Toshiba Launches Social Business Network Designed to Connect Sales, Service and Corporate Professionals Nationwide
2009-08-24 13:40:04 -
Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. (TABS) today announced the launch of Toshiba eXCHANGE, a social business network that will connect thousands of Toshiba sales, service, administrative and corporate professionals nationwide, allowing them to easily share information, build professional relationships, and improve their ability to serve the needs of customers. Similar to existing social networks, such as Facebook, LinkedIn or MySpace,
Toshiba eXCHANGE will unite the Toshiba community by providing members with a convenient, easy-to-use online forum to share and seek information – such as best sales practices and techniques, end-user generated knowledge and product tips.
“Toshiba eXCHANGE is exciting because of its user-generated content and leading-edge technology, but most importantly because of the opportunity it provides our extended Toshiba family members to easily connect and share knowledge,” said Bill Melo, Vice President, Marketing & Enterprise Services and Solutions, TABS. “It’s estimated that only 20 percent of an organization's knowledge is actually captured in written documents, while the remaining value-rich information resides exclusively in the heads of employees. Toshiba eXCHANGE gives members the chance to easily document, share and seek that remaining 80 percent of information, therefore creating new opportunities for sales and service success.”
Designed for TABS employees, its international channel of independent dealers and Toshiba Business Solutions’ (TBS) direct sales and support staff, Toshiba eXCHANGE will feature innovative and easy-to-use tools including.
- Detailed profiles of online eXCHANGE members that will enable users to connect directly to other Toshiba sales professionals
- Blogs that will keep members aware of ongoing product and program updates
- Video clips that will provide education and product launch information
- Content ratings, which will help indicate the value of information and content
- RSS Feeds/tags that mark key interest areas for users
- Intelligent searches that will help members locate information quickly and easily
“By eliminating communication barriers within our large, geographically dispersed partner ecosystem, we believe we can drive shorter sales cycles, further strengthen our already outstanding customer service programs, and improve individual sales capacity among otherwise largely disconnected teams, resellers and partners,” continued Melo.
Toshiba eXCHANGE is a Web-based platform that utilizes Web 2.0 capabilities. Toshiba chose Jive Software, the Social Business Software (SBS) leader to power this important new community based on their superior technology and ability to customize the platform to the specific needs of the Toshiba community. Jive SBS is the industry’s only suite of social business applications purpose-built for Global 2000 enterprises. Jive’s solutions go beyond collaboration software, allowing people both inside and outside of the enterprise to connect, communicate and collaborate like never before – reducing the cost, time and risk required to produce business results.
Toshiba eXCHANGE is currently available to select participates in a Beta version. The social networking site will fully launch to all eligible members on September 8, 2009. For more information on Toshiba eXCHANGE, copiers, facsimiles, multifunction printing products, network controllers or toner products, or for a dealer in your area, call (800)-GO-TOSHIBA or visit the TABS Web site at www.copiers.toshiba.com : .
About Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc.
Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. (TABS) manages product planning, marketing, sales, service support and distribution of copiers, facsimiles, multifunction printing products, network controllers, and toner products throughout the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TABS has five divisions: the Electronic Imaging Division; the Toner Products Division; the Document Solutions Engineering Division; the International Division; and TOPAC U.S.A., Inc., dba Toshiba Business Solutions (TBS), a wholly-owned subsidiary corporation of TABS, that operates a network of wholly-owned office equipment dealers throughout the United States.
Named the most favored manufacturer ten times by the Business Technology Association (BTA), Toshiba’s entire product line, customer support and marketing distribution policies are markers for the industry. Among the many other awards garnered in recent years, Toshiba was named the “Manufacturer of the Year” eight times by Marketing Research Consultants (MRC), and has twice been named to the CIO 100 for being among the top 100 “bold” (2008) and “agile” (2004) companies in the world.
TABS is an independent operating company of Toshiba Corporation, the seventh largest electronics/electrical equipment company and the world's 91st largest company in terms of sales. Ranked by Fortune magazine as the eighth Most Admired Electronics Company in the World, Toshiba Corporation is a world leader in high technology products with more than 300 major subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide. Fiscal year revenue in 2007 was approximately $76.6 billion.
Original Post