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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

TechnoGranny, Comparison of SalesForce and Zoho for CRM, Customer Realtionship Management

There was confusion between me and my guest for this show, so most of this information is either from Wikipedia or the respective websites for Sales Force and Zoho. I look forward to having Ed Denzler on the Techno Granny Show in the near future.
You can listen to this show live if you prefer audio at: http://tinyurl.com/TechnoGrannyShow

Customer relationship management (CRM) is basically the function of building a long standing relationship with a customer. This maximizes profits, since it is cheaper to retain a current customer than it is to find a new one. It also consists of the processes a company uses to track and organize its contacts with its current and prospective customers. CRM software is used to support these processes; information about customers and customer interactions can be entered, stored and accessed by employees in different company departments. Typical CRM goals are to improve services provided to customers, and to use customer contact information for targeted marketing.

Sales force management systems are information systems used in marketing and management that help automate some sales and sales force management functions. They are frequently combined with a Marketing Information System, in which case they are often called Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems.
Sales Force Automation Systems (SFA), typically a part of a company’s customer relationship management system, is a system that automatically records all the stages in a sales process. SFA includes a contact management system which tracks all contact that has been made with a given customer, the purpose of the contact, and any follow up that might be required. This ensures that sales efforts are not duplicated, reducing the risk of irritating customers. SFA also includes a sales lead tracking system, which lists potential customers through paid phone lists, or customers of related products. Other elements of an SFA system can include sales forecasting, order management and product knowledge

This is what sales force.com says about their CRM product:
Successful CRM involves many different areas of your company, starting with sales, of course. But also various other customer-facing areas, like marketing and customer service. Salesforce.com offers a technology solution for all those areas… and more. With Salesforce CRM software as a service and our Force.com cloud computing platform, you can mind your customers and your budget at the same time (very important in today’s economy). Get up and running in 30 days with the world's most proven and loved CRM solution.

The Zoho Office Suite is a Web- based online office suite containing word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, note-taking, wikis, CRM, project management, invoicing and other applications developed by ZOHO Corporation(formally AdventNet Inc.), an Indian-based company[1][2][3]. It was launched in 2005 with a web-based word processor. Additional products, such as spreadsheets and presentations were incorporated later into Zoho. [4]
Zoho applications are free to use at the entry-level and require a fee for more extensive or professional use.
Sales & Marketing
Zoho CRM aligns your Sales and Marketing by integrating sales with campaigns, leads, sales pipeline, forecasts, etc
Award-winning, complete CRM solution. Zoho CRM offers all the modules and tools that you might need to run your sales & marketing.
Value for your money. We not only provide a great CRM solution, but also have a great price too. How about... 3 users entirely free? No strings attached, not a trial, just free!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

TechnoGrannyShow, Do You Speak Geek? Volume 2




Title: Techno Granny, Do You Speak Geek? Volume 2
Time: 09/28/2009 07:00 AM EDT

Listen at: http://tinyurl.com/TechnoGrannyShow
Episode Notes: Is there really a separate language used by geeks that those not so tech savvy might not understand? Well, yes and much of it has carried over into mainstream conversation at least in tech communities. Unless you want to seem passe and not so groovy, by the way a word not used probably extensively since the sixties, then you need to "get with the geek." There are actually very valuable websites to help you translate, Jargon for Business andTechnical Acronyms, Test Messages and also acronyms that you might want to know about if your kids are using them. For instance, the "word of the day" according to Net Lingo on 9-27 was beepilepsy-- The brief seizure people sometimes suffer when their beepers go off, especially in vibrator mode. Characterized by physical spasms, goofy facial expressions, and stopping speech in mid-sentence. So listen in and get updated with a little of what you didn't know you didn't know. EPISODE124 -


Most of the terms you will see here and hear on the show except for editorial comments by Techno Granny are borrowed from http://net.lingo.com/

404
I haven't a clue

Originally a technical term for Not Found 404 (which is an error message seen on a Web page to indicate a requested URL was not found on a server), in slang to say "404" is to imply someone is clueless, as in "There's no use asking him; he's 404, dude."

411
Information
Online jargon, also known as text message shorthand, used primarily in texting, online chat, instant messaging, email, blogs, and newsgroup postings, as in "Have you got the 411 on that?"

