When searching the Web, bot is short for robot. It is a program that can be directed to automatically find information on the Internet. Bots are able to sort through large amounts of data and decipher the relevant information. A bot searches the Net in the same way a person does when he (or she) uses a Web browser like Internet Explorer or Netscape. But instead of a person directing a Web browser to go to certain pages, code directs a bot. A bot is programmed to go to different websites then follow the links on those sites. It can be instructed to make decisions about where to go next based on the information the bot finds at each site.
Is a bot the same thing as a spider? A bot is synonymous with spider, crawler and agent.
This sounds a lot like a search engine, what’s the difference? A bot is an essential component of a search engine. When a user enters a word or phrase into the little box of a search engine, like Google, the search engine makes a query, which means it searches an index. The index that the search engine searches is created in part by a bot.
The search engine gives the bot specific instructions to bring back information. The information is then put into an index that the search engine looks at in order to locate the user’s request.
So, the search engine tells a bot what to look for, and then with that information it makes an index. When I put the word “apricot” into the search engine, it searches the index that a bot helped create, and brings me back the relevant information.
Can a bot help me? It depends on what kind of help you want. When looking for general information a bot can help you indirectly by working as part of a search engine. Bot programs can be downloaded (in some cases for free), but the list of information they return with isn't useful to the average user.
What about a shopbot? A shopbot can be a useful tool for someone shopping on the Web because they can search the Web for the best prices on products. Shopbots can also compare features and different merchants.
For example, I’ve been thinking about buying a keyboard for my palm pilot. They cost about $100 in retail stores, but I think I can find a better deal so I turn to a shopbot like shopbot.com. At their website I enter “palm V handheld keyboard” and the shopbot brings back a list of keyboards and related items. I find that LandWare makes a keyboard for about $70. But it doesn’t look like it’s the style I want. So I check Buy.com, which is selling the one I am interested in—for a bargain price of about $90.
Can a website block bots? Yes, and some do, but most websites have directions for bots when they come to their sites. They tell them what parts of the site they should go to and where they can’t go.
Can bots be a nuisance? If a bot is badly designed then it can clog the servers of the websites it visits and slow down the sites. This is rare, however, and in most cases bots do not cause problems.
Are bots used in the wireless world? Bots are set to play a significant role in the wireless world. Imagine finding what you want in a store and then having the capability to find it cheaper on the Web while still standing in the store. Will the store match the price? Or will you choose to have the item shipped to your house? Right now the technology to do this isn’t that simple (you could have problems getting a wireless signal, or it could take forever to find the relevant information), but the future is full of potential.
Monday, June 26, 2006
What is Telematics?
What is telematics? Telematics is often considered a cross between communications and computer systems. For automobiles a telematics system consists of putting a computer, a wireless connection to either an operator or data services like the Internet and a global positioning system (GPS) into a car.
Telematics is also being considered for monitoring purposes, but is rarely referred to in any context beside automobiles.
What is it used for? Telematics is used for monitoring, safety and convenience. A telematics system can notify an operator when the “check engine” light goes on or when an airbag deploys. When a safety measure is detected in the car, an operator calls the car to make sure the passengers are okay—and if they aren’t then the operator sends helps. Global positioning systems (GPS) tell the operator where to send the police and ambulance.
If you lock yourself out of the car then a telematics system can unlock it for you, and if your car is stolen the system can locate it for you. A Lexus can even call you if your car alarm goes off.
Automobile telematics systems have the potential offer several services. A concierge system is a possibility. So is voice-delivered Web access. As of right now, however, most only offer safety and navigational help.
Who is using in car telematics? Only about one million people right now, but that number is expected to grow. By 2006 more than 50 percent of all cars produced in North America will be capable of telematics, and 90 percent of all luxury cars will offer services, says the Strategis Group. Revenues are expected to reach $9.4 billion in North America by 2006.
