multitude of other important stats. And it changes the way it’s all managed and updated by employees in the field, resulting in better customer relationships.
Yet because of past concerns about issues such as connectivity, mobile CRM has not fully achieved the success that industry experts originally predicted it would.
This is about to change thanks to recent improvements in wireless bandwidth and handset capabilities and the growth of the middleware community – like BlackBerry Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) – that make it possible to connect back-end CRM systems with wireless messaging platforms like BlackBerry Enterprise Solution.
More and more companies are beginning to realize that they need real-time access to customer information in order to respond quickly to issues in the field to remain competitive. What’s more, they are starting to understand that because mobile CRM solutions are so easy to use and require such little administration, they are an effective way to get mobile employees to adopt CRM systems.
UK based research firm Visiongain anticipates that “mobile CRM will grow from its current portion of 10% of total CRM revenues to 20% by 2010 with steady growth forecast as the market matures.”
Sales Force Automation With BlackBerry
CRM solutions go beyond simple email and have been deployed in the fast-growing area of sales force automation.
BlackBerry helps improve sales operations by enhancing employee productivity. It also makes it easy to access information and helps improve customer service by increasing responsiveness to customer demands. BlackBerry devices may be used to access a variety of possible back-end and existing sales force automation systems including Siebel®, salesforce.com®, SAP®, Onyx®, Saratoga Systems®, Microsoft® CRM, Saleslogix®, PeopleSoft®, ACT!®, Pivotal®, Goldmine®, Salesnet® and other enterprise CRM/SFA applications.
Take the New Zealand Lotteries Commission. It sells millions of lottery tickets each month through a network of more than 750 retail outlets. A sales team of overstretched territory representatives covers the country, overseeing the performance of the outlets.
NZ Lotteries uses the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution and METAmessage to manage quality control. Sales representatives are able to input call reports while they are on the road, with the report routed to the company’s database, without intervention. The system generates a store report summary each week, making it easy for managers to keep track of even the most minute details.
“Without a doubt BlackBerry and METAmessage have improved the operation,” says Stuart Howard, Acting Head of Sales, Auckland, New Zealand. “We are more efficient and more informed about the business. We now know there are so many more things we can do to make solutions that positively impact our sales cycles and the performance at our stores.
BlackBerry: A Mobile Field Service Solution
The underlying goal of field service automation is to optimize field service assets and resources, resulting in increased worker productivity, improved customer retention, a lift in overall profitability and more revenue from services.
BlackBerry is a viable solution for achieving all this. It helps increase field tech efficiency and allows personnel to make better decisions while they are mobile. It helps increase responsiveness to customer requests or issues and allows organizations to update and access critical customer information.
 Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of LifeSource, a not-for-profit organization that manages all aspects of tissue and organ donation.
In the past, LifeSource staff used cell phones, pagers and laptops to keep up with the logistics of organ and tissue donations. But in a business where every minute counts, they needed a simpler, faster process. An approach that would help them update schedules for on-call LifeSource teams and external clinical partners.
The BlackBerry Enterprise Solution, coupled with mDB Enterprise from mBizTech, replaced the old technology with a wireless solution that pushes back-end data to users. Call schedules for on-call LifeSource staff and clinical teams are pushed from the organization’s SQL server to BlackBerry devices so users do not have to look up or request information.
Brian Lunde, Information Systems Manager at LifeSource, puts it all in perspective, “Offering users push-based email makes it easier and faster to communicate with the group of people involved with organ donation.”
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- Technical support direct from RIM
- Adaptable and scalable support options
- Access via phone, email and online chat
- BlackBerry Enterprise Solution support for:
- Microsoft® Exchange
- IBM® Lotus® Domino®
- Novell® GroupWise®
- Access to electronic software downloads and free upgrades
Receive additional information and a price quote
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Technical Support Services: There For You When You Need It
Technical Support Services – your single source for both BlackBerry technical support and software upgrades – also offers BlackBerry application development training and support.
For you, time is a precious commodity. A commodity that most often is in short supply. You need to resolve issues quickly and avoid any downtime or delays that may occur while you are developing or customizing applications for your BlackBerry solution.
A Technical Support Services subscription can help. It gives you peace of mind knowing there is someone there to provide you with assistance, should you require it. And it ensures that your BlackBerry investment will remain operational as your organization explores innovative ways to use your solution to boost productivity and efficiency.
 Technical Support Services levels Tx3, Tx4 and Tx5 include application development training and support incidences to help facilitate your wireless application initiatives and accelerate your time to results. What’s more, support is also available for Tx1 and Tx2 customers through the purchase of application development support incidences.
No matter where or how you purchased your BlackBerry Enterprise Solution, Technical Support Services provides a single point of access to the people who know it best, Research In Motion® (RIM®), the manufacturer of BlackBerry.
