PeopleSoft Acquires Calico Assets
PeopleSoft Inc. , the Pleasanton, Calif.-based ASP, today announced the purchase of certain assets and the intellectual property and of San Jose, Calif.-based Calico Commerce Inc., so that it can offer a comprehensive product configuration solution for both the sales and manufacturing processes.
PeopleSoft says the new interactive selling solution is being designed so that users will be able to create real-time product configurations through an interactive process of needs analysis, recommendation, configuration, pricing, and quoting.
In addition, PeopleSoft will combine Calico's scalable product configurator with its own Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Supply Chain Management solutions.
The firm argues that in combining these solutions, customers will be able to reduce costs when designing and maintaining complex product configurations within an integrated, enterprise applications environment.
Streamlining these configuration issues are expected to be an important benefit for industries such as communications, healthcare and high-tech manufacturing, where configurations for equipment and services are often complex.
“The solution will offer customers unmatched convenience, choice, and value,” says Ram Gupta, executive vice president, products and technology for PeopleSoft.
“Controlling the key elements of the product configuration process through all phases of the customer lifecycle will improve order accuracy and shorten the sales cycle.”
In December, 2001, Calico Commerce filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and announced the sale of its assets to PeopleSoft for $5 million in cash as part of the deal.
