One-Stop Shop CRM: Amdocs Announces CES 8

At the end of last month, Amdocs announced a new version of their Customer Experience Systems (CES) product, as well as some impressive fiscal 1st quarter earnings.

The overall good reviews of Amdoc’s CES 8 make their quarterly earnings less of a surprise, as one of Analysys Mason’s senior analyst noted it was a marked effort by Amdocs to offer complete packages to service providers. Amdocs has productized CES’s capabilities, and therefore very easily offers a package that may have once required custom implementations. CES 8 touts customer satisfaction, communication scalability, and lean technology operations, and is the result of a recent user survey titled “Amdocs’ Connected World Survey 2010.”

Along with consultancy Frost & Sullivan, Amdocs conducted a customer survey, and noticed that the trend toward device connectivity meant service providers had to offer more flexible, better-integrated solutions. The report identified four mean drivers for device connectivity—consumer desire for it, improvements in edge devices, improved network capabilities, and new business models and partnerships—as well several hindrances. Among the obstructions in the way of device connectivity: device- and component-certification processes, buildouts for 3G and 4G networks that are still in progress, and the need for additional network openness and industry standards.

To add to CES 8’s litheness, Amdocs took several approaches. They integrated the capabilities of a Java-based convergent service platform, which will synchronize network services across legacy and IP-based network elements, and create a standard development environment for communication applications. CCES 8 also enables service providers to offer one e-commerce experience for all goods and services with Universal Storefront, which hides the complexity of service providers’ different offerings and configurations. And Amdocs ChangingWorlds’s mobile internet portal allows personalization for quick and easy access to relevant content based on users’ specific interest. Lastly, Amdocs is helping users run leaner with small machine architecture.

Amdocs’ commitment to revolutionizing their product is undoubtedly a large factor in the 19% rise in fiscal quarter earnings. Their revenue fell 4% to $724.8 million, but analysts are forecasting a profit of 54 centers per share on sales of $725.4 million. Amdocs is a CRM heavyweight for sure, but this fact is sometimes muddled, as they make the news less often than some of their competitors. Still, we’re excited to see how the competition responds to their movement toward becoming a one-stop shop.

Tags: Amdocs, Amdocs Universal Storefront, CES 8, E-commerce