Electronic Software Delivery (ESD) or Electronic Software Distribution is the process of delivering software assets in digital form to the end customer. ESD is as simple as providing a software package on a website or FTP site and letting your customers know that it can be downloaded. However, when multiple products, product versions, entitlements, revenue recognition and security is put into the picture, simple file delivery methods turn into headaches and loss of valuable staff time.

 S-Drive for Salesforce.com provides a great platform for electronic software delivery. S-Drive is built into Salesforce.com's Service Cloud allowing customers to leverage the full features customer support platform that Salesforce.com provides. These features include:

• Customer portals for customer case management
• Knowledge Center
• Entitlement Management
• Call Center Support
• Soft-phone
• Workflows, escalations
• Fully customizable system
• Robust reporting
• Scalable, secure and reliable solution backed by Salesforce.com

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  On top of this outstanding platform, S-Drive adds storage and distribution platform, allowing software companies securely distribute their software assets to their customers through branded customer portals. Based on sharing rules and entitlements, customers can access software electronically 24/7 with a self-service process.

With the addition of ESD to the Salesforce.com platform, S-Drive enables the full life-cycle of CRM and software sales process. With automation and workflows, as deals are closed, your customers can automatically gain access to their entitled software, eliminating many steps in the process.

Additional benefits from a full featured ESD system includes:

• Elimination of physical delivery costs (CD/DVD shipment)
• Faster revenue recognition
  
• Increase in customer satisfaction
• Elimination of FTP servers, backups, password maintenance
• Depending of the state, customers will not need to pay sales tax on digitally delivered goods
• Strengthens company brand