Onyx offers cash as CRM migration sweetener

Computerworld Australia - Customer analytics software provider Onyx Software Corp. is offering service credits to customers keen to migrate off the Siebel platform -- or any other CRM product that is a casualty of merger and acquisition activity.

Onyx has already offered $377,740 in service credits to implement an Onyx CRM solution for an Asian-based insurance company that has branch offices in Australia. However, the vendor was unwilling to disclose full details.

Onyx Australia managing director John Ward said many CRM users are dubious about a future with the likes of Oracle Corp., admitting that the offer specifically targets Siebel Systems Inc. and PeopleSoft Inc. users.

"Oracle is narrowing the market for CRM products, and unless a company had a particular reservation about moving to the Onyx platform, the promise of an integration credit is not an offer many would take lightly," he said.

"If companies are thinking of migrating from those applications, Onyx will supplement a percentage of professional services for implementation. Some people do not want to deal with a megavendor, and in the past many have not delivered on key deliverables," Ward said.

Ward said the results of Oracle's Project Fusion will not emerge before 2008.

"Up to 40 months will elapse and maybe some Siebel users are unable to tread water for that length of time," he said.

Oracle was unavailable for comment.

Reprinted with permission from

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