OnStar, from General Motors, is the most widely used telematics system. It delivers safety and roadside assistance services. Telematics systems can also found in cars like BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus. In the future, telematics may be in less expensive cars. Ford has teamed up with Qualcomm to put a new system called WingCast in certain 2002 models, and a company called Clarion also offers systems.
How much do these systems cost? Some systems come with more expensive cars (like the 7 series BMW), other services cost between $15 and $20 a month. The more features, the higher the cost.
What is P2P Computing?
In typical client/server computing, servers control the flow of data and information into and out of client computers. Essentially, the server runs the show. With peer-to-peer (P2P) computing, the server is removed from the equation, allowing computers—and more specifically, their users—to share files and other data directly, without going through a central server.
How does peer-to-peer computing work?The P2P model creates the effect of communal living. Imagine a group of thirtysomethings with common ideas about living together and sharing certain belongings. They have one cabinet where they put everything they're willing to share—clothes, CDs, food—but they can also have a locked cabinet where they store private belongings—diaries, savings bonds, photos. P2P works the same way. By downloading various types of software onto a hard drive, you can connect to a network of other users who have downloaded the same software. You specify which information on your hard drive you want to make public, and you can access what others have made public. So if you're looking for a photo of some special Olympic moment, and it's available on any of the hard drives of the connected computers, it's all yours.
Wait. Are you talking about Napster?Not necessarily. For some, P2P has become synonymous with Napster, the site that let music fans download software to locate and share music files from the hard drives of other members. (The problem, of course, with sharing free music files is that the people who create the music aren't being compensated. That's why the recording industry took Napster to court.) According to purists, Napster doesn't fit in the P2P category because it keeps a central database of users. Ultimately, the attention that the site has garnered may have hurt the P2P community.
What will P2P mean to my business?Most likely, you now send files to other people using clunky e-mail attachments that are dependent on a central server and can be intercepted. P2P allows people to share files independently, without going through servers. E-commerce could benefit as well—think of a Napsterlike service that charges members. And if members of B2B exchanges could use P2P to cut out the middlemen that serve them, such exchanges could become a whole lot more profitable for buyers and sellers.
What are we waiting for? Let's go.Not so fast. Dozens of startups are offering P2P software, but the market is still brand-new, and shake-ups are inevitable. P2P has yet to make friends with most IT departments, because when users' workstations start doing the work of servers, technology people—accustomed to being responsible for what information people have and how they pass it along—start worrying about bandwidth and security. Take away that control, and you invite upheaval. So while it may have a long way to go, P2P's potential is hard to argue. After all, you may recall the last such idea created under the rubric "sharing and connecting." It was called the World Wide Web.
How does peer-to-peer computing work?The P2P model creates the effect of communal living. Imagine a group of thirtysomethings with common ideas about living together and sharing certain belongings. They have one cabinet where they put everything they're willing to share—clothes, CDs, food—but they can also have a locked cabinet where they store private belongings—diaries, savings bonds, photos. P2P works the same way. By downloading various types of software onto a hard drive, you can connect to a network of other users who have downloaded the same software. You specify which information on your hard drive you want to make public, and you can access what others have made public. So if you're looking for a photo of some special Olympic moment, and it's available on any of the hard drives of the connected computers, it's all yours.
Wait. Are you talking about Napster?Not necessarily. For some, P2P has become synonymous with Napster, the site that let music fans download software to locate and share music files from the hard drives of other members. (The problem, of course, with sharing free music files is that the people who create the music aren't being compensated. That's why the recording industry took Napster to court.) According to purists, Napster doesn't fit in the P2P category because it keeps a central database of users. Ultimately, the attention that the site has garnered may have hurt the P2P community.
What will P2P mean to my business?Most likely, you now send files to other people using clunky e-mail attachments that are dependent on a central server and can be intercepted. P2P allows people to share files independently, without going through servers. E-commerce could benefit as well—think of a Napsterlike service that charges members. And if members of B2B exchanges could use P2P to cut out the middlemen that serve them, such exchanges could become a whole lot more profitable for buyers and sellers.