BlackBerry has the right Technical Support Services subscriptions to meet your needs. Call BlackBerry Sales at 1-800-327-9085 or email sales@blackberry.net Tx1 or Tx2 Support are available to purchase online,
For an overview of Technical Support Services visit our website or view the brochure (PDF).
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Steve Knapp, Senior Product Manager at Research In Motion, previews the highpoints of his Wireless Enterprise Symposium (WES) 2006 sessions, including a peek into future developments. See how this conference covers a range of hot topics for any level of BlackBerry understanding and experience.
BlackBerry Connection: Who should attend your WES presentations this year?
Steve Knapp: There’s something for everyone. I’m running two types of sessions. Both broad, futuristic ones and others aimed at helping administrators run their BlackBerry deployment. Throughout the show, you’ll see lots of great technical information on deploying applications for BlackBerry. There’s also a whole strategic focus for people interested in what mobility can do for their business.
BC: What can BlackBerry administrators expect to learn?
SK: They’ll learn why the newest features of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server™ v4.1 make their lives much easier. Features like group-based features that allow them to manage users in common groups. And administrative tasks have been segmented so the Help Desk can handle simpler tasks and lighten the administrator’s workload.
We will be talking about new technologies that will simplify the process of upgrading handheld operating system software. Our goal is to offer our customers more options. We’ll be demonstrating how to push out the software to groups of devices from start to finish. Really exciting stuff!
BC: Why does one of your presentations focus on Instant Messaging and BlackBerry?
SK: We just announced a whole new messaging platform that allows enterprise instant messaging (IM) services on BlackBerry. We’ve seen a pent up demand for IM in the business community. A whole group of companies see the mobility of messaging as a business requirement. [see the February BlackBerry Connection for an overview]
My presentation will outline which IM services are available in the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution – both now and in the future. We have our own product called BlackBerry Messenger. But we’re also supporting Windows Messenger, IBM Lotus Sametime and Google Talk™. And we’ll demo IM in action.
BC: Will you be previewing any other new and exciting technologies?
SK: In the session called BlackBerry Enterprise Server Roadmap, we’re talking about what’s coming in our next major release. People will get a sense of how this version focuses on high availability for a new level of built-in systems redundancy. They’ll also hear about the new monitoring features that offer early warnings about errors.
There will also be a sneak peak at technologies designed to enhance BlackBerry’s ability to connect with enterprise applications.
BC: Thanks, Steve.
This year’s Wireless Enterprise Symposium offers four tracks with a range of expert presentations including:
- Research In Motion technical gurus explain the advantages of BlackBerry MDS Studio™ and custom application building;
- Customers and wireless vendors get together to talk strategy around business cases, WLAN and mobilizing field force and sales force applications;
- Industry analysts join panels on the latest trends in convergence and the wireless landscape. Hear commentary based on the latest research from IDC, Ovum, Forrester, Venture Development Corporation, Yankee Group and Strategy Analytics.
On May 16-18, WES 2006 will happen at one of Orlando’s most upscale conference sites: the Gaylord Palms Resort & Conference Center. Take advantage of early bird pricing until March 31 and receive $200 off your registration. You could also be eligible for another $100 off, if you attended either WES 2005 or the 2005 Connect Experts Seminar Series.
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BlackBerry Enterprise Server v4.1 and BlackBerry Enterprise Server - Small Business Edition v4.1 for Microsoft Exchange and IBM Lotus Domino are now available.
The latest versions of BlackBerry Enterprise Server build upon the manageability and power of BlackBerry as a platform for wireless communications and mobile access to corporate data.
What’s New?
BlackBerry Enterprise Server v4.1 adds powerful new functionality for administrators, users and developers, including:
- Group-based administration – enables properties and tasks such as IT policies, email filters, MDS access controls, application pushes, synchronization settings, auto signatures and software configurations to be easily applied to groups of users
- Support for multiple administrator roles from "help desk" to "full administrator"
- Enterprise Instant Messaging
- PIN to PIN and SMS message audit logs
- the ability to easily create BlackBerry client applications using the new BlackBerry MDS Studio visual development tool
- And more...
Why Upgrade?
Ready to Purchase
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Contact your preferred carrier or retailer for availability. |
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Order Online from RIM (US and Canada only) or call 1-800-327-9085. |
Free Trial
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 Manage Your Finances
Gaming Challenge Winners
Accessories
Track your Personal Finances with Ascendo Money
It’s tax time. Get your personal finances in order with Ascendo Money! Now for 10% off.
Are you looking for a good way to track your personal finances while on the go? Ascendo Money provides the most comprehensive and customizable personal finance manager for Blackberry devices. Ascendo Money makes it easy to create and manage an unlimited amount of accounts such as checking, credit cards, savings and loans. Get your financial life in order with Ascendo Money.
For a limited time you can get Ascendo Money for 10% off the regular price of $14.95 - just use promotion code FB6694C5 at checkout. Click here.
