Storage systems, software and services company EMC, and data warehousing solution provider, SAS Institute, have aligned to provide CRM data management systems to dotcoms.
SAS Institute had its foot in the door of a technology deal with EMC courtesy of its partner status in EMC's E-Infostructure Developers program.
The program provides third party application vendors with access to EMC's flagship Symmetrix Enterprise Storage system, allowing for rapid integration, data management and protection tools for CRM system implementation.
Local resellers and integrators poised to capitalise on the venture include EMC partners Comtech, Tripoint and Australian Outsourcing Partners.
EMC declined to comment on respective investments behind the alliance. However, EMC has allocated $US4 billion in R&D funding towards its "interoperability" labs for software and application development with EMC technology partners, executives said.
The EMC-SAS venture will target the CRM and data warehousing markets with dual solutions. Both companies will sell and service dual offerings direct.
"Our solutions will ease the process of customer data flow from one business to the next," said Ian Hamilton, director of alliances and partners for EMC Australia and New Zealand.
Clients who deployed a combined SAS and EMC infrastucture would speed their CRM systems to market, he said. "Companies must transform massive amounts of data quickly into insights for understanding customer motives and delivering greater value," said Donna Bennett, SAS alliance manager.
Hamilton anticipates strong uptake from both old and new economy Internet companies, particularly B2B suppliers, retail, finance, insurance, telecommunications and airline companies.