According to Davy (1998) there are good reasons so many companies already are making business transactions electronically. "Organizations have recognized that the immediacy and interactivity potential of the Internet can promote one-on-one customer relationships and thereby increase loyalty and retention. Marketing professionals regard the World Wide Web as a new sales channel that will benefit an organization's bottom line à" (Davy, 1998, p. 20).
SO (Strength-Opportunity) Strategies
Palm has strengthened its strategic alliance with Siebel Systems to create a model for single-source enterprise solutions. The alliance will jointly market CRM and ERP solutions (Kennedy, 2001). This strategy builds on the strengths of both Palm and Siebel to allow both companies to pursue an opportunity. Palm hopes to develop similar alliances with other firms.
An additional alliance pursuing joint development of opportunities is the joint operation of Palm Canada and Veratium Software. This alliance permits Canadian enterprise companies to have real-time wireless access via Palm handhelds to Windows desktop computers to include such applications at Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Power Point, e-mail, and e-mail attachments ("Extending Palm's Functionality," 2001).
A further linking of field and office surveying is available through the use of Palm digital assistants. With a PC-compatible Palm device, it is possible for a surveyor to copy a job prepared using an in-house system and software into the Palm before leaving the office. When the surveyor arrives on site, all relevant data acquired on site can be entered into the Palm to produce a complete on-site valuation of the job. When the surveyor returns to the office, the data can be transferred from the Palm to the database for further use and storage.
SO strategies attempt to use a company's strengths to take advantages of opportunit
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