Siebel continues its stroll down the wireless path
The software maker signs a deal with Nokia to build e-business applications for mobile devices.
Siebel, which makes customer-relationship management (CRM) software, or applications that automate a company's sales, marketing and call-center needs, said the scope of the alliance will include the developing, marketing and selling of mobile e-business applications.
As part of the deal with the Finnish wireless and telecommunications equipment maker, Siebel applications will run on the Nokia WAP (wireless access protocol) Server, which will enable its customers to order products and services, update sales inquiries, review account information and respond to customer-service requests, the companies said in a joint statement.
The two companies will initially market and sell their combined products to the communications, financial services and health care industries, as well as to technology-related businesses, the companies said.
Pricing details were not disclosed.
The deal is the latest in a slew of agreements that San Mateo, Calif.-based Siebel has made in the wireless market. In July, the company signed a deal with Sprint PCS for the joint marketing and sale of nationwide access to Siebel's eBusiness applications over Sprint PCS' Wireless Web for Business.
In February, the company = news="" 0-1007-200-1557709.html?tag="st.ne.1002.srchres.ni">introduced its Siebel Wireless suite to help employees monitor and update sales leads and order information on handheld devices. The software also gives employees access to the Web over a mobile device.
As part of today's deal, Siebel Wireless is the software that will be bundled with Nokia's WAP servers.
Siebel is not the first business software company to tap the growing wireless market. Its main competitors, Oracle, SAP, PeopleSoft, Pivotal and Clarify, have all started to deliver their own business applications via wireless devices.