CrossView Brings In-Store Experience Online for Sam Ash

- September 18, 2008

CLEVELAND, OH – September 18, 2008 –

CrossView, Inc., a pioneering provider of cross-channel retail and commerce solutions, announced today its successful launch of a new SamAsh.com site for New York-based music retailer Sam Ash Quikship Corp. The new site utilizes an assortment of CrossView’s cross-channel commerce solutions, as well as introduces an interactive customer buying experience previously available only in physical stores.

Sam Ash’s new Virtual Cymbal Room emulates the experience available in a specialty drum shop, where customers can play and compare instruments in sound proof rooms. The Cymbal Room recreates this experience on the web, allowing customers to try different products so they can make informed purchases.

"Drummers purchase products by comparing their sound and putting together a set of sounds that they want. Websites have traditionally done a great job of showing pictures and copy, but have not been able to let customers shop by sound. The new Virtual Cymbal Room does that," said David Ash, CEO of Sam Ash Music. "A customer can compare and select sounds on Monday and be playing his new cymbals by Saturday. You can have the in-store shopping experience from the comfort of your den without having to trudge through the rain or snow to get to a store."

Among the other enhancements to the Sam Ash site is its migration to IBM's WebSphere Commerce version 6.0, as well as integration of CrossView’s modules for CyberSource payment processing, HSBC, Givex and PayPal. Also integrated into the site is product feed capabilities for Traffic Leader, Google Shopping (formerly Froogle) and Amazon. Coremetrics was integrated for analytics, and LinkShare was implemented for affiliate marketing.

The site also leverages the previously launched CrossView Retail Management Console (RMC). The CrossView RMC extends and complements Sam Ash’s IBM WebSphere Commerce platform. Some of its features include: the ability to add unlimited product attributes, an attribute dictionary, unlimited product images, the ability to assign multi-media files to products, and advanced promotion management tools.

"The Sam Ash Cymbal Room and RMC are examples of how CrossView is helping companies implement cross-channel features and services," said Mark Fodor, CrossView CEO. "Our goal is to help these companies' implement centralized tools and functionality that allow their customers to shop how, when and where they want, whether it’s in the retail store, on the web or over the phone, with the same ease and features that they would traditionally experience in only one channel."

"Since go-live, the site has been stickier than before," adds David Ash. "People are staying longer and enjoying their experience on the site more than ever."

About CrossView, Inc.
CrossView, Inc., empowers merchants to deliver an integrated consumer experience and optimize transactions for all customer touch-points. Leveraging IBM’s WebSphere Commerce backbone and its Retail Integration Framework, CrossView’s innovative approach eliminates the traditional informational and functional silos that typically exist between a merchant’s storefront, call center and website. This integrated solution creates greater operational efficiencies and a greatly improved customer experience. Based in Santa Clara, California, CrossView is a privately-held company. For more information, please visit www.CrossView.com.

About Sam Ash
Founded in 1924 in Brooklyn, New York, the Sam Ash family of companies is involved in all aspects of musical instrument, recording, and professional sound retailing and distribution. The Sam Ash retail companies include 45 Musical Instrument Megastores in 16 states including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, each averaging 25,000 square feet for a much more extensive selection than its competitors. Sam Ash’s direct mail company operates the www.samash.com website, based in Tampa, Florida, and provides expert service for musicians and educational institutions throughout the U.S.A. Sam Ash customers range from novice musicians to the most familiar names in music. Sam Ash’s huge inventories of musical instruments and accessories, sound and recording equipment, books, music and videos, computers and music software are unrivalled.