CRM – what a Conceptus

Microsoft Corp. closed out the week with the announcement that Conceptus Inc. had chosen Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 to help assure the continued growth of the Essure system, Conceptus’ flagship medical device.

What are Conceptus and Essure? Glad you asked. As it turns out, the Essure system is a permanent birth control procedure that has now run up $40 million in sales (100 percent year-over-year growth in 2006) since first entering the market in 2002. Essure provides “a non-incisional alternative to tubal ligation, currently the leading form of birth control worldwide.”

Conceptus hopes that the availability of the Essure procedure in the US will open up (so to speak) a market currently occupied by incisional tubal ligation and vasectomy, which combined account for more than 1 million procedures annually.

According to press material, “The Mountain View, Calif.-based company selected Microsoft’s premier customer relationship management software to streamline tracking of Essure-trained doctors and stimulate the customer demand…” (So to speak.)

Microsoft gold certified partner ISS Group Inc. developed the CRM system and assisted in integrating it with company websites and other systems using the ISS Group’s iBridge data connector for Microsoft Dynamics CRM. VelocIT Inc., a Microsoft partner responsible for web integration, created loosely coupled (so to speak) services that integrate data and processes from throughout the company.