Interface Software specializes in providing CRM for professional services, targeting firms in sub-sectors such as the legal field, accountancy, management consulting, and financial services. As these types of organizations provide a service rather than physical goods, it is the relationship with the client that constitutes the business asset.
Oak Brook, Illinois-based Interface addresses this niche of the CRM market by supplying its InterAction software that is designed to manage complex relationships and support the tracking of changes and both formal and informal links to and between clients and professionals. Privately owned Scout operated in the same field with its Aptus CRM product, which was deployed by several professional services organizations.
There will be a technology transfer, but the main driver for the acquisition appears to be market growth. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Although relationship intelligence is part of the CRM portfolio, it is not an area any of the large players are tackling, and in terms of its direction and technology it has more in common with social networking. However, where social networking is a C2C activity that has been popularized by Friendster Inc, based on an online community that connects people through networks of friends, Interface is strictly a B2B endeavor.
This article is based on material originally published by ComputerWire
