NETTING IT OUT

RightNow Service is the knowledge management-based customer service offering from RightNow Technologies, Inc. The offering also includes case management and assisted-service capabilities. RightNow Service is one of the six applications in RightNow CRM, a software suite offered through Software-as-a-Service licenses to organizations of all sizes across a wide range of industry segments. RightNow’s first product was introduced in 1997. RightNow November ’08 is the current release. To date, RightNow claims that more than 1,900 customer accounts have implemented one or more of RightNow CRM’s applications.

On the PSGroup Report Card for knowledge management-based customer service products, RightNow Service exceeds requirements in UI content management, escalation, analytic functionality, and both product and company viability. We gave it a “needs improvement” grade in knowledge management.

Four factors are key to our recommending that organizations of all sizes in a wide range of industries consider RightNow Service to address their requirements for KM-based customer service: fast implementation and SaaS deployment, flexible customizable and personalizable functionality, included assisted-service and case management functionality, and product and company viability.

CUSTOMER SERVICE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND RESOLVE PROBLEMS

This report presents our evaluation of RightNow Service against our framework for knowledge management (KM)-based customer service products. KM-based customer service products help customers get answers to their questions about your organization, your policies, and your products and services as well as to diagnose, isolate, and resolve problems with those products and services. These products are considered knowledge management products because they combine content management and search technologies to build customer service applications that create the “knowledge” that answers your customers’ questions.

RIGHTNOW OVERVIEW

Company Overview

RightNow is based in Bozeman, Montana. It is a public company (NASDAQ: RNOW) with 700 employees that was founded in 1997. RightNow does business internationally through a direct sales force and a partner network in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. RightNow’s 2007 revenues were $112 million, and 2008 revenues will likely come in at more than $130 million.

RightNow CRM is RightNow’s product offering. It’s a suite of seven products centered on the traditional CRM functions of marketing, sales, and service with additional, related applications that provide analysis and reporting, support the voice channel, gather and analyze, customer feedback, and provide integration with external systems. All of RightNow’s products are offered through subscription licenses for Software as a Services (SaaS) deployment. There are 1,900 customer accounts currently using one or more RightNow CRM applications.

RIGHTNOW NOVEMBER '08

RightNow November ‘08 is the current version of a suite of these seven applications:

• RightNow Marketing

• RightNow Sales

• RightNow Service

• RightNow Analytics

• RightNow Voice

• RightNow Feedback

• RightNow Connect (integration framework)

While these applications comprise a suite, you can license RightNow Marketing, RightNow Sales, and RightNow Service separately. You can also license RightNow Analytics, RightNow Voice, RightNow Feedback, and RightNow Connect separately. These applications enhance and complement CRM functionality.

Right Now Service November '08

You’ll use RightNow Service to help implement KM-based, cross-channel, cross-lifecycle customer service, and you’ll use RightNow Analytics to analyze and refine your implementation. This report evaluates both against our framework for KM-based customer service ...