Neuroweb Forms e-CRM Alliance With ATG
Malaysian e-business solutions provider Neuroweb Sdn. Bhd. has formed a partnership with Art Technology Group (ATG) to be the customer management products and services provider's first solution partner in Malaysia.
Neuroweb will use the ATG Dynamo J2EE-certified application platform and Java-based application technology to develop products for the Malaysian e-CRM market. Al-Ishsal Ishak, Neuroweb's president and chief executive officer, said ATG's Dynamo eCRM solution differentiates itself in terms of critical business considerations of time to market, return on investment, and an open, scalable future-proof platform.
“And probably most important of all, ATG's Dynamo is the first and only customer management platform that utilizes e-business scenarios for strategic relationship management,” he said.
Al-Ishsal told asia.internet.com he is confident there is a demand for e-CRM solutions despite the economy's slowdown. “It is during a slowdown that a corporation with the right perspective and reserves can enhance its industry leadership by investing time to strengthen their business and resources in technologies that can give them the push forward ahead of competitors,” he said.
He cited statistics from a study by Frost & Sullivan that indicated that Malaysian companies spent RM25 million (US$6.6 million) on CRM software last year. He added that the study predicted growth of the CRM software market will hit 154 percent in 2001, indicating that this year would represent a major adoption phase.
Al-Ishsal noted that CRM, or its ‘e' sibling, is not merely a technology drive; that in fact, technology is merely an enabler in any CRM implementation. The most effective CRM adoption is one driven by a corporation's leadership team from a business perspective, beginning with customer analysis and ending in operational improvements to serve those customers better, he added.
The ATG e-CRM solution is expected to generate up to 45 percent of Neuroweb's revenue this year, but the Malaysian chief executive stressed that his company will maintain its value proposition as an e-business consulting and services company. Al-Ishsal also believes that Neuroweb's end-to-end outsourcing model and capabilities are a definite edge over competitors.
Neuroweb has a strategic alliance with Hong Kong-based NetCel360 Holdings Ltd. on end-to-end outsourcing. Netcel360 had purchased a 16.7 percent stake in Neuroweb in June last year. At the same time, NetCel360 has recently announced its acquisition by Vsource, Inc., a provider of outsourced private exchange and marketplace solutions.
According to Al-Ishsal, Neuroweb has been in active engagements with eight major corporations pertaining to their e-business transformation and CRM initiatives. The MSC-status (Multimedia Super Corridor-status) company expects to break even this year.