What are we waiting for? Let's go.Not so fast. Dozens of startups are offering P2P software, but the market is still brand-new, and shake-ups are inevitable. P2P has yet to make friends with most IT departments, because when users' workstations start doing the work of servers, technology people—accustomed to being responsible for what information people have and how they pass it along—start worrying about bandwidth and security. Take away that control, and you invite upheaval. So while it may have a long way to go, P2P's potential is hard to argue. After all, you may recall the last such idea created under the rubric "sharing and connecting." It was called the World Wide Web.
What is 3G Technology?
What is 3G wireless?
3G wireless networks are capable of transferring data at speeds of up to 384Kbps. Average speeds for 3G networks will range between 64Kbps and 384Kbps, quite a jump when compared to common wireless data speeds in the U.S. that are often slower than a 14.4Kb modem. 3G is considered high-speed or broadband mobile Internet access, and in the future 3G networks are expected to reach speeds of more than 2Mbps.
3G technologies are turning phones and other devices into multmedia players, making it possible to download music and video clips. The new service is called the freedom of mobile multimedia access (FOMA), and it uses wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA) technology to transfer data over its networks. W-CDMA sends data in a digital format over a range of frequencies, which makes the data move faster, but also uses more bandwidth than digital voice services. W-CDMA is not the only 3G technology; competing technologies include CDMAOne, which differs technically, but should provide similar services.
FOMA services are available in a 20-mile radius around the center of Tokyo, the company plans to introduce it to other Japanese cities by the end of the year. But services and phones are expensive and uptake of this market is expected to be slow.
What is 2.5G? When the wireless industry realized that it was going to be costly and technologically challenging to upgrade to 3G networks, an interim stage emerged called 2.5G. These networks transfer data at speeds of up to 114Kbps, which is faster than traditional digital (2G) networks. They are always on. A phone with 2.5G services can alternate between using the Net, sending or receiving text messages, and making phone calls without losing its connection.
While Japan has had 2.5G services for more than a year and Europe also has had 2.5G services, the U.S. is just beginning to make these same services available. Seattle was the first U.S. city to acquire 2.5G services (it happened in July 2001). Wireless carriers are working on expanding those services to more cities in 2001. The dominant 2.5G technology is general packet radio service (GPRS), which is always on and gives users a connection to the Internet and e-mail.
Why is the U.S. so far behind the rest of the world? The U.S. lags behind the rest of the world when it comes to wireless technologies for a number of reasons. The telecommunications infrastructure in the U.S. is more developed than many European and Asian countries. As a result, the demand for wireless devices has been lower in the U.S because consumers have other low-cost options.
Also, the U.S. has a number of competing technical standards for digital services, while European and Asian countries are predominately centered around one group of standards in the global systems for mobile communication (GSM) family.
3G wireless services also require additional bandwidth (compared to 2G services), but many U.S. wireless companies do not have licenses for enough airwaves to provide such services
3G wireless networks are capable of transferring data at speeds of up to 384Kbps. Average speeds for 3G networks will range between 64Kbps and 384Kbps, quite a jump when compared to common wireless data speeds in the U.S. that are often slower than a 14.4Kb modem. 3G is considered high-speed or broadband mobile Internet access, and in the future 3G networks are expected to reach speeds of more than 2Mbps.
3G technologies are turning phones and other devices into multmedia players, making it possible to download music and video clips. The new service is called the freedom of mobile multimedia access (FOMA), and it uses wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA) technology to transfer data over its networks. W-CDMA sends data in a digital format over a range of frequencies, which makes the data move faster, but also uses more bandwidth than digital voice services. W-CDMA is not the only 3G technology; competing technologies include CDMAOne, which differs technically, but should provide similar services.
FOMA services are available in a 20-mile radius around the center of Tokyo, the company plans to introduce it to other Japanese cities by the end of the year. But services and phones are expensive and uptake of this market is expected to be slow.
