Microsoft Business Solutions Customer Solution Case Study

Network Provider Offers Small Businesses a Combined Communications and CRM Solution

Overview “Cisco Systems recognizes that SMB customers Country/Region: United States are busy doing what they do best—expanding their Industry: Telecommunications businesses...They want integrated solutions and a Customer Profile single source of support.” Based in San Jose, California, Cisco Systems provides hardware, software, Peter Alexander, Vice President Worldwide Commercial Market Segment, Cisco Systems and services for creating network and Internet solutions designed to increase productivity and improve customer satisfaction. Primarily viewed by the industries it serves as a company that provides networking hardware, software, and services to large Business Situation Cisco Systems is expanding its presence enterprises, Cisco Systems is expanding its presence in the in the small- to medium-sized business small- to medium-sized business (SMB) market. By developing (SMB) market by offering integrated solutions that are cost-effective and easy a middleware application that lets companies use Microsoft® to install. Business Solutions CRM with Cisco Internet Protocol (IP)

Solution Communications, Cisco Systems and its more than 750 IP Cisco Systems developed the CRM Communications partners around the world can offer the SMB Communications Connector—a middleware application that lets market an integrated IP telephony solution that is cost-effective companies use Microsoft® Business and easy to implement, use, maintain, and customize. The Solutions CRM with Cisco Internet Protocol (IP) Communications to improve Cisco CRM Communications Connector is designed to provide customer care. SMBs with a single, integrated view of all customer

Benefits communications and to help improve customer satisfaction,  Expand SMB market presence increase productivity, reduce total cost of ownership, and  Increase customer satisfaction  Increase customer productivity sustain a competitive advantage.  Enhance channel programs  Increase partner profitability “...We’re investing Situation Cisco Systems focuses on three broad Founded in 1984 by a small group of areas to guide its business growth: core significantly in computer scientists from Stanford technologies, like routing and switching; the expanding our SMB University and based in San Jose, service provider market; and advanced California, Cisco Systems provides technology markets. customer base, hardware, software, and services for because we recognize creating Internet Protocol (IP)–based Although the company’s customer base networking solutions. With more than within these three areas includes the vast potential within 34,000 employees worldwide, Cisco sells businesses of all sizes, Beth Bowen, Cisco this segment for our its products and services directly through Systems’s Marketing Programs Manager, its own sales force and indirectly through a points out that Cisco Systems is often global channel partners global network of channel partners. viewed by the industries it serves as as well as for Cisco.” primarily an enterprise company, with Cisco IP Communications—the complete solutions catering specifically to large Beth Bowen, Marketing Programs Manager, suite of Cisco Systems’s voice and corporations. Cisco Systems telephony offerings—includes the following: “We are perceived as an enterprise • IP telephony solutions, including call- company, and we really have focused on processing software and IP phones the enterprise market,” Bowen says. • Unified communications and voice-mail “However, now we’re investing significantly solutions in expanding our SMB customer base, • IP video conferencing and IP audio because we recognize the vast potential conferencing solutions within this segment for our global channel • Customer contact software for contact partners as well as for Cisco.” centers and self-service applications • Voice infrastructure, including voice SMB Customers Repeatedly Ask for gateways and voice application systems Integrated Solutions • Network management applications for IP According to Alexander and Bowen, small- communications solutions to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) want to make the most of each technology According to Peter Alexander, Vice investment. They want out-of-the-box President of Cisco Systems’s Worldwide solutions that address their business needs Commercial Market Segment, the company at a cost they can easily afford without the has long reaped the benefits of using the worry of hunting for, purchasing, and Internet for its own business practices. In integrating individual components. the 2003 fiscal year, for example, Cisco Systems saved U.S.$2.1 billion by relying “Cisco Systems recognizes that SMB on the Internet to provide customer customers are busy doing what they do support, offer employee services, sell best—expanding their businesses,” products, provide training, and manage Alexander says. “They need to obtain IT finances and manufacturing processes. from the smallest number of sources, and they want integrated solutions and a single source of support.” "...Microsoft CRM has Microsoft CRM is a scalable front-office To accomplish its objective, Cisco Systems solution that incorporates many of the the same user in early 2004 announced a collaborative technologies that companies already use to interface as Microsoft effort with Microsoft intended to help manage their businesses, including the accelerate SMB customer and channel following: Office Outlook and so partner success. does the Cisco • Microsoft SQL ServerTM 2000 “Cisco Systems and Microsoft have long serves as the transactional data store and solution. We don’t have had many of the same SMB channel metadata layer of the Microsoft CRM any additional partners and customers,” Alexander says. application. Use of SQL Server 2000, “We will now be joining forces on SMB which is part of the Microsoft Windows applications that come solution development and optimization, Server SystemTM integrated server into play and confuse marketing, and channel programs.” software, provides a scalable and reliable solution for managing vital customer the customer.” Solution information. According to Alexander and Bowen, customer relationship management (CRM) • Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Sean Beierly, Solution Program Manager, sits at the top of the SMB customer’s and Microsoft Exchange 2000 Cisco Systems integration wish list. Because of this, Cisco Server, also part of Windows Server Systems developed a middleware System, receive, send, and track incoming application that lets companies use and outgoing e-mail. Microsoft® Business Solutions CRM with • Active Directory® service, part of Cisco IP Communications, creating an the Windows® operating system, helps integrated IP telephony and customer care provide tight security and reduce solution that is cost-effective and easy to administration costs. Active Directory IP Communications with Cisco implement, use, maintain, and customize. improves the management and support of CallManager Express and Microsoft CRM user profiles, roles, and privileges.

