BroadVision Inc. BVSNQ

competitor

[queue]

Exterprise launches new expedition 9/29/99 7:00:00 AM By Marla Dial, dbusiness.com AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 29 (dbusiness.com) -- The offices of Exterprise Inc. emanate the unmistakable atmosphere of a startup. Here, before most workers arrive for the day, an efficient office manager is helping a new employee fill out paperwork, coordinating travel schedules for executives and filling colleagues in on a possible new office location, which would relieve Exterprise¹s crowded conditions in the Austin Technology Incubator. Into the scene strides CEO Manoj Saxena -- or, as he's known to employees these days, "Capt. Buzz Buildabrand." It's a light-hearted nickname, but one with deep meaning to Saxena, a 3M Corp. veteran who wants his company's software to transform the way large corporations do business in the Internet age. Exterprise -- a software and services company which has grown from only five people to more than 60 since February -- is preparing to launch its first major product. Executives say the ActiveBusiness software suite is "the world's first enterprise marketing management solution" -- a conglomeration of collaborative software pieces that can help companies protect their core business while adapting to the Web and capturing new business. Built on a foundation of intelligent agents, ActiveBusiness compiles integrated profiles of a company's customers -- whether they're coming through the Internet, direct sales, channel partners or customer service -- and suggests value-added offerings. The result, Exterprise executives say, is a more personalized approach to customers, superior business insight and the ability to implement new marketing models quickly. Not to be confused with marketing automation, EMM is a relatively new software market that last year was valued at less than $200 million, but is expected to reach $2.3 billion by 2003, according to Forrester Research Inc. Exterprise likens it to an iceberg -- a frozen monster still largely obscured in the depths of the Internet frenzy, while many companies continue to focus on smaller, protruding areas such as e-transactions and customer relationships. Saxena says he doesn¹t know of any direct competitors yet in this space, although some companies -- chiefly BroadVision and SilkNet -- are coming close, and he expects more to follow. EMM software could be particularly attractive for Global 1000 companies -- such as 3M, IBM, Oracle Corp. and others where Exterprise executives earned their stripes. "They're the ones under the most pressure and the biggest threat to lose out to [nimbler] competitors," Saxena says, "but they also have access to the greatest resources. They have a lot to gain from these solutions and by transforming themselves." Exterprise currently is delivering beta versions of its ActiveBusiness software to Global 1000 customers. The company has had at least 10 orders but plans to focus only on about five before full release next year. COMPANY: Exterprise Inc. INDUSTRY: E-business software and services. PRODUCT/SERVICE: Enterprise marketing management software. YEAR FOUNDED: 1998. MANAGEMENT: CEO and President Manoj Saxena was a business manager at 3M Corp. prior to starting Exterprise. Vice Chairman and co-founder Satyendra Rana was responsible for technology strategy development and other projects for IBM Global Services. Chairman Shelby Carter Jr. is a former corporate vice president of worldwide operations for Xerox Corp. Pervasive Software CEO Ron Harris, Austin Ventures General Partner Joe Aragona, and Triton Ventures founder Laura Kilcrease also are directors. EMPLOYEES: 61 and growing -- possibly to more than 90 by the end of 1999. INVESTORS: Austin Ventures and Triton Ventures have contributed an undisclosed amount in two venture rounds. Private investors from Texas and California also back the company. STRATEGIC PARTNERS: IBM, Computer Science Corp., The Knowledge Webb, Uii Inc. CUSTOMERS: The ActiveBusiness software is being piloted by a handful of Global 1000 companies in the United States and Britain. Pilot companies are in the automotive, financial services and telecom industries. COMPETITORS: BroadVision, SilkNet. FISCAL YEAR REVENUES/PROFIT: Does not disclose. STRATEGY: Exterprise uses a combination of direct sales and channel partners, such as large systems integrators and e-business service firms. The company licenses its software and rents it on ASP basis. Initial target markets are the United States and Britain, with plans to expand further into North America, Europe and Asia next year. WHAT KEEPS THEM AWAKE AT NIGHT: "The challenge part is primarily managing growth. How can you go from a company with five people to a company with 60 people in eight months ... and yet not lose the essence of this being a fun and exciting place?" CONTACT: Exterprise Inc., 3925 W. Braker Lane, Austin, Texas 78759; 888-9056, Fax: [phone]; www.exterprise.com or [e-mail]