What is 2.5G? When the wireless industry realized that it was going to be costly and technologically challenging to upgrade to 3G networks, an interim stage emerged called 2.5G. These networks transfer data at speeds of up to 114Kbps, which is faster than traditional digital (2G) networks. They are always on. A phone with 2.5G services can alternate between using the Net, sending or receiving text messages, and making phone calls without losing its connection.
While Japan has had 2.5G services for more than a year and Europe also has had 2.5G services, the U.S. is just beginning to make these same services available. Seattle was the first U.S. city to acquire 2.5G services (it happened in July 2001). Wireless carriers are working on expanding those services to more cities in 2001. The dominant 2.5G technology is general packet radio service (GPRS), which is always on and gives users a connection to the Internet and e-mail.
Why is the U.S. so far behind the rest of the world? The U.S. lags behind the rest of the world when it comes to wireless technologies for a number of reasons. The telecommunications infrastructure in the U.S. is more developed than many European and Asian countries. As a result, the demand for wireless devices has been lower in the U.S because consumers have other low-cost options.
Also, the U.S. has a number of competing technical standards for digital services, while European and Asian countries are predominately centered around one group of standards in the global systems for mobile communication (GSM) family.
3G wireless services also require additional bandwidth (compared to 2G services), but many U.S. wireless companies do not have licenses for enough airwaves to provide such services
What is EDI? electronic data interchange (EDI)
EDI refers to the electronic exchange of business information between two companies using a specific and structured format. The concept has been around since the 1970s and has traditionally been used to automate buyer-seller transactions such as invoices and purchase orders. But as more processes within a company become automated, EDI has expanded to areas such as inventory management and product distribution.
How does it work? EDI relies on standards, or common methods of defining classes of business data, which allow computers to recognize what data belongs to what department in a company. In the early days of EDI, many companies built in-house EDI standards, but as interest grew, industries started to agree on common standards, administered by standards organizations. These standards, which allow computers in different organizations to share information over privately built, closed networks known as value-added networks, led to the use of EDI for corporate purchasing.
What are the benefits? Consider a very simple non-EDI-based purchase: A buyer decides he needs 365 ballpeen hammers. He creates a purchase order, prints it out and pops it in the mail. When the supplier gets the order, she types it into her company's computer system. The inventory guy pulls the order and ships out the hammers. Next, the supplier prints out and mails an invoice. It's not hard to imagine that this process could take several days. EDI has the potential to cut massive amounts of time out of the process. Sending documents, such as purchase orders or invoices, electronically takes minutes, not days, and shipments can often go out the day the order comes in. Moreover, the electronic format does not need to be rekeyed upon arrival, which also eliminates the possibility of typos. And EDI reduces costs by cutting down on data input, routing and delivery.
What does all of this have to do with the Internet? Building an EDI system has traditionally required a substantial investment in some heavy-duty computers and networking equipment for both parties. Sometimes a large buyer, such as Wal-Mart, will require that all its suppliers be EDI-compliant. That puts a burden on smaller suppliers, forcing them to choose between a heavy technical investment or a loss of business. And EDI isn't instantaneous. Because it uses information that frequently resides in mainframes, the quality of information on an EDI network depends on how frequently the data is refreshed from the mainframe.
And that's the promise of the Web, which offers much lower connectivity costs. That, added to the lower costs of PCs and simpler software, makes EDI over the Web a compelling proposition. Moreover, XML, an open standard for sharing data on the Web, is starting to appear as a method of coding EDI standards, which could provide technical clarity across industries.
How does it work? EDI relies on standards, or common methods of defining classes of business data, which allow computers to recognize what data belongs to what department in a company. In the early days of EDI, many companies built in-house EDI standards, but as interest grew, industries started to agree on common standards, administered by standards organizations. These standards, which allow computers in different organizations to share information over privately built, closed networks known as value-added networks, led to the use of EDI for corporate purchasing.
