Agillion's CRM application service
 
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Agillion, Frank Moss' and Steve Papermaster's application service provider (ASP) start-up, recently launched its first services for small and midsize business users.
Amidst much fanfare, the Austin, Texas, ASP is now letting business users rent communications and collaboration software, accessed via a Web portal site. Agillion calls this site its e-Business Dashboard. Agillion customers can access their personalized interface via the company's Web site, using any standard Web browser and any dial-up or dedicated Internet access services.
The software is essentially a customer relationship management (CRM) application for small businesses. The application includes a customer database that synchronizes with Microsoft Outlook and other contact managers, personalized Web sites for each customer or partner, and online team collaboration tools. Agillion customers also have direct access to third-party services from companies such as Federal Express, GTE Superpages, Hoover's Online and jfax.com.
While other ASPs such as USinternetworking and Corio are focusing on offering high-end CRM or enterprise resource planning applications, Agillion is taking a different path. Agillion customers will range from a single user looking for a way to easily access and maintain customer lists, to companies with 50 to 100 employees trying to streamline all of their CRM information.
What's distinctly different is that Agillion's customers will only be accessing these applications via the public Internet. Higher-end ASPs typically offer business users several options for connecting to their remote application servers - via the Internet, private lines or frame relay.
If Agillion's services seem intriguing you should check them out soon. The company is offering its services for free until June. Staring July 1 Agillion will start charging customers $30 per month, per user.
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Denise Pappalardo is a senior editor for Network World, covering ISPs, VPNs and related topics. Reach her at denisep@nww.com.
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