CRM Provider TargetX Unveils Enterprise Solution for Higher Education

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., July 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- TargetX, one of the top student-recruiting companies serving higher education, is expanding into the advancement and student-retention areas with two new cloud-based CRM tools.

Similar to its popular recruitment system, which was launched in 2008, TargetX's new CRM modules are built on the proven Force.com platform of Salesforce.com, the worldwide leader in customer relationship management and a pioneer in cloud computing.

"Today we are launching a unique enterprise-wide CRM solution," said TargetX CEO Brian Wm. Niles at the company's fifth annual users conference -- called the Xpert Summit -- held this year in Las Vegas. "Built in the cloud so it is available anytime, anywhere. Built with TargetX's unparalleled communication tools so that colleges can create relationships with students, alumni, potential donors and other key constituencies. And built so that data and services can be easily accessed and shared by all departments using the system."

TargetX's expansion comes at a critical time for higher education, Niles said, since there is increasing pressure to identify and recruit best-fit students, retain those students through graduation, and maintain beneficial relationships through their many years as alumni and potential donors.

"Understanding the nature of 'best fit' is critical," he explained, "because it impacts every facet of an institution. The way we look at it, a best-fit student makes your school their first choice, they love it there, they leave it better than they found it, they graduate from it, and then give back to it -- financially and otherwise."

With this cradle-to-endowment view becoming more and more prevalent in higher education, colleges are looking for technology that can help them engage the prospective student and build on the relationship over decades. Traditional ERP (enterprise resource planning) and SIS (student information systems) are not able to do that, said Niles.

"ERP and SIS solutions do a good job with transactional processes, like sending out bills and keeping track of financial aid," he added. "But they're not designed to maintain communications and help build relationships. For that, you need a good CRM system.

"And what we're finding is that colleges want a CRM that extends across the campus. They're under pressure to be more efficient and effective in their dealings with their key constituencies, and as a result they're demanding enterprise solutions that can manage, integrate and automate the process of relationship building -- through the entire life cycle."

Being able to expand on the success of the TargetX recruitment tool gives the company an enormous advantage in building out an enterprise-wide solution, said Niles. "We're leading the charge to create the next generation of CRM technology for higher education."

About TargetX

TargetX is a unique higher education company that offers both technology tools and consulting services to help colleges build relationships with their most important constituencies, including prospective students, current students, alumni and potential donors. Founded in 1998 on the belief that colleges need to change the way they communicate with prospects and their families, TargetX has been a leader in managing change in higher education and embracing the concept of the experience in higher-ed marketing.

More recently, TargetX launched an Education & Training Center (ETC) where higher-ed professionals can collaborate with colleagues and thought-leaders.

To learn more, visit www.targetx.com

About Salesforce

With over 100,000 customers, Salesforce.com is the world's leading cloud computing company and is pioneering the shift to the "social enterprise," which encourages organizations to embrace the social web and use it to connect with customers and prospects. TargetX chose to build its Student Recruitment Manager (SRM) on the world-famous Force.com platform, which powers the Salesforce CRM tool.

One of the many benefits of the Force.com platform for users of the SRM is the ability to take advantage of enhancements developed by Salesforce as well as TargetX -- part of the appeal of a cloud-based solution. In addition, SRM users can add to the capabilities of their TargetX system through more than a thousand add-on products that address the specific needs of their office or staff -- including telemarketing, on-demand printing or deeper data analysis.

For more information, visit www.salesforce.com

SOURCE TargetX