What are the benefits? Consider a very simple non-EDI-based purchase: A buyer decides he needs 365 ballpeen hammers. He creates a purchase order, prints it out and pops it in the mail. When the supplier gets the order, she types it into her company's computer system. The inventory guy pulls the order and ships out the hammers. Next, the supplier prints out and mails an invoice. It's not hard to imagine that this process could take several days. EDI has the potential to cut massive amounts of time out of the process. Sending documents, such as purchase orders or invoices, electronically takes minutes, not days, and shipments can often go out the day the order comes in. Moreover, the electronic format does not need to be rekeyed upon arrival, which also eliminates the possibility of typos. And EDI reduces costs by cutting down on data input, routing and delivery.
What does all of this have to do with the Internet? Building an EDI system has traditionally required a substantial investment in some heavy-duty computers and networking equipment for both parties. Sometimes a large buyer, such as Wal-Mart, will require that all its suppliers be EDI-compliant. That puts a burden on smaller suppliers, forcing them to choose between a heavy technical investment or a loss of business. And EDI isn't instantaneous. Because it uses information that frequently resides in mainframes, the quality of information on an EDI network depends on how frequently the data is refreshed from the mainframe.
And that's the promise of the Web, which offers much lower connectivity costs. That, added to the lower costs of PCs and simpler software, makes EDI over the Web a compelling proposition. Moreover, XML, an open standard for sharing data on the Web, is starting to appear as a method of coding EDI standards, which could provide technical clarity across industries.
What is KM (Knowledge Management)?
A knowledge-based company builds its competitive strategy on the processing of intangible, often invisible nuggets of information that cannot always be quantified or recorded. Such knowledge may include information about competitors or the understanding of a crucial market segment. It also encompasses the expertise of individual employees that, when mined, can increase a company's competitive advantage. Are information and knowledge different? Yes. Information is data: hard numbers about a company's profits, losses or budgets; the phone number of someone at a competing company who can be coerced out of some secrets. Take that information and season it with context and understanding, and you get knowledge. Put that knowledge where other people can get to it, like in groupware—specialized software, such as Lotus Notes, that supports communication among groups—and you are now managing the knowledge.
Where does knowledge reside in my company?That's what makes KM such a difficult concept to put into practice. Knowledge is ubiquitous. While information can live inside myriad databases, true knowledge is more likely to lie hidden and undervalued in the minds of individual employees. And it may dwell in the relationships your colleagues have with people at other companies.
Aren't people reluctant to give up their knowledge? Yes, and that's one of the trickiest parts of knowledge management. Before you can manage knowledge, you have to get it out of people's brains and into a central repository. And that's not easy to do if people have proprietary feelings about what they know. After all, knowledge is power, and the impulse to hoard rather than share is strong. Real KM—getting, refining and sharing information across the business—requires enormous organizational change. Only companies willing to remake their cultures around the value of sharing knowledge and insight will see the benefits.
How do I know I'm doing it right?Quantifying a return on KM is hard to do definitively. Though a slew of companies are coming to market with software to help you try, it's still hard to put exact numbers on information organization. If careful attention to your intellectual assets has allowed you to abort a costly project before it failed, for example, you can count what you saved by not pursuing the project as KM ROI. And if there were a way to measure what you're losing by not undertaking knowledge management, then that would count as ROI, too. Companies that fail to exploit their knowledge tend to stumble on ideas and decisions with a haphazard approach rather than through a carefully organized method that takes full advantage of all available information. But happenstance is no longer enough. It's not what you have that's important; it's whether you can find it, and then what you do with it.
Where does knowledge reside in my company?That's what makes KM such a difficult concept to put into practice. Knowledge is ubiquitous. While information can live inside myriad databases, true knowledge is more likely to lie hidden and undervalued in the minds of individual employees. And it may dwell in the relationships your colleagues have with people at other companies.
Aren't people reluctant to give up their knowledge? Yes, and that's one of the trickiest parts of knowledge management. Before you can manage knowledge, you have to get it out of people's brains and into a central repository. And that's not easy to do if people have proprietary feelings about what they know. After all, knowledge is power, and the impulse to hoard rather than share is strong. Real KM—getting, refining and sharing information across the business—requires enormous organizational change. Only companies willing to remake their cultures around the value of sharing knowledge and insight will see the benefits.
