Scala rolls out new cutting-edge CRM solution for Middle East market

Unveiling the new solution at a customers' meeting in Dubai, a senior Scala spokesperson said the new Microsoft-powered CRM tool comes with versatile functionality including multi-lingual and multi-currency capabilities, international tax calculations (VAT) and business intelligence for doing business worldwide.

Mr. Ziad Aqrabawi, Regional Managing Director of the Dubai Internet City-based Scala Business Solutions Middle East, the regional arm of Scala said: "The Middle East market for CRM solutions is on a growth trail and we are confident that iScala CRM with its excellent capability to integrate different business processes into one automated stream will be a big success."

"Our iScala CRM comes to the Middle East market at a time when the demand for CRM solutions is set to boom, and according to a recent study by Madar Research the CRM market in the UAE alone is set to grow to US$90 million by 2008 - a compound average growth of 20 per cent during 2003-2008 - and we see big growth potential for Scala in the coming years," he said.

The integrated iScala CRM solution was launched globally last year and showcased in the UK at a Microsoft event in January 2004 where the keynote speaker was BillGates, Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect. Since the launch, the software has been sold to more than 12 sites for deployment worldwide. The tool, which helps enterprises get quick access to customer data currently, supports 13 languages including Russian, Swedish, Czech, Polish, Spanish, Hungarian and Mandarin Chinese.

"iScala is an integrated solution that can help lower your total cost of ownership and get a speedier return on investment. The software is a no-compromise collaborative ERP system that offers the most complete integrated ERP, CRM, BI and SCM solution," said Mr.Aqrabawi.

He said the iScala CRM comes with a host of versatile features that include a shared data base helping employees to take informed and agile decisions, capability to automate sales processes, quote creation, order management etc.

It can be a stand alone tool or integrated with the iScala ERP system and allows efficient sales forecast, measurement of business activity and performance apart from helping enterprises track market trends, opportunities and problems.

"The easy-to-use solution that adds value to any ERP regime works both from Microsoft Outlook and the Web and can be customized enabling people to employ a `one-source' approach to information access and use expediting business tasks at a faster pace," he said.

"We are absolutely confident that the ERP software market in the GCC presents us with major growth opportunities and experts like Madar Research has said that during the next five years it is expected that the ERP uptake growth will be somewhere around 15 per cent in the GCC market," Mr. Aqrabawi said. He also cited an IDC Middle East and North Africa report which said it is expected that the ERP market is set to grow by over 17 per cent to US$219 million by the end of 2006.