The dynamic growth can be measured in many ways, perhaps most dramatically in terms of membership growth and the increased number of services that members receive. During the past fiscal year, CSD’s membership has tripled, reaching 400 members by June 1998. Now with the merger of CSD and Software Forum, the count is 1,200 members. The goal is 2,000 members by the year 2000.
As membership has expanded, so have the number of events, from entrepreneurial seminars, to VC One-on-Ones, to larger special events like the Showcases and the PDA Developer Connection. With the monthly dinner meetings and the SIGs, SDF will run 20 to 30 events per month.
As the organization has grown, so have the demands placed on its electronic messaging system. At SDF, electronic messaging is the prime form of marketing. SDF uses it to handle most of the correspondence with its members. SDF markets its seminars, events and programs to its members and many others through e-mail. SDF uses Rockliffe MailSite e-mail and list server software to handle its electronic messaging needs. This software was put into place several years ago at the CSD by John Davies, president and founder of Rockliffe Systems, Inc. CSD was the first beta test site for Rockliffe MailSite in
Davies has long been associated with CSD. He started working with CSD in 1995 as a volunteer Internet manager, and while he’s no longer an active volunteer, he continues to provide SDF with expertise and assistance as needed.
"We rely heavily on our e-mail capability to communicate with our members," said SDF Executive Director Sandy Herz. "As a result of the merger between CSD and Software Forum, we estimate e-mail traffic may increase to 10,000 messages per month."
To support this level of activity, while making provision for even larger membership lists down the road, CSD wanted a Windows NT-compatible, totally scalable, Internet-ready list server package that could not only handle rapidly expanding mail traffic, but that could keep total costs in check. "Rockliffe MailSite e-mail and list server software meet all these require-ments," Herz said. "Plus its customer service is outstanding."
Since its installation at CSD, Rockliffe MailSite has met all of the organization’s requirements. In fact, says Davies, SDF’s volume is far below Rockliffe MailSite’s total capabilities: "This server can easily handle message volumes far in excess of SDF’s current requirements," he said. "The only limitation on the number of mailboxes that can be handled is the speed of the server CPU." For example, Rockliffe MailSite customers are servicing more than 100,000 mailboxes with a single Pentium server.
And, he added, Rockliffe MailSite is fast. "This product can handle large mail
Davies also notes that Rockliffe MailSite is now a proven product. "Already nearly half a million worldwide users depend on the product every day," he said. "It is proven and it is reliable, and Rockliffe provides first-class technical support for its products." Herz adds that when Rockliffe MailSite is running your e-mail system you don’t have to worry about your messaging. "E-mail communications is one less issue we have to concern ourselves with," she says. "Thanks to Rockliffe’s MailSite, everything works the way it is supposed to, plus we have the power to expand our system as the SDF grows - and we can do it at a cost of ownership lower than any other alternative available to us."
The Rockliffe MailSite Enterprise Pack is available to SDF members at a 20 per-cent discount. For further information, contact sales@rockliffe.com and refer to the Rockliffe/SDF offer.
Rockliffe can also be reached at 1-408-554-0766, or at http://www.Rockliffe.com.
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