Alltel is charging ahead into the customer relationship management (CRM) domain with an announcement this week that it has acquired Xpede’s CRM technology as part of its multi-channel customer retention strategy. Dan Pickett, general manager of CRM strategies at Alltel, says that the acquisition, which also includes 30 Xpede product and planning strategists, top developers and other employees, complements Alltel’s existing focus on service and support with sales and marketing capabilities.