Market Watch

American Freightways, a scheduled-for-hire truck carrier, has selected YOUrelate, from e-business software provider YOUcentric, as its e-business relationship management solution. The Web-based solution will be used to centralize American Freightways’ customer data, giving the company’s sales professionals and management team efficient access to customer relationship information. Through the use of YOUrelate, the company will make it possible for associates to better understand the needs and preferences of customers, as well as provide proactive responses to customers’ needs by streamlining shipment tracking.

• Salton, a provider of home enhancement products, is using OnDemand, from Charlotte, N.C.-based Convey Systems, a provider of interactive Web-based technology, to optimize its customer service. OnDemand enables a customer to speak with and see an expert who personally addresses his or her needs by interacting with video, voice and text chat features. In addition to the Web site implementation, Salton includes the OnDemand utility in its CD-ROM catalog that is distributed to its existing client base, as well as its potential customers.

• Microsoft bCentral, a Web-based services company for small businesses, has deployed Seattle-based digiMine’s Analytic Services to provide hosted data warehousing, mining and business analytics to better understand online customer behavior. digiMine Analytic Services combine leading data warehousing technologies, proprietary data mining algorithms, technical expertise and guaranteed service to give bCentral insight into and analysis of customer behavior, Web site performance and content and service usage of its online services. As bCentral has introduced new services, such as bCentral Commerce Manager, Customer Manager and Finance Manager, digiMine’s service enables the company to measure the success of new services, while streamlining the Web site and service functionality.

• Ada, Mich.-based Amway, a worldwide direct seller, has selected Aprimo Marketing, from Indianapolis-based Aprimo, as the platform to centralize the planning, management, implementation and analysis of its global events and travel. Amway, which hosts approximately 350 promotional and incentive events each year, expects Aprimo’s Web-based platform to help reduce event and travel expenses by up to 20 percent by allowing the company to predict costs more accurately, negotiate discounted rates with major suppliers more effectively and coordinate efforts with its dispersed team of planners better. The globally dispersed events and travel management team will use Aprimo Marketing to capture key information into one knowledge base, as well as to automate business-critical interactions.

• First Union, one of the nation’s largest banking companies, will implement the Human Capital Management Solution from White Amber, a Lake Success, N.Y.-based provider of Web-enabled solutions for human capital management. White Amber will deploy the solution on an enterprise-wide level to manage First Union’s contract workforce in an effort to streamline and improve efficiencies in the management of that department, with the tool allowing the entire contract staffing process to be handled electronically. By integrating this system into the HRIS platform, First Union will be able to expand its view of the utilization of its contingent workforce.

• Chelsea Interactive, a direct-to-consumer provider of online stores, has selected Broadvision’s software to power footwear and apparel provider The Timberland Company’s Timberland.com, MountainAthletics.com and TimberlandPRO.com. Chelsea Interactive, which manages the Web sites, chose BroadVision’s e-commerce capabilities for Timberland’s overall transaction and database management needs, creating a one-stop e-commerce solution for the three sites. BroadVision One-To-One Enterprise, BroadVision Retail Commerce and BroadVision Command Center will offer a solution that incorporates e-commerce design, development, fulfillment and customer service features to provide online distribution channels for Timberland and give each Timberland brand a direct-to-consumer online store while reducing the company’s reliance on customer service centers.