CRM FYI

1. Model Metrics is a recognized leader in training people on Salesforce.com.  They now have authorized training centers in Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, and Minneapolis where they are now the place to get trained in those cities.  Their consistent push to excellence has helped them achieve this level of partnership with Salesforce which very few companies reach.  This is a stringent program and was not easy to achieve.  Visit Model Metrics to see how they can train you or your team so you can do more with Salesforce.com.
2. They’re breaking new ground in mobile platforms for Salesforce.com.  Last year at Dreamforce they showed off 2GO for Tablets, an online / offline productivity powerhouse for reps on the go with tablet PCs.  Earlier this year at Dreamforce Europe, they showed off an app for Renault that demonstrated using Visualforce on the iPhone to choose a car, select the options you wanted, and find where a car to those specs was, all built natively on Visualforce.  Since July, they’ve already released two iPhone apps and have another on the way.  Expense2GO is an easy to use expense management system, synched with Salesforce.com that saves time doing expenses and even makes it fun.  Their newest app deserves its own place as reason number three to visit them.  
3. Search2GO for Salesforce – Ever wanted to get at your address, phone, and email details for your Accounts, Contacts, Leads, and Opportunities, but don’t have the dough for a mobile license of Salesforce?  Now you don’t need it.  You can lookup all that and dial directly through the app with only your login, password, and security token for Salesforce.  In other words, it’s simple API access to your data from Salesforce, into your iPhone.  I downloaded the app and it’s great.  You can even download the app for only $9.99 until November 7.  Then the price goes up to $19.99.  It’s a one time fee, not a recurring cost like Salesforce Mobile.  If you need access to this kind of data, this is the way to get it cheap and easy.
4. Meet me at Johnny Foley’s Irish Pub.  Tuesday, Model Metrics is sponsoring an election night extravaganza from 8 PM to midnight at Foley’s Irish Pub.  It’s a great time to hang out, watch the election results come in, and make new friends at one of the best Irish pubs in San Francisco.  Come have a pint with me.  
5. Finally, Model Metrics sponsors CRMFYI and I’d appreciate if you’d stop by and tell them that you read my blog and heard more about them here.  I’m glad to have them on board with me because they’re leaders in consulting, training, apps development, and a whole lot more.  Whether you see them on mainstage during the keynotes, in their booth 625 in the Expo Hall, at the Salesforce Mobile Lounge, in the Oh Zone, or at Foley’s, you’ll be glad you stopped by.  

I’ll see you there.

You don’t often hear where executives put their money, but an interesting story this morning tells where Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos have put some of their own money.  They’ve helped startup ZocDoc with $3 million in Series A funding.

ZocDoc helps patients get doctor and dentist appointments quickly, online.  You can check out more from TechCrunch as well.

$3 million to either Marc or Jeff is not much money at all, for where they are in life, but considering the success each of them has experienced in their respective companies, it makes you think that they must believe it’s a good venture.  I wonder if it’s built at all on either a Force.com or EC3 platform…..