Although Cisco Systems’s middleware application—the Cisco CRM Communications Connector—can scale to thousands of users, Bowen explains that Cisco created it with the specific needs of the 20- to 250-employee business in mind.

The connector operates with three of the company’s IP Communications platforms— CallManager Express, CallManager, and CallManager with IP Contact Center (IPCC) Express. The platforms are designed to meet the needs of all employees, not just call center agents, within an SMB.

“"Together,Microsoft CRMthese According to Sean Beierly, Cisco which includes CallManager Express, Systems’s Solution Program Manager, the CallManager, and CallManager with IPCC solutionsincludes integratedhelp connector enables these platforms to Express—enables companies to reduce organizationssales and customer improve integrate seamlessly with Microsoft CRM, the cost and complexity associated with giving users an easy, fast, and affordable managing multiple networks. theservice productivity modules of that their means of adding IP telephony capabilities CRMenable users employees by to to their CRM installations. “Because voice and data applications reside on the same network, Cisco IP providingshare information intelligent to “One problem with CRM programs at the Communications facilitates easy device telephonyimprove sales features success enterprise level is that they are completely moves, additions, and changes,” Beierly separate applications. To use them, says. “Further, its support of XML-based IP suchand deliver as click-to-dial consistent, companies often have to change their phone productivity applications gives andefficient screen customer pops on cultures and processes to get employees companies timely access to critical on board,” Beierly says. “But Microsoft information and reduces the chance for incomingservice.” calls..." CRM has the same user interface as error and time delays as information is Sean Beierly, Solution Program Manager, Microsoft Office Outlook® and so does the shared between work groups.” Cisco Systems Cisco solution. We don’t have any additional applications that come into play For example, Beierly explains, using IP and confuse the customer.” telephony, customer service representatives receiving in-bound calls can not only identify the caller, but can also automatically pull up a customer record and notes about previous interactions. Connecting the Two Solutions Yields a Equally important, employees can use More Complete Offering these features while traveling, and they can IP Communications with Cisco Consolidating voice, video, and data create virtual sales or call centers in CallManager and Microsoft CRM applications onto a single, integrated multiple locations. infrastructure, Cisco IP Communications— By marrying voice and data, it’s also possible to give different sales or support representatives access to the same information. That means if the employee who typically handles an account is out of the office, other people on the team can field the call and tap into the customer data or add to it—even if they work in other offices.

“Microsoft CRM includes integrated sales and customer service modules that enable employees to share information to improve sales success and deliver consistent, efficient customer service,” Beierly says. “It

“The Communications includes lead and opportunity called number, and call start and end management, a complete view of customer times Connector for Microsoft history, automated incident management, − Allows organizations to associate CRM is the first step and a searchable knowledge base.” incoming or outgoing calls with a customer record, manually or toward this end. Microsoft CRM also includes reporting tools automatically Through this initiative, for accurate forecasting and measurement − Matches calling number or called of business activity and employee number to customer records our channel partners performance. − Opens customer account records on will be able to solve the the receiving agent’s PC screen as the “Together, these solutions help call arrives unique business needs organizations improve the productivity of − Supports manual association of calls of the SMB market and their CRM users by providing intelligent with new or existing account records telephony features such as click-to-dial and − Supports click-to-dial feature from address new screen pops on incoming calls,” Beierly customer records opportunities.” says. “They also associate voice-mail − Supports manual dial from the desk messages with the customer record, phone and automatically associates Peter Alexander, Vice President Worldwide creating a unified view of all customer the call with the appropriate customer Commercial Market Segment, Cisco communications.” records Systems The combined solution can be used for a Cisco’s integration has been tested and variety of tasks involving call information verified under the new Microsoft CRM capture, call association, and outbound verification test. This software test identifies calling. The following bullet points provide independent software vendor (ISV) IP Communications with Cisco examples of these capabilities: solutions that successfully run on Microsoft CallManager, Cisco IPCC Express, and − Captures incoming and outgoing call CRM. Microsoft CRM information, including calling number, In the past, Beierly explains, integrating a traditional private branch exchange (PBX) with a desktop CRM application required expensive specialized hardware and software—and often produced mixed results.

Installed at the desktop within about 45 seconds, the Communications Connector requires only the Microsoft CRM application and Cisco IP Communications platforms.

