RightNow unveils "reinvention" of Cloud customer service agreements

 

 

Customers might think they automatically have flexibility and price elasticity with Cloud applications deals, but in reality many are no better than the lock-in contracts of the enterprise software old guard. 

 

That was the rallying cry of Greg Gianforte, CEO of Cloud CRM firm RightNow as he launched the firm's Cloud Services Agreement (CSA). Gianforte called it a reinvention of service agreements with clients, and urged rivals in the Cloud Computing game to rise to the 'Cloud Challenge' and be out and proud as a true Cloud vendor. "Step up and engage with clients like true Cloud vendors, not on-premise vendors in Cloud clothing," he said. 

 

The CSA, claimed Gianforte, would help the industry to "finally deliver on the full promise of the Cloud". At an event in San Francisco and beamed via transatlantic video link to London, Gianforte dared other Cloud firms to follow suit by reducing the amount of so-called "shelf-ware", implementing a minimum five year pricing certainty, and no long-term contract lock-ins. 

 

Seven points make up the CSA, including the ability for clients to change their usage up or down on an annual basis; a commitment from RightNow to provide clients with "transparent and fixed pricing for six years"; cash service level credits akin to roll over minutes with mobile phone contracts; and flexible capacity that allows clients to accommodate seasonality and fluctuations without having to purchase for peak usage for the whole year.