RightNow CRM for Shortlist, According to Datamonitor

By David Sims

TMCnet Contributing Editor

 

 RightNow Technologies has announced that Datamonitor research recommends the company’s product be on higher education’s “shortlist for CRM technology selection.”

 

According to the June 2007 report “Decision Matrix: Selecting a CRM vendor in the higher education market,” the combination of being well regarded in the higher education market and “having a robust product makes RightNow a vendor that institutions should put on their shortlist when considering the purchase of a CRM application.”

 

The Datamonitor report also states that RightNow offers institutions “attractive pricing” and “rapid deployment.” Institutions seeking to implement CRM in the most basic to even the most sophisticated ways, Datamonitor says, “will find RightNow Technologies to be an attractive vendor.”

 

In evaluating RightNow’s higher education CRM product, available through the software-as-a-service deployment model, Datamonitor noted that the Bozeman, Montana-based vendor had “the highest score amongst all of the profiled vendors in four of the eight user sentiment categories, including product quality, customer support, service capabilities and client engagement.”

 

The report found a “particularly compelling feature” of RightNow’s CRM product to be the ability to embed other applications, such as a student information system or document management system, using a custom tab.

 

Earlier this month RightNow introduced the availability of RightNow Retail, an offering combining customer relationship management with the firm’s experience working with many retailers including Cabela’s, Drugstore.com, Hallmark.com, Sharper Image, Snapfish, The Right Start and Ulta.

 

The offering is based on RightNow 8, the company’s enterprise-class on demand product for service, sales and marketing. RightNow Retail includes industry best practices designed to “help retailers improve conversion rates, increase customer loyalty and drive sales,” according to company officials.

 

It is also available under RightNow’s software-as-a-service delivery model, which allows organizations to implement quickly, without having to make extensive investments in infrastructure.

 

“Discounts and deals may help drive shoppers online or into stores, but service is the only way to keep them coming back,” said Greg Gianforte, CEO of RightNow. “The single most effective way to differentiate from the competition is through great customer experiences.”