How do I know I'm doing it right?Quantifying a return on KM is hard to do definitively. Though a slew of companies are coming to market with software to help you try, it's still hard to put exact numbers on information organization. If careful attention to your intellectual assets has allowed you to abort a costly project before it failed, for example, you can count what you saved by not pursuing the project as KM ROI. And if there were a way to measure what you're losing by not undertaking knowledge management, then that would count as ROI, too. Companies that fail to exploit their knowledge tend to stumble on ideas and decisions with a haphazard approach rather than through a carefully organized method that takes full advantage of all available information. But happenstance is no longer enough. It's not what you have that's important; it's whether you can find it, and then what you do with it.
What is CRM?
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management.
It is a strategy used to learn more about customers' needs and behaviors in order to develop stronger relationships with them. After all, good customer relationships are at the heart of business success. There are many technological components to CRM, but thinking about CRM in primarily technological terms is a mistake. The more useful way to think about CRM is as a process that will help bring together lots of pieces of information about customers, sales, marketing effectiveness, responsiveness and market trends.
What is the goal of CRM?
The idea of CRM is that it helps businesses use technology and human resources to gain insight into the behavior of customers and the value of those customers. If it works as hoped, a business can:
provide better customer service make call centers more efficient cross sell products more effectively help sales staff close deals faster simplify marketing and sales processes discover new customers increase customer revenuesThat sounds rosy.
How does it happen?
It doesn't happen by simply buying software and installing it. For CRM to be truly effective, an organization must first decide what kind of customer information it is looking for and it must decide what it intends to do with that information. For example, many financial institutions keep track of customers' life stages in order to market appropriate banking products like mortgages or IRAs to them at the right time.
Next, the organization must look into all of the different ways information about customers comes into a business, where and how this data is stored and how it is currently used. One company, for instance, may interact with customers in a myriad of different ways, including mail campaigns, websites, brick-and-mortar stores, call centers, mobile sales force staff and marketing and advertising efforts. Solid CRM systems link up each of these points. This collected data flows between operational systems (like sales and inventory systems) and analytical systems that can help sort through these records for patterns. Company analysts can then comb through the data to obtain a holistic view of each customer and pinpoint areas where better services are needed. For example, if someone has a mortgage, a business loan, an IRA and a large commercial checking account with one bank, it behooves the bank to treat this person well each time it has any contact with him or her.
Are there any indications of the need for a CRM project?
Not really. But one way to assess the need for a CRM project is to count the channels a customer can use to access the company. The more channels you have, the greater need there is for the type of single centralized customer view a CRM system can provide.
What are the keys to successful CRM implentation?
Break your CRM project down into manageable pieces by setting up pilot programs and short-term milestones. Start with a pilot project that incorporates all the necessary departments and groups. Make sure it gets projects rolling quickly but is small enough and flexible enough to allow tinkering along the way. Make sure your CRM plans include a scalable architecture framework. Don't underestimate how much data you might collect (there will be LOTS) and make sure that if you need to expand systems you'll be able to. Be thoughtful about what data is collected and stored. The impulse will be to grab and then store EVERY piece of data you can, but there is often no reason to store data. Storing useless data wastes time and money.
Recognize the individuality of customers and respond appropriately. A CRM system should, for example, have built-in pricing flexibility.
What causes CRM projects to fail?
Many things. From the beginning, lack of a communication between everyone in the customer relationship chain can lead to an incomplete picture of the customer. Poor communication can lead to technology being implemented without proper support or buy-in from users. For example, if the sales force isn't completely sold on the system's benefits, they may not input the kind of demographic data that is essential to the program's success. One Fortune 500 company is on its fourth try at a CRM implementation, primarily because its sale force resisted all the previous efforts to share customer data.
It is a strategy used to learn more about customers' needs and behaviors in order to develop stronger relationships with them. After all, good customer relationships are at the heart of business success. There are many technological components to CRM, but thinking about CRM in primarily technological terms is a mistake. The more useful way to think about CRM is as a process that will help bring together lots of pieces of information about customers, sales, marketing effectiveness, responsiveness and market trends.
