Contact Information: Media Contact: Alan Hubbard Aberdeen Harte-Hanks (617) 854-5301 Alan.hubbard@aberdeen.com
Is Your Sales Force Mobilized?
Global Customer Satisfaction With Mobile SFA Implementation
| Source: Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company
BOSTON, MA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- April 19, 2007 -- Is your sales force prepared for the surge in
globalization? In a recent survey conducted by Aberdeen, a Harte-Hanks
Company (NYSE : HHS ), nearly two-thirds of survey respondents indicated that
they are using or planning to use a mobile sales force automation solution
(SFA). Fifty-eight (58) percent of respondents indicated that access to
real-time data was the key factor driving their company to invest in Mobile
SFA.
Twenty-nine percent of respondents identified that mobile SFA will have a
major impact on their company over the next 5 years. The infrastructure for
mobile SFA solutions is beginning to fall into place with 54% of the sales
force already using PDA's and 40% using smart phones. The complexity of
implementing a mobile SFA solution remains a challenge for most companies.
Among the key challenges, 39% of survey respondents identified user
adoption rates as a major concern. Another 37% indicated that getting
executive level support would also pose a major challenge.
"Access to real-time content provides the sales force with the ability to
respond to inquiries on an as needed basis. The timing of the inquiry
becomes less important if the data is available when it is needed.
Supporting customers and partners world wide means the sales force can not
have any down time due to system unavailability," said Alan Hubbard, SVP
Sales & Marketing Channel, Aberdeen. "Mobile technologies make systems
available around the clock and increase the sales representative's ability
to respond to demand."
The research, underwritten by Antenna Software, Cingular, BalckBerry (RIM),
and Sage Software, reveals the factors which contribute to the success of a
mobile SFA implementation. It also provides the results that companies have
seen across key metrics, after implementing mobile SFA strategy, and
compares these companies against those who have not persued a similar
strategy.
Please follow the link below to download a copy of the report:
http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=3958
About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company
Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market
intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more
than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely
positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating
demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment
analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets,
corporations turn to Aberdeen for insights that drive decisions.
As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in
context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's
analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of
Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement -
Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role
Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit
Aberdeen http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more
about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748 or go to http://www.harte-hanks.com.