 Stock Ticker by Skava (6-month subscription)
A stunning stock market ticker! The most active stocks in the major exchanges scroll by with up-to-the-minute news and commentary, plus get quotes and news on your favorite stocks. The must-have mobile stock ticker application.
- Save 15% off the regular price of $24.99US if you purchase before April 30, 2006. Just enter promotion code 8A5534 at checkout. Valid once per person and only at Handango.
 QuoteStream Wireless by QuoteMedia (3-month subscription)
The world's most comprehensive streaming financial application for the BlackBerry. Complete with streaming portfolios, detailed stock quotes, charts, corporate news, price and volume alerts, an amazing desktop companion and more!
- Save 15% off the regular price of $29.97US if you purchase before April 30, 2006. Just enter promotion code 8A5534 at checkout. Valid once per person and only at Handango.
Essential Mobile Software
Get essential mobile software for BlackBerry devices, including games and productivity tools. Whether it's for work or for play, find just the right thing at the Software Store for BlackBerry, Powered by Handango: www.handango.com/blackberry.
For more applications and service offerings brought to you by BlackBerry Alliance Members, check the BlackBerry Partner Directory.
Winners of the First Ever BlackBerry Developer Gaming Challenge
In the fall we issued a challenge to developers: create a new game specifically for BlackBerry devices.
From the great entries received, our panel of experts selected the following winners, based on criteria including originality, quality of graphics and ease of play.
 Grand Prize Winner: Next by Mobigloo.
A sophisticated puzzle game, Next combines a simple interface with 64 challenging levels of puzzles. And it can be played entirely using the BlackBerry trackwheel. Instructions are built right in and it works on all BlackBerry devices. Regularly only $9.95. Save 15% off until April 30th with promo code "2B35795"
 Second Place: The Deviled EggBowl by Virtual Views.
A clever twist on bowling, The Deviled EggBowl features fun graphics and an easy to play setup that can be picked up at any time for a few frames of bowling. Regularly only $9.95. Save 15% off until April 30th with promo code "2B35795"
 Third Place: Bubbletris by Lightplay Studios.
Similar to Tetris, Bubbletris is a puzzle style game that requires you to match rising objects of the same color in order to clear the board. It features rich graphics of an undersea world and allows users to play using the keyboard or track wheel. Regularly only $9.95. Save 15% off until April 30th with promo code "2B35795"
All of these games are now available for you to enjoy on your BlackBerry device. All you have to do is pay a one-time fee to download the winning games from Handango’s software store for BlackBerry – and until April 30, 2006, you save 15% by entering code 2B35795 at checkout. Start playing today!
Accessorize Your Device
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Leather Swivel Holster
This leather swivel holster allows you to move around quickly between the boardroom, airport, office and home with your BlackBerry at hand. Only $26.99US as shown. |
Leather Pouch
Protect your device against everyday wear and tear with this stylish pouch. Only $26.99US as shown. |
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Spring 2006 Courses:
- Enterprise Server Software v4.0 Advanced Administration--for Microsoft Exchange, for IBM Lotus Domino and now for Novell GroupWise
- Using your Blackberry Device
- Introduction to Blackberry Desktop Software v4.1
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For IT Administrators:
Want to get the most from your BlackBerry Enterprise Solution? Consider one of the BlackBerry Training™ courses being offered in spring 2006, designed by the makers of BlackBerry.
Expand Your Knowledge With Instructor-led Administrative Courses
Now available in cities in the UK, Canada and the US: Instructor–led advanced administration courses for BlackBerry Enterprise Server software v4.0.
View course dates, locations and register for BlackBerry Enterprise Server software v4.0 for Microsoft Exchange Advanced Administration, for IBM Lotus Domino Advanced Administration, and now for Novell GroupWise.
Coming Soon: Even More Instructor-led Courses
BlackBerry Training is creating a new course: Developing BlackBerry MDS Studio Applications, which will be available in the near future. Contact learning@blackberry.net for more information.
For Individuals:
Learn the Basics and More
Discover how to use your BlackBerry device and desktop software more effectively – in just 30 minutes – with two new hands-on, interactive online courses: Using Your BlackBerry Device and Introduction to BlackBerry Desktop Software v4.1. Cost per course: US $30*
Save time and increase your productivity by discovering how to:
- Use phone, calendar and address book features
- Customize your device
- Perform better searches
- Use keyboard shortcuts
- Use Bluetooth® to connect to hands-free car kits or wireless headsets
* Only available to residents of the U.S. and Canada.
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Many industry pundits have predicted that 2006 is going to be the year when mobile customer relationship management (CRM) takes off, particularly when it comes to the critical areas of sales force automation and field service. This edition of BlackBerry Connection™ takes you inside this important technological trend, demonstrating how you can use BlackBerry® to your advantage to funnel information about your customers to your front line points of contact. 
