POINT Trials Underscore Multi-Tier Future For CRM

The future of large-scale customer relationship management (CRM) systems will be multi-tiered, rather than simple client/server. That's the verdict of CRM vendor POINT Information Systems following ground-breaking scalability trials.

The tests replicated real-world activities by 20,000 concurrent frontoffice users performing 300,000 complete transactions per hour over POINT's own three-layer n-tier architecture. The results revealed that application and database servers had as much as 92% capacity in reserve.

According to POINT's CEO Dieter Schneider, "Our own n-tier architecture was developed specifically for the needs of large-scale CRM and these trials prove our vision is fundamentally right. We believe that one day all CRM systems will be built this way. Until then organizations wanting real scalability from a CRM system had better take a good look at the underlying technology before they commit to a particular system.

"This is not a sterile debate," Mr. Schneider added. "It's about the difference between practical scalability that can drive an organization forward or a technological dead end that holds it back."

The trials took place jointly with the Dell Applications Solution Center (ASC) Laboratory, as part of Dell's Application Performance Tuning Program for Independent Software Vendors. A Dell PowerEdge multi-server configuration was set up to support 20,000 virtual agents, each handling 15 calls per hour for over 12 hours.

The tests were devised to challenge POINT's new generation CRM architecture with multiple simultaneous activities, including complex workflow to mimic a busy call center. POINT's implementation of n-tier employs multiple application servers addressing a single database server through pooled connections -- resulting in vastly reduced database overheads per user and quicker response times. Larger systems can be built easily and quickly by adding additional application servers -- each one delivering an additional 6,000 seats of capacity.

Conventional CRM architectures, on the other hand, require one database connection per user, each introducing its own set-up and disconnection overheads, further adding to server loadings and putting a ceiling on practical scalability.

POINT's architecture inherently supports the multi-channel, multi-media, distributed CRM applications now in demand at global companies building extended enterprises and aiming to serve customers through the Internet, wide area protocol (WAP) phones, kiosks and other connections.

About The Dell Application Solution Center

The Dell Application Solution Center is a state of the art technology facility, which provides services in performance tuning, scalability testing, capacity planning and architecture validation. Both customers and software development organizations use the center to validate and tune applications or enterprise solutions on Dell's server and storage technology.

About POINT Information Systems

Founded in 1989, POINT Information Systems is a leading provider of advanced CRM solutions for e-business and e-commerce that let companies link their sales, marketing, customer care and back office functions into an integrated, enterprise-wide customer interaction platform.

POINT's CRM solutions help optimize all customer interactions from initial contact to after-sales care. They capture and retain vital information about customers, share it throughout the enterprise for competitive advantage, trigger appropriate marketing and sales strategies, and build profitability and lifetime customer loyalty. POINT's products are based on an open architecture and data model. This allows users to plug-in third-party applications, so protecting existing infrastructure investments and extending benefits to all customer-facing employees.

Currently deployed in 18 languages across 35 countries, POINT's solutions are used by major multinational organizations including Agilent Technologies, Allianz Group AG, Carrefour, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Deutsche Bank, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Mobile One, New T&T Hong Kong, Newton Fund Managers, Overseas Union Bank, Singapore Telecom and Virgin Mobile. POINT has offices in the UK, the rest of Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific region.

Contact Bernd Leger of POINT Information Systems, 781-239-1226, bernd.leger@pointinfo.com.