Fairmont Hotel — RightNow
(NASDAQ:RNOW) today unveiled the RightNow
Cloud Services Agreement (CSA), a client-focused approach to
solution licensing. The CSA reinvents how cloud vendors engage with
clients, finally delivering on the full promise of the cloud.
RightNow Cloud Services Agreement Raises the Bar for Cloud Computing
Providers
Cloud computing promised to fundamentally change how software was
purchased and delivered, and while incredible technical benefits have
been realized with SaaS delivery, benefits have yet to accrue on the
business engagement side of the promise. RightNow’s CSA solves this with
an innovative approach for licensing enterprise cloud software
solutions. It provides the guaranteed-pricing benefits of a traditional
Master Services Agreement (MSA) without the pain – hidden costs,
escalating maintenance bills, lock-in, and shelfware. Also, unlike
traditional MSAs, the RightNow CSA ensures that RightNow’s success is
dependent on its clients’ success.
The RightNow
Cloud Services Agreement includes:
Annual Usage Alignment Up or Down: Traditional agreements often
force clients to buy more than needed to get long-term pricing
predictability. RightNow CSA puts an end to shelfware, allowing
clients to rebalance usage up or down annually to meet business needs.
Three Year Price Commitment Plus Three Year Renewal Price Cap:
Traditional agreements are replete with hidden fees and price hikes,
which make it impossible to predict future costs. RightNow CSA
provides clients with transparent and fixed pricing for six years, yet
clients only have to commit for one year.
Annual Termination for Convenience: With traditional
agreements, once the contract is signed, the client is locked in,
leaving no incentive for vendors to exceed – or even meet – client
expectations. RightNow CSA provides clients with added flexibility
with reduced risk; if RightNow isn’t executing to client satisfaction,
the client can walk away.
Annual Pools of Capacity: Traditional agreements force clients
to buy enough seats or capacity to cover their peak usage, even if
most of it sits idle for most of the year. RightNow CSA provides
clients with an annual pool of usage over a 12-month period. This
allows clients to accommodate seasonality and fluctuations in their
businesses without having to pay extra for spikes.
Cash Service Level Credits: With traditional agreements,
clients receive, at best, credits toward future purchases. If RightNow
falls short of the service levels guaranteed in a client’s customer
care package, it will refund a percentage of the client’s subscription
fees.
Unlimited Capacity for 90-Day Pilots: Traditional agreements
require that clients buy before they try. As part of RightNow’s
standard engagement process, clients are encouraged to try before they
buy.
In addition, CSA provides relief from the protracted and complex
negotiations that are standard operating procedure with
traditional agreements. Because RightNow has reduced risk for clients,
the company and its clients can spend less time negotiating contracts
and more time achieving faster results.
RightNow’s CSA addresses the company’s Cloud Challenge, which CEO Greg
Gianforte is issuing to the industry today, live from San Francisco. See accompanying
press release and watch the challenge here.
Comments on RightNow Cloud Services Agreement
“With our new Cloud Services Agreement, we are truly holding ourselves
accountable for our clients’ success and delivering on the unfulfilled
promise of the cloud. Enterprise cloud computing shouldn’t involve
shelfware, vendor lock-in, or classic enterprise software selling
tactics. RightNow is taking bold steps to reinvent how cloud vendors
engage with clients.”
Greg Gianforte, chief executive officer, RightNow
“SaaS revolutionized how software was delivered, and RightNow’s Cloud
Services Agreement is a call-to-action for cloud providers (and
customers) that they need to get back to the roots of what's most
innovative and impactful about the cloud -- its impact on business
agility and value.”
Robert Mahowald, vice president, SaaS & Cloud Services, IDC
“The Cloud Services Agreement is just the type of premium experience I
expect from RightNow, who I consider to be the premium customer
experience company. CSA will make it easier for me to more quickly use
their solutions rather than getting mired down in contract negotiations
for quarters at a time. I am pleased to see the formalization of
RightNow’s commitment to customer success with the introduction of the
CSA.”
Ken Harris, chief information officer, Shaklee Corporation
Availability
The RightNow CSA is the company’s standard subscription agreement as of
January 1, 2010.
RightNow’s CX Commitment
The CSA is a core component of the RightNow
CX Commitment, a tangible set of activities and investments that
deliver a premium client experience and ensure client success. The CX
Commitment includes:
Focus on Results. RightNow’s entire organization is aligned
around ensuring that clients see business results from its solutions
through its RightNow Project Methodology and Client Success Managers.
RightNow doesn’t kick off a project with a client until expected
results have been agreed on, and doesn’t consider a project finished
until those results have been met.
Easy to Buy. RightNow’s Cloud Services Agreement makes it easy
for clients to do business with RightNow and delivers a new set of
standards for how enterprise cloud vendors should engage with clients.
Expertise. RightNow delivers expertise in every client
engagement.The RightNow Centers of Excellence (COEs) help
ensure client success by defining best practices, providing deep
technical product expertise, and driving product innovation. With more
than 5,000 implementations, RightNow has the skill, business insight,
and expertise to help clients succeed.
Community
Watch the announcement event at www.rightnow.com/march2010.
Learn more at www.rightnow.com/cloudchallenge.
Follow RightNow on twitter at @RightNowNews.
Join the Cloud Challenge conversation on twitter #RNOWCSA.
About RightNow
RightNow is helping rid the world of bad experiences one consumer
interaction at a time, seven million times a day. RightNow CX, the
customer experience suite, helps organizations deliver exceptional
customer experiences across the web, social networks and contact
centers, all delivered via the cloud. With more than eight billion
customer interactions delivered, RightNow is the customer experience
fabric for nearly 2000 organizations around the globe. To learn more
about RightNow, go to www.rightnow.com.
RightNow is a registered trademark of RightNow Technologies, Inc. NASDAQ
is a registered trademark of the NASDAQ Stock Market.
FRNOW
Media Contacts
Chaundera Wolfe, 406-556-3323 or 406-548-4892
cwolfe@rightnow.com
or
Horn
Group for RightNow
Amy Grady, 415-905-4045
agrady@horngroup.com
or
Investor
Relations
The Blueshirt Group
Todd Friedman or Stacie
Bosinoff, 415-217-7722
todd@blueshirtgroup.com
stacie@blueshirtgroup.com