What is the goal of CRM?
The idea of CRM is that it helps businesses use technology and human resources to gain insight into the behavior of customers and the value of those customers. If it works as hoped, a business can:
provide better customer service make call centers more efficient cross sell products more effectively help sales staff close deals faster simplify marketing and sales processes discover new customers increase customer revenuesThat sounds rosy.
How does it happen?
It doesn't happen by simply buying software and installing it. For CRM to be truly effective, an organization must first decide what kind of customer information it is looking for and it must decide what it intends to do with that information. For example, many financial institutions keep track of customers' life stages in order to market appropriate banking products like mortgages or IRAs to them at the right time.
Next, the organization must look into all of the different ways information about customers comes into a business, where and how this data is stored and how it is currently used. One company, for instance, may interact with customers in a myriad of different ways, including mail campaigns, websites, brick-and-mortar stores, call centers, mobile sales force staff and marketing and advertising efforts. Solid CRM systems link up each of these points. This collected data flows between operational systems (like sales and inventory systems) and analytical systems that can help sort through these records for patterns. Company analysts can then comb through the data to obtain a holistic view of each customer and pinpoint areas where better services are needed. For example, if someone has a mortgage, a business loan, an IRA and a large commercial checking account with one bank, it behooves the bank to treat this person well each time it has any contact with him or her.
Are there any indications of the need for a CRM project?
Not really. But one way to assess the need for a CRM project is to count the channels a customer can use to access the company. The more channels you have, the greater need there is for the type of single centralized customer view a CRM system can provide.
What are the keys to successful CRM implentation?
Break your CRM project down into manageable pieces by setting up pilot programs and short-term milestones. Start with a pilot project that incorporates all the necessary departments and groups. Make sure it gets projects rolling quickly but is small enough and flexible enough to allow tinkering along the way. Make sure your CRM plans include a scalable architecture framework. Don't underestimate how much data you might collect (there will be LOTS) and make sure that if you need to expand systems you'll be able to. Be thoughtful about what data is collected and stored. The impulse will be to grab and then store EVERY piece of data you can, but there is often no reason to store data. Storing useless data wastes time and money.
Recognize the individuality of customers and respond appropriately. A CRM system should, for example, have built-in pricing flexibility.
What causes CRM projects to fail?
Many things. From the beginning, lack of a communication between everyone in the customer relationship chain can lead to an incomplete picture of the customer. Poor communication can lead to technology being implemented without proper support or buy-in from users. For example, if the sales force isn't completely sold on the system's benefits, they may not input the kind of demographic data that is essential to the program's success. One Fortune 500 company is on its fourth try at a CRM implementation, primarily because its sale force resisted all the previous efforts to share customer data.
What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is a technology that connects electronic devices—from camcorders to PDAs to computers—without using wires. Consumers began to see Bluetooth in action when Toshiba starting selling a Bluetooth-enabled PC card over their website in September 2000 for $199. Other vendors plan to follow with devices ranging from PDAs to mobile phones.
A Bluetooth device uses radio signals to send information from one Bluetooth device to another through the air. For example, if you are trying to transfer a PC's address book to a PDA, first the data in an address book is translated into a language that the PDA can understand by a conduit. The data goes through the conduit to the Bluetooth device. The Bluetooth device is made up of a base-band processor, a radio, and an antenna. The base-band processor transfers the data into signals that the radio can understand, and the radio puts out signals in a frequency (2.4 gigahertz) that the antenna transmits through the air to another antenna on another Bluetooth device within 30-feet. The other device receives the data and processes it in the reverse order.
Bluetooth is supported by a Special Interest Group (SIG), which was founded in 1998 and has approximately 2,000 members, all of whom have access to Bluetooth specifications (the information needed to make a Bluetooth product). The SIG includes IBM, Intel, Microsoft and Nokia, and works to develop and promote the Bluetooth technology.
