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FirstRain Launches the Performinator
Friday, 28th September 2012 Please login to be able to star items

Abstract:

FirstRain is one of those rare products that can potentially help users increase their current awareness and productivity, reduce information overload, and streamline their day-to-day processes. With the latest version of the product, users can now take advantage of FirstTweets – precisely selected Tweets on companies, products, competitors and other relevant topics - as well as the FirstRain Performinator. Reviewer Perrin Kerravala take a closer look at the latest developments.

Article:

FreePint first reviewed the news aggregator FirstRain in August 2011. At that time, I was duly impressed by FirstRain’s ability to find and filter the Business Web – that is, deliver only business-relevant news and company intelligence, while removing the noise of consumer- and entertainment-focused sites. I was also impressed with FirstRain’s 9,000 descriptive categories of business lines, business topics and industrial sectors, which help enormously to focus searches and alerts on even the newest trending subjects.

Since then, FirstRain has fine-tuned their offerings to meet the specific requirements of sales executives and marketing professionals in several industries, including the financial, communications, industrials, healthcare and technology industries. Such executives are under pressure to constantly stay informed on the activities of their major customers and competitors, as well as understand the prevailing market drivers and business influencers of their industries. FirstRain seeks to meet this highly consistent yet very specific requirement of sales and marketing executives by delivering not only relevant content (as any traditional news aggregator would), but also by helping to “connect the dots” on important events and developments that signify change, opportunity and risk.

Another recent innovation is the addition of FirstTweets – precisely selected Tweets on companies, products, competitors and other relevant topics. FirstRain has successfully developed algorithms that can select, analyse and categorise 140-character length messages. Uses will be impressed by FirstRain’s ability to deliver relevant Tweets from notable industry analysts and web commentators, without irrelevant content and with a minimum of duplication.

FirstRain’s numerous customer testimonials speak to their success in delivering targeted, actionable customer intelligence. Much of their success may be attributed to their flexible deployment options. Instead of handing out yet another login on another website, FirstRain delivers content via portal integration. For example, the FirstRain Performinator makes it possible for users to add FirstRain dynamically-updated company profiles and news directly into their CRM systems. Alternatively, users can display the latest breaking market or sector intelligence in their shared enterprise workspaces, such as SharePoint. Finally, FirstRain is optimised for delivery over iPad, iPhone and Android devices, and easily enables users to share this content across their numerous portals and mobile devices.

The FreePint Report: Product Review of FirstRain provides a look at one of those rare products that can potentially help users increase their current awareness and productivity, reduce information overload and streamline day-to-day processes.

By Perrin Kerravala

Perrin Kerravala is a Senior Librarian at Export Development Canada (EDC). EDC is Canada's export credit agency, offering innovative commercial solutions to help Canadian exporters and investors expand their international business. Before joining EDC, Perrin worked as an Information Specialist at the Canadian federal Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and at BMO Capital Markets, an investment banking firm.