Hewlett-Packard launches CRM-driven application

NEWS Hewlett-Packard (HP) has jumped on the customer relationship management (CRM) bandwagon with the release of HP Front Office. Although lacking the data element of some CRM solutions, HP Front Office advances the computing stalwart's fledgling e-services initiative by linking HP SmartContact CTI (computer telephony integration) and call centre technology with what it calls e-marketing, e-sales and e-support. Rubric and BroadVision will provide the e-marketing and e-sales elements, while HP is developing e-support, available from the end of July. IDC's most recent research forecasts the Western European CRM market will grow from $7bn in 1998 to $23bn by 2003. Dan Dutro, HP product marketing manager, said that linking back office enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications with CRM is just around the corner, and claimed the company's relationship with SAP should facilitate that. He added: "Anything that's legacy, whether it's Vantive, Siebel or from another vendor, will be protected - we will build on top of those applications." From the beginning of October, HP will start to announce CRM packages for specific vertical markets, starting with telecoms, and followed by finance and manufacturing. HP Front Office can be deployed as an owned or hosted solution.