Microsoft deployed an XML Web service inside Microsoft called Alchemy. In about eight weeks, using Microsoft .NET connected software, with its native support for XML Web services, Microsoft's Sales and Support IT team created a single, reusable interface into customer data distributed across a broad range of internal systems account contacts, opportunities, sales, customer support, event participation, and marketing engagement. The reporting front-end, called Account Explorer, provides Microsoft employees an integrated view of customer data housed in many different databases.
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