Siebel's Plans For UpShotSiebel's Plans For UpShot

Siebel Systems Inc. has completed its acquisition of UpShot Corp., a hosted CRM service firm, setting the stage for Siebel to accelerate its recently launched CRM OnDemand.

Siebel paid $50 million in cash for UpShot and will pay up to $20 million more over the next two years in earn-outs based on the performance of the business.

Siebel is adding 100 UpShot employees and gaining its 1,000 customers. It's integrating the UpShot business into the OnDemand business it launched in October. That hosted CRM business is being managed and marketed jointly with IBM.

Competitors Salesforce.com Inc. and Salesnet have announced programs in the past few weeks to lure away UpShot customers.

Mark Sunday, a Siebel senior VP in charge of the OnDemand program, says the company will support UpShot products indefinitely, although the two lines will ultimately converge.

Siebel OnDemand UpShot Edition is available now, the company says, and Siebel CRM OnDemand will be available in the fourth quarter.