Long Reach Releases Version 2.5 of info@hand Customer Portal & eStore:

Key Additions Include Knowledge Base Access, Enhanced eStore Features

ONTARIO, CANADA – (March 17, 2008) – The Long Reach Corporation has announced the release of the next generation of the Customer Sales/Support Portal and eStore for its flagship product, info@hand, a Customer Relationship and Business Management (CRBM) System for small and medium-sized businesses. (Try it here: admin/admin to login.) info@hand is one of the first products to blend first class Customer Relationship Management (CRM) features with extended business management capabilities for Accounting and ERP, e-Commerce, Project & Resource tracking, Customer Service, and Human Resources. Maintenance release 5.2.1 of the info@hand CRBM System has been released at the same time as this latest Customer Portal release.

While a CRM is usually purchased initially as a tool for the employees of a business, it is critically important that the CRM also provide attractive and compelling tools for the customers of the business. A 24/7 Sales and Service Customer Portal, as well as an eStore, are critical components of any business' CRM strategy, as they are the customer-facing aspects of your CRM solution.

A customer that is logged in to the info@hand Customer Portal & eStore may perform these functions:

• Update their own contact information at any time, directly within their supplier’s master records kept by the info@hand Business Portal
• Register to use the info@hand eStore, included with the Customer Portal (see more on the eStore here)
  
• Register for Marketing Events, Newsletters and Seminars
• Update their own password for access to the Customer Portal
• Access Invoice and Payment history to check their account balance and status with your business
  
• Access Quotes you prepare for them, and review and comment on them
  
• File service Cases directly within their supplier’s info@hand Business Portal, and return at any time 24/7 to review updated information
  
• File Software Bugs directly within their supplier’s info@hand Business Portal, and return at any time 24/7 to review updated information
• Collaborate on a Project:
  • The customer can see all the project tasks identified (although some may be hidden from the customer by users of the Business Portal), and the progress % to date
  • The customer can see all Documents linked to the project, and can add new documents themselves
  • The customer can see Notes related to the project (although some may be hidden from the customer by users of the Business Portal) – and may add additional notes themselves – optionally with attachments such as Microsoft Office files
  • The customer can see all Contacts related to the project
• Participate in Customer Forums – a full forum system is included within the customer portal
• Review Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and their answers

Some of the key new capabilities of release 2.5 of the info@hand Customer Portal & eStore include:

• Knowledge Base module - customer access is now possible to Knowledge base articles that have been approved in the CRBM as appropriate for customer exposure.
  

• The Customer Portal menu options that are visible to various classes of user (unregistered visitors, Basic users and Full users) may now be controlled and selected within the CRBM admin screen.

• The synchronisation of the eStore catalog with the CRBM Product Catalog now sync's full size plus thumbnail product images, brief and complete product descriptions, as well as the quantity in stock. Catalog sync now also sync's info@hand Assemblies as well as Products into the eStore catalog.
  

Pricing for info@hand is simple compared to other CRM products. info@hand is sold for a one-time customer fee of 185 Euros (about $280 US) per user, which includes specific software for mobile access (info@hand Mobile) and the info@hand Customer Portal with eStore (which provides clients with access to automated sales and service 24/7). Also included in the standard price are the info@hand Plug-in for Microsoft Outlook, and info@hand PBX software for integrating with Asterisk/Trixbox/Fonality/Skype/X-Lite IP telephony solutions.

An online demo of info@hand is available via their website. A 30-day free trial of the info@hand On Demand (subscription) service is also available. Customers may then decide to implement info@hand as On Premise software running on the customer’s own server or at their ISP, or as an On Demand service.