The Communications Connector user can access full sales capabilities through Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003 messaging

and collaboration client—which acts as the global channel partners can offer the SMB primary client for managing tasks and market a complete customer care solution contacts—or online by using a Web that enables a single, integrated view of all browser. The connector requires no customer interactions. In doing so, Cisco additional hardware and supports the full Systems hopes to help its SMB customers line of Cisco Systems’s IP phones, from the increase productivity and gain a entry-level Cisco IP Phone 7902G to the competitive edge through increased advanced Cisco IP Phone 7970G. customer satisfaction.

Microsoft CRM can also be up and running For its global channel partners, Cisco within a few hours and fully customized in a Systems believes that the combined matter of days or weeks. solution will help them strengthen relationships with their customers and SDK Ensures Rapid Development and generate new sources of revenue. Ease of Integration The software development kit (SDK) that SMB Customers Increase Productivity ships with Microsoft CRM played a key role and Customer Service in the development of the connector, which Integrating Cisco IP Communications with took only a few months. Microsoft CRM helps SMBs increase productivity and customer service by: According to Beierly, the use of open application programming interfaces (APIs) • Recording the duration of all calls with the for Microsoft CRM made it easy for Cisco contact to enable accurate and complete Systems to integrate the application’s CRM billing. For example, Beierly explains, a call and sales-force automation modules with duration feature allows law firms to its IP Communications platforms. And, after accurately track the amount of time spent they have been deployed at a customer talking to clients on the phone as well as site, the solutions will integrate seamlessly the time spent on follow up. with most third-party and proprietary • Improving customer loyalty and sales by applications. providing Microsoft CRM users with an easy method to contact customers, along The APIs provided by Microsoft are based with automatic identification of incoming on a metadata-driven data storage model callers. and include a declarative workflow engine, • Enabling sales personnel or customer an integrated setup process, and service representatives to reach customers configuration and management tools that with an easy-to-use, click-to-dial application greatly reduce the cost and time associated directly from Microsoft Outlook 2003. with configuration, customization, • Providing priority queuing or special call deployment, and upgrade. handling for select customers calling in to the Cisco IP Contact Center. Benefits By connecting Cisco IP Communications Partners Benefit from Deliberate with Microsoft CRM, Cisco Systems and its Cooperation “We want to enable According to Alexander, partnering has long occurred between Cisco Systems and channel partners to Microsoft channel partners to help bring share information, integrated solutions to customers. become aware of However, he explains, one of the main deals, understand objectives of Cisco Systems’s cooperative initiative with Microsoft is to formalize and partner objectives, and expand these efforts to capitalize on provide comprehensive opportunities that may have been missed in the past. solutions like the Communications “We want to make both partner communities more successful by providing Connector to the SMB them with incentives and solution blueprints market.” for them to work together in a more coordinated fashion,” Alexander says. “We Peter Alexander, Vice President Worldwide want to enable channel partners to share Commercial Market Segment, Cisco information, become aware of deals, Systems understand partner objectives, and provide comprehensive solutions like the Communications Connector to the SMB market.”

This level of collaboration, he points out, makes it easier for channel partners to provide value-added solutions to the SMB market based on Cisco Systems’s network infrastructure and Microsoft applications.

“Our partners are seeking ways to increase their profitability and improve customer satisfaction. They also want new strategies and solutions for addressing the SMB market,” Alexander says. “The Communications Connector for Microsoft CRM is the first step toward this end. Through this initiative, our channel partners will be able to solve the unique business needs of the SMB market and address new opportunities.” For More Information Microsoft Business Solutions For more information about Microsoft Microsoft Business Solutions offers products and services, call the Microsoft integrated business applications and Sales Information Center at (800) 426- services that allow small and midsized 9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft organizations and divisions of large Canada Information Centre at (877) 568- enterprises to connect employees, 2495. Customers who are deaf or hard- customers, and suppliers for improved of-hearing can reach Microsoft text efficiency. The financial management, telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) customer relationship management, supply 892-5234 in the United States or (905) chain management, and analytics 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 applications work with Microsoft products United States and Canada, please such as Microsoft Office and Windows contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. operating system to streamline processes To access information using the World across an entire organization, giving Wide Web, go to: www.microsoft.com businesses insight to respond rapidly, plan strategically, and execute quickly. Microsoft For more information about Cisco Business Solutions are delivered through a Systems products and services, call worldwide network of channel partners that (800) 553-6387 or visit the Web site at: provide specialized services and local www.cisco.com support tailored to a company’s needs.

For more information about Microsoft Business Solutions, go to: www.microsoft.com/businesssolutions

Software and Services  Products  Solutions − Microsoft Outlook 2000 © 2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This case Microsoft Business Solutions CRM Microsoft SQL Server 2000 study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT − − MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN  Technologies Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server THIS SUMMARY. Microsoft, Active Directory, Outlook, − Windows and Windows Server System are either registered Microsoft Active Directory Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the − − United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Document published April 2004