Windows Azure only takes a few minutes to create an optimized price list

Over the years, companies have used manual processes and spreadsheets to set prices for products and services without a real sense of methodology or strategy. This is still true when I write this article!

But now the situation has changed. With Pros step, companies can upload their data to a secure cloud application on the Microsoft Azure platform. With its data science and market analysis, pricing managers and sales executives can be big contributors to helping companies determine the best opportunity to sell their products in just a few minutes and offer the most competitive price.

I want to learn more about this powerful new technology that uses cloud computing, so I visited Oscar Moreno, vice president of Pros advanced products. I asked Oscar several questions about this groundbreaking new SaaS solution, and here's what this conversation is about.

CF: Please give a brief introduction to pros.

Om:pros is a large data software company. Through predictive and normative analysis, we use data science to develop large data applications that help sales teams find the best opportunities to reach their sales quotas and make their companies stand out in the markets they serve. PricewaterhouseCoopers's 16th annual Global CEO survey shows that one of CEO's biggest worries today is the ability to expand business. And that's where pros works. Our solutions help the sales team identify areas where they have the most opportunity to win, offer the right products at the right price, give them more confidence to sell, and make their company stand out from the competition.

We have a stable and cooperative relationship with Microsoft for over 6 years. We have been working with numerous customers (including Navistar, McKesson, Novozymes and UK food service providers 3663) to jointly sell our products and services and achieve great success. Through these collaborations, we have benefited ourselves, Microsoft and our respective customers. We can also proudly say that Microsoft has just designated pros as the 2013 application development partner this spring, one of our proudest honors.

CF: You've just talked about step, so what kind of product portfolio does this new cloud-based solution belong to?

Om:step is a next-generation solution that delivers immediate benefits to companies of all sizes. We develop large data applications for large enterprises with scientific analysis, rebate management and sales and transaction optimization functions. Over the past 18 months, we have come to recognize the interest of midrange market companies in our products, which is why step is so important. In business-to-business sales, not just large enterprises, all organizations have large price fluctuations. With Cloud-based solutions built on the Microsoft Azure platform, organizations can easily download their data in just a few minutes and automatically play the power of data science. Sales teams can sell more confidently and know how to adjust pricing and sales strategies for different customers ' buying preferences.

Cf:step is a new market for pros. Could you tell me how you developed this new product?

OM: Innovation is the lifeblood of pros, and step is actually developed by one of our innovation units. This innovation unit is made up of five people. Teams and individuals apply for a six-week working environment in a mixed mix. At the end of the six week, they want to present an effective business case and complete software. For step, we decided to continue funding the six-week plan. This is the birth process of step. It helps the pricing managers and sales teams in the mid-tier market to identify opportunities and similar businesses against today's competitive sales situation background. Companies can improve sales efficiency through the power of data science, computer learning, and interactive segmentation. We believe that this will play an important role for business-to-business companies.

CF: You chose Microsoft Azure as the platform for this solution. That's why.

OM: We have established a strong relationship with Microsoft, especially in the area of SQL Server. We've been looking for a cloud platform that can scale products and customers. When we migrated from AWS, Microsoft was a part of our global partnership, providing us with excellent technical support. Step is built using Java and open source technologies such as MongoDB. It runs on Windows Azure cloud services and also uses a variety of PaaS (platform-service) services, such as Windows Azure storage queues and SendGrid.

A Microsoft consultant has been working with us for one weeks, so it's easy to overcome technical challenges and understand the power of the platform. This is a simple seamless process. Dedicated support is a huge differentiator for our team compared to the services of other companies, and Microsoft Azure offers the best combination of features for our step customers.

CF: How do your customers and potential customers evaluate step?

OM: The feedback from customers and prospects is very encouraging, and they all express interest. So far, the feedback we have received is that they enjoy the ability to easily create optimized price lists in just a few minutes, a few days or months ago. Using step, they also found less obvious opportunities and insights when using manual processes. Customers and prospects tell us that they like step because it is a cloud-based solution that does not require collaboration with it to get funding or resources. We are very pleased with the progress so far.

CF: How do you attract customers to suggest using pros step?

OM: We've posted two videos on our website to show how easy it is to use step. Through this website, the customer can test the step for 30 days. By uploading data on Azure clouds, they are able to see the value of data science and segmentation in just a few minutes. We predict that as more and more companies are aware of the use of data science and segmentation, and see the actual results, there will be more and more companies to adopt step.

To learn more about step, please visit the product website http://step.pros.com/

Interviewer and author: Development tools and Platform Division senior Business Planner Cecile Ferreboeuf