News

New retail CRM software includes kiosk apps

January 13, 2003

NEW YORK -- Blue Martini Software, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLUE) introduced four new products for IBM eServer systems to help retailers increase customer loyalty, sell more effectively and reduce their costs.

The bundles can be deployed across any retail channel, including bricks and mortar stores, Web sites, e-mail, direct mail and call centers, according to the release.

According to a news release, the Retail Advantage Bundles include Blue Martini Retail CRM software, along with IBM WebSphere Portal software, IBM eServer pSeries hardware and IBM Global Financing. Bundle pricing starts at $11,995 per month, including hardware and software.

The new bundles are:

Clienteling -- Enables store associates to provide customers with timely messages, targeted promotions, event details and suggested merchandise through store-based kiosks, point of sale devices, personal computers and wireless handheld devices.

Gift Registry -- Features include a multi-channel wish list that is synchronized between the store, Web site, kiosks, wireless devices and call centers in real-time. Integration with wireless devices enables shoppers to electronically scan desired items to add them to their wish lists, while viewing relevant information, cross-sells and up-sells.

Loyalty Marketing -- Enhances loyalty programs by automating event-driven loyalty actions. For example, retailers can pull customer loyalty point levels from an existing data warehouse and automatically generate offers and communications via e-mail when loyalty point levels reach or are about to reach specified milestones.

Relationship Marketing -- Enables marketing and merchandising teams to roll out event-triggered, multi-step campaigns across all sales channels in a cost-effective manner. Relationship Marketing can be used as a standalone application, or used in conjunction with existing sales and marketing applications.

Monte Zweben, Blue Martini chairman and chief executive, said in the release that the bundles are based on his company's best practice deployments of retail CRM at retailers like Kohl's, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue.

According to the release, the bundles are the latest milestones in the IBM/Blue Martini relationship.

Blue Martini recently announced its certification as StoreProven by IBM on IBM kiosks including IBM SurePOS 700 and IBM 4694. "StoreProven" is a program in which vendors run a variety of tests to ensure that their solutions meet compatibility standards established by IBM.

Blue Martini also recently announced support for IBM eServer p650, as well as record performance results on the new server.

In March, Blue Martini announced the availability of Blue Martini 5.5 -- IBM Edition, a new solution for IBM customers that delivers functionality for personalized marketing, sales and self-service across all channels. In September, Blue Martini added support for IBM DB2 Database Software.