Ibm And Sideware Form Strategic Alliance To Deliver Customer Service Applications - Company Business and Marketing

EDP Weekly's IT Monitor, July 2, 2001

IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Sideware (OTC (BB): SDWS and TSE: SYD.U) has announced a strategic alliance to deliver customer service applications to help companies of all sizes, including small businesses, and government agencies better manage their customer, partner, and employee interactions.

A major goal of the IBM-Sideware alliance is to offer a scalable turnkey solution that can be easily deployed across multiple customer service channels, including the telephone and the Web.

Sideware's scalable, open system solution integrates into back-end databases and legacy systems, giving companies quick and easy access to all relevant customer information. IBM and Sideware will help customers improve the speed and quality of online customer service, while increasing their return on investment in hardware, software and training.

As part of the three-year alliance, Sideware has integrated its Enterprise Interaction Suite (EIS) eCRM software with IBM's hardware and middleware, including DB2(1) Universal Database, WebSphere Application Server(1) and eServers(1) pSeries(1) and xSeries(1).

Together with IBM Public Sector, IBM Global Services, and IBM Small Business, Sideware will jointly market and sell the solutions in both the U.S. and Canada. In addition, WebSphere and DB2 will be Sideware's primary development platforms.

"Sideware's eCRM applications combined with IBM's DB2, WebSphere Application Server, and eServers provide a total solution for organizations who want to increase operating efficiencies and better serve their customers," said Marianne Cooper, vice president State & Local Government, IBM Public Sector. "Together we can help improve the quality of online customer service and, at the same time, enhance customer satisfaction, increase productivity, and reduce operating costs."

"IBM has long provided the innovative products that we needed to build superior online customer service applications," said James Speros, president and CEO of Sideware. "Today's strategic alliance announcement strengthens our relationship with IBM and gives us the tools we need to continue delivering industry-leading applications."

IBM and Sideware have a history of working together to deliver advanced online customer service solutions. Sideware is an e-government service partner of IBM, and has based its eCRM solution on IBM's VisualAge for Java(2) technology platform.

Today's announcement enhances the key relationship allowing IBM and Sideware the ability to jointly deliver complete solutions, including hardware, software and services, to government and commercial customers.

The Sideware strategic alliance is another example of IBM's commitment to go-to-market with leading independent software vendors through the PartnerWorld for Developers program (www.developer.ibm.com). The goal is to provide developers with access to new customers and revenue opportunities through IBM's marketing, sales, and solutions resources.

In return, developers commit to lead with IBM's middleware, server platforms, and services.

Software application developers receive support from IBM's PartnerWorld for Developers - a worldwide program designed to help software developers reach broad markets, lower their costs of doing business, and take their products to market faster.