But Bluetooth, like many new technologies, may not be an instant hit. There are still plenty of questions about the ability of these devices to speak the same language. So while devices produced by the same company could communicate with each other easily, integration may be difficult when multiple vendors are involved. And while consultants at Forrester Research expect Bluetooth's popularity to grow, the firm said in a brief that many businesses won't buy in, "until user pressure forces them to in 2003."
A Bluetooth device uses radio signals to send information from one Bluetooth device to another through the air. For example, if you are trying to transfer a PC's address book to a PDA, first the data in an address book is translated into a language that the PDA can understand by a conduit. The data goes through the conduit to the Bluetooth device. The Bluetooth device is made up of a base-band processor, a radio, and an antenna. The base-band processor transfers the data into signals that the radio can understand, and the radio puts out signals in a frequency (2.4 gigahertz) that the antenna transmits through the air to another antenna on another Bluetooth device within 30-feet. The other device receives the data and processes it in the reverse order.
Bluetooth is supported by a Special Interest Group (SIG), which was founded in 1998 and has approximately 2,000 members, all of whom have access to Bluetooth specifications (the information needed to make a Bluetooth product). The SIG includes IBM, Intel, Microsoft and Nokia, and works to develop and promote the Bluetooth technology.
But Bluetooth, like many new technologies, may not be an instant hit. There are still plenty of questions about the ability of these devices to speak the same language. So while devices produced by the same company could communicate with each other easily, integration may be difficult when multiple vendors are involved. And while consultants at Forrester Research expect Bluetooth's popularity to grow, the firm said in a brief that many businesses won't buy in, "until user pressure forces them to in 2003."
What is a PDA?
A PDA (personal digital assistant) is a digital organizer, or personal digital assistant, that can be comfortable held in your hand (it is also called a handheld). The term PDA first appeared early in 1992 when Apple began looking for a partner to make their personal digital assistants. Sharp took on the task and after a lot of hype, a product called the Newton appeared in August of 1993. But a $700 price tag and a complicated handwriting recognition feature conspired to bury the Newton, and it wasn’t until 1996, when U.S. Robotics (which was bought by 3Com in 1997) introduced the Pilot 1000 and 5000, that the market for PDAs began to intensify. PalmPilots were applauded for a simpler, more accessible design, and now, three years later, many business executives consider a PDA a necessity.
Calendar, notepad and address books are common features on a PDA, but many also download email and other materials from a computer (some sync, or copy certain files from a computer to the handheld device). PDAs offerings are steadily expanding—modems come with some models and can be purchased as an add-on to others. The devices are also coming down in price (some go for as little as $150).
Much like a traditional computer, PDAs consist of a display screen (the screen is usually a touch screen, and it is called a LCD display), a processor, memory, and an operating system. There is a wide range of operating systems (see Operating System, left) that PDAs run on, one of the most popular being the Palm OS. Microsoft also has PDA operating system called Windows CE. While the PalmPilot is widely known because of its influence on the market, there’s a wide range of PDAs for today’s consumer to choose from.
Despite a rocky start, PDAs have certainly taken off, and the future holds more promise as Internet connectivity makes it way to PDAs.
Calendar, notepad and address books are common features on a PDA, but many also download email and other materials from a computer (some sync, or copy certain files from a computer to the handheld device). PDAs offerings are steadily expanding—modems come with some models and can be purchased as an add-on to others. The devices are also coming down in price (some go for as little as $150).
Much like a traditional computer, PDAs consist of a display screen (the screen is usually a touch screen, and it is called a LCD display), a processor, memory, and an operating system. There is a wide range of operating systems (see Operating System, left) that PDAs run on, one of the most popular being the Palm OS. Microsoft also has PDA operating system called Windows CE. While the PalmPilot is widely known because of its influence on the market, there’s a wide range of PDAs for today’s consumer to choose from.
Despite a rocky start, PDAs have certainly taken off, and the future holds more promise as Internet connectivity makes it way to PDAs.
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