Dendrite Launches .NET Framework for Next-Generation Pharmaceutical CRM
Dendrite International, Inc. extends its pharmaceutical-specific software development leadership with the launch of an innovative technology framework, which will serve as the core architecture for a new generation of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems tuned specifically for the unique needs of the pharmaceutical industry.
Traditionally, there is a significant expense and time-lag associated with integrating enterprise-level information. These issues have contributed to unfulfilled expectations from many of the latest CRM suite implementations seen over the last few years. Dendrite’s new technology enables a cost-effective approach to integration with other enterprise applications–including sales force automation, sample management, customer management, call center, marketing, and data management solutions–in order to share information across the enterprise and achieve true CRM business objectives.
Featuring the market’s first set of pharmaceutical-oriented Web and integration services and common objects, the framework will help ensure interoperability with today’s other leading software providers and strategic partners. Dendrite’s new framework is built on Microsoft .NET–software designed for connecting people, information, systems, and devices–enabling customers to take full advantage of the inherent integration and future expansion of Web services. The nature of these pharma-specific Web services enables enterprise applications to interact in a manner that leverages, or “borrows,” functionality from each other as if they were one seamless product. Dendrite’s new platform includes integration components from TIBCO(R), whose market-leading integration solutions are already used by many leading pharmaceutical companies.
“Dendrite’s new framework is ‘tightly coupled’ to business needs while remaining ‘loosely coupled’ to proprietary technologies, giving customers ultimate flexibility in implementing CRM components,” said Garry Johnson, Dendrite Chief Technology Officer. “Previous CRM deployments have struggled to add value largely because companies had little choice but to install, maintain, and attempt to upgrade costly and cumbersome product suites. Today, however, using open technology, such expense and compromise is unnecessary. Customers can integrate their enterprise-wide applications, share data, and begin to realize the promise of CRM.”
“Dendrite’s solution is an example of how the flexibility of .NET provides the tools necessary to create more secure, reliable, and easy-to-use solutions,” said Mark Young, General Manager, Developer and Platform Evangelist at Microsoft Corp. “By taking advantage of Web services and Microsoft’s .NET technologies, Dendrite provides its customers with the foundation for increased productivity through a flexible CRM solution that more seamlessly integrates with the other applications on the network.”
Device, Database, and Region-Independent Platform
After consulting with leading pharmaceutical clients, Dendrite designed its technology platform to be device-, database-, and region-independent. Applications built on this technology can be deployed in thin or “smart-client” configurations and will run on various hardware devices, including handheld, laptop, and tablet PCs, all built from the same core application.
Dendrite’s new framework minimizes the need for custom interface design across the enterprise, a traditionally expensive and time-consuming undertaking, by leveraging a real-time messaging architecture and integration services from TIBCO(R). Each application will be able to share critical information and maximize data collected in other systems. The result is a solution that enables formerly disparate applications to interact harmoniously and be independently sourced and upgraded based on individual business needs.
Broad Application Support
Dendrite’s framework will include configuration tools for extending business applications and include support for:
— Microsoft Office technologies including ASP.NET and ADO.NET, which offer seamless connectivity of multiple systems and data sources
— Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 and Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server
— Microsoft Windows Server 2003, which many of Dendrite’s pharmaceutical customers utilize today
— Electronic data management, validation, storage, and auditing solutions
— Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 to support enterprise class scalability and maximized performance
“While it is clear that open, service-oriented architectures can help the pharmaceutical industry minimize cost, the perspective of end users must also be considered,” commented Dale Hagemeyer, Research Director, CRM Practice, Gartner Inc. “For example, when sales representatives can use the mobile device of their choice, have better integration with MS Outlook and other enterprise applications, faster data synchronization, and a more consistent interface across the suite of solutions, there is real value. ROI in CRM is all about giving users the information they need when they need it.”
Dendrite’s CRM Solution Suite to Incorporate New Technology
Unlike other “horizontal” solutions on the market, Dendrite’s new framework will be offered with a wide range of pharmaceutical-specific Web services that will form the core of all new application development and be incrementally incorporated into the company’s existing solution portfolio. Using the framework’s configuration tools, the latest versions of Dendrite’s flagship sales effectiveness suite and home office products will be released later this year and be among the first applications to utilize the new .NET-based platform.
“With this new technology, Dendrite will enable customers to better integrate their systems, lower IT costs, and achieve hardware independence,” said Derek Evans, Dendrite Vice President, Solution Strategy and Management. “We believe this platform sets a new standard for CRM technological innovation in the pharmaceutical industry.”
About Dendrite
Dendrite develops and delivers solutions that increase the productivity of sales, marketing, and clinical processes for pharmaceutical and other life science clients. For more information, visit www.dendrite.com .
Note: Dendrite is a registered trademark of Dendrite International, Inc.
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