Computerworld published a great piece today on how high-end bike apparel maker Pearl Izumi has resurrected its $10m business with SaaS and EchoSign and our partner Box.net:
"Nearly eight years ago Pearl Izumi Inc., the high-end apparel maker for cyclists and runners in Louisville, Colo., shut down its custom clothing business because it was not hitting profit targets. Today, new services available online are making it possible for the company to revive a proven revenue-generating business, only this time with the expectation that the profit margins are in line with corporate strategy ...
According to Regan, to make the high-end customization business unit a success he needs online services that are "highly knucklehead resistant." He describes his market as comprised of users, largely bike shop owners, lacking deep computer technical skills and are short on patience.
"I wanted the lowest common denominator for customers," he says.
And he thinks he's found it for the sales process in two services, one Box.net Inc. in Palo Alto, Calif. and EchoSign Inc., also in Palo Alto. With the former service, Pearl Izumi's customers can collaborate with apparel sales and design staff to create everything from the garment's fabric and features to quantities and prices. Then EchoSign attaches the output from Box.net in a drop-dead-simple signature-processing service."
"It couldn't be simpler," he says."
SaaS, web services, the Cloud, call it what you want. It's for every business now. Close in on the web with EchoSign.
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