86
Out of, over, to get rid of, or kicked out
Online jargon, also known as text message shorthand, used primarily in texting, online chat, instant messaging, email, blogs, and newsgroup postings, these types of abbreviations are also referred to as chat acronyms.
The origin of this expression comes from the restaurant industry as it is the code on the computers to signify the restaurant has "run out of" a particular dish.

anime
(pronounced: ah-knee-may)
An artistic and sensual type of Japanese animation. On the Internet, one can find hundreds of superb anime Web sites.
back button
One of the buttons at the top of a Web browser. By clicking on it, you "go back" to the previous Web page. Sometimes, this feature does not work in frames, but besides that, it's one of the greatest inventions since e-mail.

bandwidth
The technical definition of "bandwidth" involves the difference between two frequencies and the amount of information that can flow through a channel, as expressed in cycles per second (hertz). It also refers to the range of frequencies (not the speed), or the measured amount of information, that can be transmitted over a connection: the higher the frequency, the higher the bandwidth and the greater the capacity of a channel to carry information. For a digital channel, bandwidth is defined in bits per second (bps). For an analog channel, it is dependent on the type and method of modulation used to encode the data. Broadcast TV channels, for example, all have the same bandwidth, by FCC rule.
In Web jargon, you may hear bandwidth described as the amount of time it takes for a Web page to fully load. Even though this notion is widely used, it is fundamentally incorrect. You will also hear bandwidth refer to the amount of traffic on a Web site, but again this is actually not accurate. One reason why these ideas proliferate is because Internet users refer to larger graphics as "bandwidth hogs," meaning they take up so much room that the download is very slow.
In real life, the term bandwidth has made it's way into mainstream slang. It is often heard around the office to describe tech exec's inability to think about or do multiple things at once, as in, "I don't have the bandwidth to deal with your request right now." If a person is described as having "low bandwidth," it means he or she is considered slow on the uptake ;-)
cookies

a.k.a. a cookie -or- cookie technology
A funny name for a noun that describes a small piece of information about you (about your computer, actually). It is a small file that a Web server automatically sends to your PC when you browse certain Web sites. Cookies are stored as text files on your hard drive so servers can access them when you return to Web sites you've visited before. Cookies contain information that identifies each user, for example: login or username, passwords, shopping cart information, preferences, and so on. When a user revisits a Web site, his or her computer automatically "serves up" the cookie, which establishes the user's identity, thus eliminating the need for the customer to reenter the information. Basically, the server needs to know this information in order for the Web site to work correctly, and the information is nothing more than a string of letters and numbers.
Cookies are commonly "handed out" when you, as a user, login to a Web site where you've registered a username and password. The server finds the cookie information on your computer, checks with its own information, and if they match, retrieves your file. You then have either a personalized version of a portal, or easy access to your online shopping account, for example.
Former Netscape programmer Lou Montulli is credited with inventing the cookie, and it is one of those useful technologies that make the Internet and e-commerce so exciting. For example, when you purchase airline tickets online, cookies ensure that you do not have to reenter multiple frequent flyer numbers each time you revisit a particular service provider (see: sticky content).
The term has morphed into a verb: "Don't worry about the backend tracking yet, we first have to cookie them." In the Internet industry, cookies are used by advertisers to track your browsing and buying habits. In this realm, cookie technology enables advertisers to target ad banners based on what you've said your interests are. Cookies allow Amazon.com, for example, to tailor its appearance to suit a user's established preferences. It's a double-edged sword for many people, because on the one hand, it's efficient and pertinent in that you only see ads about what you're interested in. On the other hand, it involves actually "tracking" and "following" where you go and what you click on (see: clickstreams).
As a responsible netizen, you need to know a few things, and one of them is how to delete your cookies when you don't think you'll use a particular Web site any longer. Another thing to realize is that even if you delete a cookie, the server still stores your information. So don't start signing up on every online form you come across (who knows what'll happen with all that information someday).
defrag
short for: defragmentation

To optimize your hard drive, usually with a program that "cleans it up" and makes it run as smoothly as possible. Slang usage implies some much needed R&R, as in, "I'm not going out tonight. I just want to have a quiet drink at home and defrag."

Google
Google, Inc.

Founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two Stanford Ph.D. candidates who developed a technologically advanced method for finding information on the Internet, its most famous product is a hybrid search engine that ranks the popularity of results that match your keyword search. It has an index of billions of Web pages. Google focuses primarily on delivering the best search experience on the Web, by providing a search site and by licensing its search technology to commercial sites. Ultimately, Web sites are now allowed to freely using Google technology on their own sites, such as Google Local and Google Maps.
Like many great Internet terms, Google has morphed into many usages, including:
• "Did you Google him" - meaning did you run a search on a potential blind date, for example, to find out more about him;
• "I got Goog'ed" - meaning someone ran a search on you to find out more about you;
• "Have you Googled it" - meaning have you run a search on a product or item;
• "Google it" - meaning run a search on it.
However, using its name as a verb may impinge on trademark violations. The company believes that it's important to make the distinction between using the word Google to describe using Google to search the Internet, and using the word Google to describe searching the Internet. FYI: Google has become so popular that a couple in Sweden named their baby boy after Google. Oliver Google Kai was born on September 12, 2005 in Kalmar, Sweden.

hot spot
In the world of IT this term refers to places that have wireless Internet connections. Many national and local retailers, especially coffee shops, are adding wireless hot spots to provide the tech-savvy another reason to stop in and spend some money and some time.

morph or morphing
From the term "metamorphosis," it is to turn one thing into another. It most commonly refers to special effects morphing and it is the animated transformation of one image into another, by a gradual distortion of the first image. Certain points of the first image move to the position of corresponding points in the second image.
Popular culture has adopted the term "morph" to refer to anything that has changed from one thing to another. For example many terms in NetLingo, including this one, originally described a certain meaning, and later came to describe a new or additional meaning, (or a new grammatical way of using the term).
The term morph also refers to the technique spammers use when they alter the header of an e-mail to avoid anti-spam software.

navigate
The act of moving around the Web by clicking on hypertext links (or paths) that take you from one Web page to another. As you navigate, you move from one computer to another and from one server to another without realizing it.
Outside of the Coast Guard and the yacht club, never before has this term been so widely used. This is due in part to Netscape Navigator but also to the fact that humans are now thought to be "navigating" their way through life, careers, relationships, etc. because of more choices and opportunities.

PING or ping
Packet Internet Groper
(pronounced: "ping" as in the sound of a submarine's sonar)
Traditionally this term refers to an Internet program used to determine whether a specific IP address is accessible or online. It works by sending a packet to the specified address and waiting for a reply. PING (pronounced "ping" as in the game "ping pong") is used primarily to troubleshoot

Internet connections. In addition, PING reports how many hops are required to connect two Internet hosts. There are both freeware and shareware PING utilities available for PCs.
Like many great technology terms, this term has morphed into a different spelling and meaning. Seen in email or text messages as "ping me when you get a chance" (not written in ALL CAPS like the acronym) it is used as slang for getting someone's attention. Another example is, "They've decided to fund the project, so make sure you ping Phil to get him on board." To "ping" someone means to send him or her an email or a text message. This new usage has lasting power and is commonly heard everyday in high-tech companies.

plug-and-play
A standard for add-in hardware that requires it to identify itself on demand (see: hot plugging). Most computer systems are now designed to be plug-and-play, so that you can buy it, bring it home, plug it in, and start playing. This makes it easier for people who consider themselves computer illiterate to use a computer, because they don't need to install devices or configure drivers-it does most of the work for you. There's also something known as "plug-and-print," a behind-the-screens technology that improves the way printers and computers communicate.
Slang usage refers to a new employee who doesn't need training. For example, "The new girl is right on; she's totally plug-and-play."

robot
a.k.a. robo -or - bot
Traditionally, it's a device that can move and react to sensory input. Robots are widely used in factories to perform high-precision jobs, such as welding and riveting, and are also used in special situations that would otherwise be dangerous for humans (for example, cleaning toxic waste or defusing bombs). Robotics refers to the field of computer science and engineering concerned with creating robots; it is a branch of artificial intelligence.
The term was coined by Czech writer Karel Capek back in the 1920's, in R.U.R., a play about technology gone awry (it predicted that robots would ultimately destroy humans). The first commercial robot firm was founded in 1961 by Joe Engelberger. Today, Bill Joy co-founder of Sun Microsystems has worried aloud that 21st-century robotics and nanotechnology may become "so powerful that they can spawn whole new classes of accidents and abuses." "As machines become more intelligent, people will let machines make more of their decisions for them," Joy wrote in Wired magazine. "Eventually a stage may be reached at which the decisions necessary to keep the system running will be so complex that human beings will be incapable of making them intelligently. At that stage the machines will be in effective control."
The term "robot" has morphed to also refer to bots, which are automated programs used in several online functions.

spammin'
Slang for speaking aimlessly on a mishmash of topics, or to stuff someone's brain with information of questionable content. For example "This guy on AOL started spammin' me about Rush Limbaugh's superior intellect."