N@N

BigMachines and Salesforce.com Announce New BigMachines Configuration and Quoting Application Integrated with Force.com Platfor

^{Published on 2010-09-07 05:51:20 - Market Wire}
 

SAN FRANCISCO & CHICAGO--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--[ BigMachines ], the leading vendor in the configuration and quoting space, and [ salesforce.com ], (NYSE:CRM) the enterprise cloud computing company, today announced BigMachinesa™ [ on-demand configuration, quoting and proposal application ] is now tightly integrated with Force.com, salesforce.coma™s enterprise cloud computing platform. With Force.com, BigMachinesa™ solution integrates seamlessly into Salesforce CRM, simplifying the user experience and providing customers with flexibility and advanced integration capabilities. In addition, users can access both the BigMachines and Salesforce applications with a single login.

"The tight integration of BigMachines with Salesforce CRM provides a powerful solution to help our business grow"

BigMachines will be exhibiting the new solution at [ Cloudforce 2010 London ] ([ https://www.salesforce.com/live/ ]), the largest cloud computing event in the UK. This industry, customer and developer event is being held on Wednesday, September 8th, 2010 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre in London.

Comments on the news

• aBigMachinesa™ alliance with salesforce.com further strengthens our relationship as we work closely to ensure tight integration of current and future products,a said Godard Abel, CEO and co-founder, BigMachines.aWe are dedicated to providing a solution that is easy to buy, easy to integrate, easy to support and helps our customers sell more and sell faster.a
• aBigMachines continues to deliver an excellent solution for customers quoting and configuration needs,a said Kendall Collins, chief marketing officer, salesforce.com. aThe Force.com platform provides the fastest path to commercial success for partners with cloud computing solutions. Now, our joint customers will benefit from the integration of BigMachines powered by Force.com.a
• aThe tight integration of BigMachines with Salesforce CRM provides a powerful solution to help our business grow,a said Peter Minihane, CFO, [ Acme Packet ]. aThe benefits include improved efficiencies in our quoting process, easy pricing and SKU updates, ownership and process improvements in communicating new products, management of quote approvals, and reduction in quote-to-purchase-order delivery errors. The integration ensures that our forecasts and data analysis are accurate and we have been able to grow our business without adding headcount.a

BigMachines streamlines and improves sales accuracy and speed for customers by providing the following benefits:

• Accurate and rapid configuration of products and services based on product compatibility rules
• Guided selling that directs users to the best product and service options based on their needs
• Creation of consistent, branded proposals, quotes, contracts and other sales documents
• 100 percent accurate quotes
• Automated approval processes and workflow
• Support for direct sales, channel sales, and [ B2B eCommerce ]
• Easy set-up and administration to define product data, personalize user interfaces and maintain configuration rules

Force.com - the Industrya™s Leading Enterprise Cloud Computing Platform

• Force.com is salesforce.com's enterprise [ cloud computing platform ] ([ http://www.salesforce.com/platform/cloud-platform/ ]).
• Force.com provides everything companies need to quickly build and deliver business applications in the cloud, including the database, unlimited real-time customization, powerful analytics, real-time workflow and approvals, programmable cloud logic, integration, real-time mobile deployment, programmable user interface and Web site capabilities.
• Customers and partners have built more than 170,000 custom applications on Force.com to run their businesses, including supply chain management, compliance tracking, brand management, accounts receivable, claims processing, time-off applications and much more.
• Force.com enables companies to build and deliver applications 5 times faster¹, at about the cost² of traditional client/server software platforms. For case studies, analyst reports and white papers please visit [ http://www.salesforce.com/platform/tco ].
• The Force.com business case calculator is now available to help estimate the time and costs of custom application development projects: [ http://www.salesforce.com/platform/tco/calculator.jsp?d=70130000000EfON&internal=true ].

Pricing and Availability

• Pricing for BigMachines starts at $40 per user per month.
• BigMachines with Salesforce CRM integration powered by Force.com is available immediately.

Additional Information

• Available at [ www.bigmachines.com ]
• Please visit [ Big Machines on the AppExchange ] for a demo and more information
• Follow salesforce.com on Twitter @salesforce
• Register for the live Cloudforce London webcast at [ https://www.salesforce.com/live/ ]

About salesforce.com

Salesforce.com is the enterprise [ cloud computing ] company. Based on [ salesforce.coma™s ] real-time, multitenant architecture, the companya™s platform and [ CRM ] applications ([ http://www.salesforce.com/crm ]) have revolutionized the way companies collaborate and communicate with their customers, including:

• The Sales Cloud, for [ sales force automation ] and [ contact management ]
• The Service Cloud, for [ customer service and support solutions ]
• Chatter, for [ social collaboration ]
• The Force.com platform, for [ custom application development ]
• The AppExchange, the worlda™s leading marketplace for enterprise [ cloud computing applications ]

Salesforce.com offers the fastest path to customer success with cloud computing. As of July 31, 2010, salesforce.com manages customer information for approximately 82,400 customers including Allianz Commercial, Dell, Japan Post, Kaiser Permanente, KONE, and SunTrust Banks.

Any unreleased services or features referenced in this or other press releases or public statements are not currently available and may not be delivered on time or at all. Customers who purchase salesforce.com applications should make their purchase decisions based upon features that are currently available. Salesforce.com has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM.a For more information please visit [ http://www.salesforce.com ], or call 1-800-NO-SOFTWARE.

Copyright (c) 2010 salesforce.com, inc. All rights reserved. Salesforce and the "no software" logo are registered trademarks of salesforce.com, inc., and salesforce.com owns other registered and unregistered trademarks. Other names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

About BigMachines, Inc.

BigMachines is the global leader in enabling B2B sales, helping companies sell more and sell faster. BigMachines' award-winning on-demand configurator, pricing and quoting, proposal generator, and B2B eCommerce software solutions empower sales across customers' channels by streamlining their sales processes from opportunity to order. Using BigMachines software, sales teams and channels can quickly configure products, generate quotes and proposals, manage complex pricing, generate legal contracts, and manage orders. BigMachines offers extensive reporting capabilities and easily integrates to leading CRM and ERP systems, including Salesforce CRM. BigMachines' rapidly growing customer base includes global leaders such as Kodak's GCG, Siemens, Ingersoll Rand, and NTT Communications, as well as innovative growth companies such as Acme Packet and Voltaire. For more information, visit [ www.bigmachines.com ].

¹aResearch Note: Force.com Drives Faster Developmenta, Nucleus Research, (May 2009), [ http://www.salesforce.com/assets/pdf/analysts/Nucleus_Force.com_drives_faster_development.pdf ]

² Randy Perry, Eric Hatcher, Robert P. Mahowald and Stephen Hendrick, aForce.com Cloud Platform Drives Huge Time to Market and Cost Savingsa IDC (September 2009), [ http://www.salesforce.com/assets/pdf/analysts/IDC_Force.com_Business_Case.pdf ]