Utility Pricing Comes to On-Demand Applications With Airframe Express 3.0
San Mateo, Calif. June 22, 2005 - Airframe Business Software, Inc. (Airframe) today announced the 3.0 release of its immediate-use on-demand applications. Airframe Express 3.0 brings utility-pricing to the forefront of on-demand applications.
Airframe Express consists of three 100% web-hosted applications: CRM Express, HR Express, and Help Desk Express. These applications help small to mid-sized businesses solve pressing issues around customer relationships, human resources, IT and asset management. CRM Express is available at www.airframeCRMexpress.com. HR Express is at www.airframeHRexpress.com, and Help Desk Express at www.airframeHelpDeskexpress.com.
In an industry first, Airframe also announced its adoption of a pure utility-style pricing for all its products. In this mode, customers pay only for their actual usage of the system, with subscription fees calculated daily and billed monthly. Customers can subscribe online now at the promotional price of $39 per user.
"Utility pricing is the future of on-demand applications," said Robert Gryphon, Airframe's founder and CEO. “Flexibility is what software-as-a-service is all about. Airframe has always given our customers the flexibility to choose the applications and services they need. Now, we are offering customers flexibility in the way they pay for applications. Like an electric bill or usage-based cell phone plan, Airframe Express is priced based on actual, not predicted usage."
For advanced users, Airframe offers add-ons to transparently tailor the application to bring out each user's personal best:
- Expanded capabilities in their core responsibilities
- Extended reach across departments
- Advanced configuration and customization choices
As an example, the customer service manager in a software company starts with CRM Express. With the expanded CRM add-on, she gets access to the Professional Services module and can check on progress of a specific customer deployment. With the extended Help Desk add-on, she gets instant access to IT assets status and can check on the state of internal servers and maintenance activities.
Zaki Farhat, president of Cetec, an early Airframe customer, said, "Cetec delivers comprehensive Workforce Management Systems to a customer base of Fortune 500 companies," Mr Farhat said. "Airframe is the only application we have chosen to work hand in hand with our own products. It delivers enterprise class features at 10 percent of the cost and complexity of traditional enterprise software. Airframe should be at the top of the list for anyone looking for an on-demand solution for their department or organization."
Airframe 3.0 introduces a number of new features that place Airframe at the forefront of on-demand vendors, including:
- Notifications and escalations keep management informed and ensure prompt response to issues and tasks coming due
- Airframe's enhanced Report Writer wizard lets non-technical users build their own reports as well as sophisticated, attractive charts and graphs in many styles
- New Warranty & Service Level Agreement module allows companies with complex products and services to maximize customer satisfaction and service revenue
- Communication Campaigns help employee-facing and customer-facing users prepare and execute targeted email, postal mail, and fax campaigns to specific lists of contacts
- A new Import/Export engine makes migration from competitive and legacy applications a snap, and enables constant integration with Outlook™, QuickBooks™ and other complementary applications
- An enhanced Customer Self-Service application lets customers attach files to Service Requests, and check status of Orders and Returns
- A redesigned User Interface improves efficiency and simplicity and has proven that typical users can start using Airframe with minimum training
About Airframe™
Airframe Business Software was founded in 2003 by Octane Software founder Robert Gryphon, to bring the utility of Resource and Relationship Management to SMBs. Airframe's on-demand, utility-priced business applications bring users together, within and across departments, structuring their day-to-day activities and keeping customers, employees and assets in sync.
Some of the companies to adopt Airframe 3.0 include Actuate Corporation, AG Accounting, Camico, Collection Bureau of America, Digital Forest, Elevation Station, OutsourceIt, Pandesa Corporation and Sierra Nevada College.
For more information, please see www.myairframe.com.