System iNetwork

July 30, 2008

It's All About the Customers

For software vendors, recognizing customers is what it’s all about. LANSA and New Generation Software (NGS) are two examples of companies seeking a variety of ways to reach clients. One of LANSA’s approaches is to give customer awards. NGS has established a collaboration program for subscribers who need help maintaining their own IT environment.

For the past 12 years, LANSA has given Customer of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, and Partner of the Year awards. The 2008 recipients are Save the Children, Royal Bank of Canada Financial Group, and Fidelity National Information Systems, respectively.

LANSA reports that the prizes are designed to recognize the unique ways in which customers use the company’s software. "By recognizing outstanding achievements, we also provide other clients with a vision of how they can employ LANSA to solve business issues," says Lori Piotrowski, public relations manager. "The awards are primarily a means of honoring the customers who use our technology, a means of recognizing their creativity to enhance their business and their resulting success."

Piotrowski adds that "it's a feather in their cap" to be singled out. "The LANSA developers come together at our user conferences, and they have three days to network and learn from each other. So, to be recognized for what they have accomplished puts the spotlight on their past efforts in front of their peers and encourages them to continue to push the envelope and improve their business processes," she explains.

One NGS technique to reach customers is the company’s newly launched NGS Software as a Service (SaaS) Collaboration Program, designed to help NGS and its business partners reach clients that do not have the staffing, skills, budget, or desire to maintain their own IT environment but still want the benefits of business intelligence (BI) and/or financial-management solutions for their organization.

NGS is recruiting business partners with IBM i and industry-specific skills in areas such as finance, wholesale distribution, manufacturing, and healthcare. The program offers low start-up costs and comprehensive education to Business Partners who host NGS products.

"Our goal is to make it easy for small and mid-sized companies to receive the benefit of our BI and financial solutions by working with a business partner who understands their industry and/or is located nearby," says Bill Langston, director of marketing and channel development for NGS. "By not having to bring software, hardware, and trained staff in-house, the customer’s start-up cost, staffing, and training commitment are substantially reduced. It opens doors for the business partner to develop long-term customer relationships and have a steady stream of services revenue."

Posted by vhamende at July 30, 2008 9:38 AM