In this webinar, our experts showcase a variety of demo use cases of how different components of the...
2015 was a BIG year for PowerObjects. We continued to grow our team, we put on our biggest PowerUp event ever, we won Microsoft's 2015 Cloud Partner of the Year, and we were acquired by HCL Technologies. As you can see, there was a lot going on this year, and the acquisition by HCL was definitely a high point. One of great things that comes out of us being an HCL company is that we can now forge ahead in new markets we only dreamed of, including European ones. This year, PowerObjects SVP Jim Sheehan attended Microsoft Convergence EMEA in Barcelona, Spain for the first time. We sat down with Jim to ask him about his experience. Let's see what he had to say!
Q: What was your favorite part of Convergence EMEA?
Jim: The best part of the experience for me was being able to see Microsoft take the Convergence I have known and been a part of here in the United States, and execute on it in Europe. It was great to see that the same messages that are landed in the states are driven at EMEA as well.
Q: What did you see or takeaway that you didn't expect?
Jim: One thing I noticed was that even though the attendance numbers were much smaller than the US event, a higher percentage of people and companies at the event were in serious decision-making mode and weren't out there just kicking tires. If someone stopped at our booth and had questions, they were serious. The attendees had real needs they had been tasked with figuring out a solution for.
Q: What was the focus and vibe of the event?
Jim: Well, the stated Microsoft purpose is that Convergence EMEA is a business decision maker's event and not just focused on the Dynamics products. This overall theme came through in the keynotes and sessions, but the people we talked to and the primary focus on the tradeshow floor was still all about CRM and ERP solutions, which meant I felt right at home!
Q: This was PowerObjects, an HCL Company's formal debut into the European markets. What do you see as the future of PowerObjects in Europe? What's to come?
Jim: This was our big entrance and now it is up to PowerObjects to leverage our parent company's strong position in the United Kingdom and turn it into a significant portion of business going forward. PowerObjects will bring a multi-segment-focused CRM practice to this part of the world and do what we have done successfully in the states. There's no holding us back now!
Q: What is PowerObjects going to bring to the table next year?
Jim: Great question, but a little early to predict! Right now we are focused on the US Convergence happening this spring and will plan a more formal strategy as a new company once we get past that event. If I had to guess, we will probably bring a larger practice and a more focused CRM solution set to Convergence EMEA in 2016, along with our signature PowerObjects excitement and buzz. No one does events quite like PowerObjects does!
Looks like Jim had a great time in Barcelona! You can bet that 2016 will be a big year for PowerObjects as well! Make sure you subscribe to the blog so that you can stay up-to-date with the latest and greatest happenings in the world of Dynamics CRM year-round.
Happy CRM'ing!