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Done on the road and sound quality down (Sampson C03 USB mikes are okay but not great), I still manage I think a good one. I Read the News Today Oi Vey

1. Salesforce.com & Google announce SFDC-Google Apps "alliance."
2. NetSuite launches One World globalization/localization. Good move.
3. Oracle brings Deal Management 2.0ish to the table.
4. Zoho announces their enterprise CRM edition - for the midmarket - they're smart.

Lists(less): Three Brain Farts I look at three mistakes made by companies I like - all in the same week. That would be:

1. Pardot - The Enterprise Marketing Automation company which otherwise has a very traditionally comprehensive good marketing solution, offers a email capture feature that shouldn't be there.
2. Infusionsoft - a company that I truly like - a VERY useful and powerful "emarketing" (their term) suite (with SFA) denounces CRM far too gratuitously for my taste.
3. Zoho - one of my champs, my stars, attacks Marc Benioff for reasons that really both make no sense and are simply just nasty.

Experience Matters This week I focus on the truly great experience. Check out the virtual tour (mine is verbal but there is a visual on their site) of Sweetwater Audio - one of the finest companies I have ever dealt with and one that gets the customer in every direction - including internally. Music for the Episode

1. Intro: Got My Mojo Working from the album, The Lost Tapes by Muddy Waters. Buy it at Amazon.com
2. News: I've Got News from the album, The Wheel Man by Watermelon Slim & The Workers. Buy at Amazon.com
3. Experience Matters: Use Your Experience by Charles Bobus. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network
4. Outro: Rollin' by Maria Daines. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Final Note I apologize for the poorer sound this week. Working on the road is a bit more difficult sometimes. I think I've taken care of this. I now have the Apogee Duet which should solve all the sound problems that I have when I go on the road. While the Sampson C03 USB mike is okay, it doesn't meet the standard. If you don't want to go the route of the Apogee which can be a bit pricey there are two other USB mikes to look into - the Rode Podcaster USB mike and the Audio-Technica AT2020 USB mike. Rode sounds good, though looks ugly and feels heavy; don't know about the Audio Technica. I'm going more pro than either.

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This episode is heavy on the "tech." From hi-tech companies, to new tech to Virginia Tech. The last two segments are particularly interesting.

I Read The News Today Oi Vey

1. KANA announced an alliance with IBM to build next gen contact centers
2. NetSuite announced its ecommerce suites - adding another vertical notch to its belt
3. Infor finally uses Epiphany's marketing strengths right with a retail specific interaction engine tailored release

The Doesn't Really Have A Title Segment This one is awesome - I talk about the Fantastic Four - my 4 favorite coming-on-the-scene tech companies worth watching. They are:

1. Neighborhood America
2. Zuora
3. InsideView
4. Loyalty Lab

If you want to know what I say about them, you'll just have to listen

Experience Matters In this segment I focus on the deeply emotional experience that my favorite team by eons - the NY Yankees - evoked with their trip to scarred and troubled Virginia Tech on March 18.

And of course......

Music for This Episode

1. Intro: Got My Mojo Working from the album, The Lost Tapes by Muddy Waters. Buy it at Amazon.com
2. News: I've Got News from the album, The Wheel Man by Watermelon Slim & The Workers. Buy at Amazon.com
3. Course Correction: The Leonard Lothen Band
   "I Love Baseball"
   from "America Loves Baseball!"
   (Strait Street Entertainment LLC)
   
   Buy at iTunes Music Store
   Stream from Rhapsody
   Buy at Amazon
   
4. Experience Matters: Use Your Experience by Charles Bobus. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network
5. Outro: Rollin' by Maria Daines. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

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Episode #8

I Read the News Today Oi Vey

1. RightNow Feb 08 Edition has a contextual workspace for contact center agents that's actually interesting
2. NetSuite releases a Business Operating System that focuses on vertical development
3. Google Sites (the artist formerly known as Jotspot) gets Microsoft Sharepoint in its, ahem, sites
4. Netelligent is sponsoring a video dance contest that David Sims claims that several of us are going to dance in - plausible denial is my answer

Lists (The Lame Name)
We look at the The Top 5 Web 2.0 Apps from popular blog Connected Internet Pretty good stuff I must say, old bean. But my loud crying continues when it comes to being an uncool dork because of the name.

Experience Matters Finally, you judge and tell me where you'd shop based on these stories on the difference between Safeway and Whole Foods.

Plus the usual great music - and here it is.

Music for This Episode

1. Intro: Got My Mojo Working from the album, The Lost Tapes by Muddy Waters. Buy it at Amazon.com
2. News: I've Got News from the album, The Wheel Man by Watermelon Slim & The Workers. Buy at Amazon.com
3. Experience Matters: Use Your Experience by Charles Bobus. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network
4. Outro: Rollin' by Maria Daines. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

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Episode #3:

The Battle of Titans - SAP Goes All Web 2.0, Salesforce to Salesforce announced, NetSuite IPO About Time

NEWS
The news this week was pretty exciting, due in part it proved me right again and who's ego doesn't like that kind of stroking!! (Mine does) Some of the news:

1. SAP announced that it was transforming SAP CRM 2007 not just by adding some great functionality, but by an extreme makeover of the look and feel
2. Salesforce-to-Salesforce released to further salesforce's aim of world Business Web domination
3. NetSuite to FINALLY go public in December; starts with Dutch Auction

POVC
In this weeks segment - knowing the customer experience granularly is your new cornerstone requirement and BPT Partners, GCCRM and Strativity have some answers to that need (and...desire)

LOVE YA, HATE YA
We give love to Prahalad's & Ramaswamy'sThe Future of Competition and to Brent Leary & Michael Thomas on Technology for Business' Sake and throw a soft hate on to Making Meaning by Shedroff, Rhea, etc.

MUSIC ATTRIBUTION
The music this week is actually pretty damned good!

1. Intro and Closing -Waitin’ on the World to Change” (Cover Song) by Chris Lombardi
2. Forecast from the Cliff - Forecast by GSE-Prophet
3. MyCRMCareer Commercial - The Long Train (Cover Song) by Mark Henson Band
4. POVC - Experiences by Purple Universe
5. Love Ya Hate Ya - Sound of Silence by Chris Lombardi