16 AVENGERS, ASSEMBLE!
Much more than just a publishing outlet for a collection
of superheroes and super villains, Marvel Entertainment
is an IT powerhouse where CIO Glenn Magala has
teamed up with senior business management to create
an IT/business road map to the future. —By Aaron Lazenby
Cover: Bob Adler
SPECIAL SECTION
22 POWERING WORLD-CLASS CRM
CRM is turning into a key differentiator and
source of critical business intelligence for companies around the world. Profit spoke with a range
of executives to learn about the CRM successes
that are within reach today.
22 STICKING WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS
Making sure 3M Mexico’s salespeople can use their
time efficiently is only one benefit of the Oracle CRM On
Demand system. Executives are also seeing actionable
business intelligence. —By Marta Bright
25 BUILDING BRIDGES
Integration is one of the most difficult tasks any company
faces. See how Rackable Systems is making integration
happen with Oracle’s process integration packs.
—By Tony Kontzer
29 PUTTING CUSTOMERS AT THE CENTER
Midsize companies are learning that putting the customer
at the center of their business can make them stand out.
—By Molly Rose Teuke
33 GETTING ROI FROM CRM
CRM can provide ROI and more. Find out how Cognos and
Bayer HealthCare are enhancing customer service and
getting the data they need to compete. —By Karen Bannan
EDITOR’S NOTE
6 CUSTOMERS AT THE CORE
—By Margaret Terry Lindquist
VIEWPOINT
8 FIVE WAYS TO BE HEARD
Tips for getting the most from your vendor relationships —By John Matelski
9 FORWARD THINKING
APPLICATIONS UNLIMITED
13 LATEST NEWS AND INTEGRATION PLANS
Insight into Oracle’s unique applications strategy
ORACLE SALES TRANSFORMATION
39 A NEW APPROACH TO CUSTOMERS
Oracle transforms sales to drive long-term relationships
with customers. —By Carol Hildebrand
BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING
41 PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS WITHOUT THE PAIN
Marriott Hotels leverages a BPO solution for improved
efficiencies and cost transparency. —By Alan Joch
ORACLE TECHNOLOGY
45 ORACLE DATABASE 11g
Why upgrading to Oracle Database 11g makes real
business sense. —By David Baum
VIRTUALIZE YOUR ENTERPRISE
Data glut is the problem—Oracle’s free server virtualization software may be your solution. —By Rich Schwerin
EDUCATION
51 BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
Students explore BPM software from Oracle’s Hyperion
and prepare for a bright future. —By Blair Campbell
FINANCIAL SERVICES
55 ACCELERATING BUSINESS VALUE
How one financial services company partnered with
Oracle to power business success. —By Tony Kontzer
LEADERSHIP
60 WILD THINKING
Find out what primitive tribes know about responsibility
and courage that the business warrior doesn’t.
