March 2015

Magazine Features

The 2015 CRM Service Awards

Read about the industry leaders, rising stars, and companies that have successfully implemented service customer service solutions and whose accomplishments and contributions have made them winners in the CRM world this year.

The 2015 CRM Service Awards: Service Leaders

Our 12th annual Service Leader awards honor the innovative companies behind the developments in cloud offerings, chat software, search capabilities, mobile solutions, and other technologies that have had a significant impact on the customer service industry over the past year.

The 2015 CRM Service Leaders: Customer Case Management

The 2015 CRM Service Leaders: Contact Center Infrastructure

The 2015 CRM Service Leaders: Interactive Voice Response

The 2015 CRM Service Leaders: Web Support

The 2015 CRM Service Leaders: Workforce Optimization

The 2015 CRM Service Leaders: Contact Center Search

The 2015 CRM Service Leaders: Enterprise Feedback Management

The 2015 CRM Service Leaders: Contact Center Outsourcing

The 2015 CRM Service Awards: Rising Stars

Our six Rising Stars proved their dedication to improving customer service via a variety of channels.

The 2015 CRM Rising Stars: Helpshift Pushes In-App Customer Service a Few Steps Ahead

The company improves feedback and customer service in mobile applications.

The 2015 CRM Rising Stars: IBM's Watson Brings Cognitive Computing to Customer Support

Partners and customers are lined up to bring the supercomputer into the contact center.

The 2015 CRM Rising Stars: NewVoiceMedia Builds Multichannel Contact Centers for Salesforce.com Customers

Fast growing and highly rated, the cloud contact center provider dominates on the AppExchange.

The 2015 CRM Rising Stars: NICE Systems Innovates with Real-Time Analytics

The veteran vendor is this year's comeback kid.

The 2015 CRM Rising Stars: WalkMe Unleashes Guided Self-Service for the Web

The 'online GPS' can eliminate site confusion and facilitate interactions.

The 2015 CRM Rising Stars: Zendesk Gives Small Enterprises the Tools They Need to Grow

With the addition of customer survey feedback, activity reports, and mobile contact capabilities, the SMB specialist bolsters its platform.

The 2015 CRM Service Awards: Service Elite

Each of our three Elite winners—a retail giant, a charitable organization, and a government agency—combined solid strategies and clear goals to better serve their client base.

The 2015 CRM Service Elite: NewVoiceMedia Helps Cancer Charity with Fundraising Efforts

New insights give the Canadian Cancer Society in Saskatchewan a running start on its Relay for Life event.

The 2015 CRM Service Elite: Oracle Service Cloud Catalyzes Multichannel Support Strategy

The 'right technology' helps Kohl's carry out a deep reorganization of its customer care team.

The 2015 CRM Service Elite: Genesys Helps Michigan Aid Families in Need

Call center technology makes reaching help one less hurdle for struggling parents.

Front Office

Small Customer Service Vendors Can Make Big Contributions

A best-of-breed solution from a small company doesn't have to be such a risky proposition after all.

Reality Check

Can Configure, Price, and Quote Apps Be Sales' BFF?

Add the power of knowledge to your reps' sales arsenal.

The Tipping Point

Why Marketing Automation Means More Than Faster, Better, Cheaper

Programmatic ads make precision marketing a reality.

Scouting Report

10 Top Enterprise Trends for 2015

Service excellence is finally taking a starring role.

Pint of View

In Enterprise Applications, Competence and Innovation Don't Always Go Hand in Hand

Consider your business' focus in the evaluation process.

Customer Experience

7 Lessons to Learn in the Digital Shift

Focus on relevancy to build loyalty and authenticity.

Insight

Firms Should Embrace Instagram

The image- and video-sharing site now surpasses Twitter in users.

Facebook Gets Real About Virtual Reality

Oculus Rift, Facebook's $2 billion VR venture, could soon be a viable marketing channel.

Mobile Payment Evolution Is Underway

Mobile spending projected to reach $1.42 billion by 2019.

Companies Gear Up for the IoT Revolution

There's rising consumer demand for—and acceptance of—connected devices.

NRF's Big Show: Retailers Solidify Multichannel Strategies to Drive Customer Engagement

Digital technologies in stores are vital, but how they're being used is also important.

Required Reading: Brand Differentiation Is the Best 'Brand Aid'

To improve their market position, brands need to stand out.

The Next Step

Create a Blueprint for CRM Success

What are vendors leaving out of the conversation?