Info-Tech Research Group’s Customer Service Management (CSM) Platform Vendor Landscape report lists Desk.com, Oracle Siebel and Salesforce Service Cloud as market Champions and urges companies to meet their clients’ service needs by adopting a CSM platform or risk losing business.
London, ON, June 19, 2012 - An explosion in Social Media and Mobile over the last few years has created a dire need for companies to adopt a Customer Service Management (CSM) platform to effectively manage customer service requests and retain clients according to Info-Tech Research Group. A recent CSM Vendor Landscape report, published by Info-Tech Research Group, ranked Desk.com, Oracle Siebel and Salesforce Service Cloud as Champions in a market they feel is important to the survival of every customer-focused organization.
“Over the last few years there has been an explosion in the volume of customer interactions due to the popularity of newer channels such as social media, email and mobile,” said Tim Hickernell, Associate Lead Analyst for Info-Tech Research Group. “Customers now expect that customer service fits into their lives and is available through the channel of their choice. An organization that does not provide adequate channels and/or service risks having it broadcast by disgruntled customers over social media. It is imperative that every customer-facing organization have a strategy to deal with the increase in interactions and a best-of-breed CSM platform plays an important role in a successful strategy.”
According to the report, Champion vendor, Desk.com is particularly strong in social and offers Facebook, Twitter and community forum integration as well as integration with Salesforce Chatter for social collaboration. Their sweet spot is with organizations under 80 employees that require flexible pricing solutions and with smaller firms who have complex service needs. They were also awarded the Value Award for offering the most “bang for your buck” out of the solutions evaluated.
Oracle Siebel is another Champion in the report. Siebel Systems was the largest player in the market when acquired by Oracle in 2005. Since then, Oracle Siebel has continued to dominate the space offering all the bells and whistles, but at a steep price. Its current pricing model puts it out of reach for most small to mid-sized organizations, but large enterprises will find it an extremely attractive option.
Salesforce is primarily known for its focus on sales, but they do offer Service Cloud which is aimed at customer service and ranked as a Champion in the report. This solution is also priced prohibitively for smaller organizations, but has a feature set that is very comprehensive and is a good fit for mid-to-large organizations with more complex requirements and those using Salesforce.com for CRM as well.
TeamSupport ranked as an Innovator in the report. With one of the highest product scores in the evaluation, their product offers Help Desk and customer service capabilities, making them a more comprehensive solution for smaller businesses.
Zendesk is another Innovator in the report. Their “follow me” mobile optimization makes them a good fit for mid-sized businesses and multi-tasking agents who need availability wherever and whenever.
For the full list of Info-Tech Research Group’s recommendations for selecting a Customer Service Management Platform Vendor, visit: http://www.infotech.com/research/ss/it-vendor-landscape-plus-customer-service-management-suites
Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscape reports recognize outstanding vendors in the technology marketplace. Assessing vendors by the strength of their offering and their strategy for the enterprise, Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscapes pay tribute to the contribution of exceptional vendors in a particular category.
About Info-Tech Research Group
With a paid membership of over 25,000 members worldwide, Info-Tech Research Group (www.infotech.com) is the global leader in providing tactical, practical Information Technology research and analysis. Info-Tech Research Group has a fourteen-year history of delivering quality research and is North America's fastest growing full-service IT analyst firm.