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the Free CMSWire NewsletterThis week in the SMB space we see HP continuing its overtures to the SMB market, which it started earlier this year. While it has already spent time and money targeting larger SMBs, this time it’s going for the micro market. Meanwhile Salesforce.com offers Jigsaw now and mobile Chatter later.
HP Delivers "Just Right IT" for SMBs
Earlier this year HP launched an all out offensive to capture the SMB market, which included a significant expansion of its SMB Elite program. To all intents and purposes this was targeted at SMBs at the Medium end of the spectrum rather those at the Small (very) end.
This week it has just announced that it is now targeting this market segment and is offering micro and very small businesses all the IT they need as long as they get it from HP (news, site).
It is doing this through its new "Just Right IT" portfolio, which includes new server, printer and PC products designed and priced "just right" so that even the smallest pocket can afford them.
The list of areas that HP is addressing in this initiative is huge and covers all possible micro businesses that might be looking at ways to upgrade their IT capabilities.
One of the principal offerings is the Proliant MicroServer, designed as a central data storage server but with a PC price tag. Other areas include:
- Business management software
- Data protection and accessibility availability
- Entire simplified communication packages
And if you haven’t got the money, well HP will still be happy to oblige. It's leasing and life cycle asset management services division will also give SMBs a range of total financing solutions designed to enable SMBs buy anything and everything.
Salesforce Gives SMBs Real-Time Data Updates
During the week you probably saw that Salesforce.com will be bringing Chatter to mobile devices sometime later on in the year and early next year. However, before that happens, for SMBs using Salesforce it will be integrating a new solution from a recent acquisition that will make Chatter even more attractive to mobile users.
The new crowd-sourced business data service — Jigsaw for Salesforce CRM — will give users real-time updates to contact and company information through Chatter meaning that when the Chatter mobile service is available users should be able to get real-time company information updates on the road.
Built leveraging native salesforce.com (news, site) technologies, the information will be presented on a new user interface and will include analytics as well as updates.
It works by automatically identifying changes to contact and company data in Salesforce CRM, updates and reconciles the records and then publishes the changes in Chatter in real-time.
With more than 22 million business contacts and 4 million company profiles in Jigsaw, Salesforce is also promoting the service as a way to find new sales leads. Jigsaw for Salesforce CRM is on general release with prices starting at US$ 29 per user per month.
Is ERP the Key to Success?
And if you’ve ever wondered what makes successful SMBs successful, then market researchers Aberdeen Group (news, site) thinks it has the answer. Quite simple, it says, it’s all in your ERP (enterprise resource planning).
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