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All the continued technological innovations have made it much easier to use CRM Software. With all the continued improvements, CRM Software has become much more readily accessible and has simplified and automated many of the tedious processes which previously had consumed a lot of time. The introduction of mobile CRM has only made it easier for employees to stay connected to the company’s CRM database from wherever they should be. But, can this be necessarily considered an improvement?

Mobile CRM makes it possible for employees to stay connected around the clock. This allows employees to handle issues as soon as they arise. However, this lack of separation from work and home can create a stressful environment for employees. The usage of mobile CRM within a company raises the level of support expected from employees. This added pressure on employees can create more frustration for employees. Utilizing mobile CRM can lower the morale of employees as they feel like they are working continuously, even on their own time. This may lead to lower employee productivity during work hours. The same amount of work may actually end up being done spread out over the course of the whole day.

Being able to access CRM Software via employees’ cellular phones also has other issues. Security becomes a huge concern. With hundreds of employees running around with cellular access to critically sensitive CRM databases, it may be hard to keep track of who is accessing what from where. If an employee loses his/her cell phone, security could be compromised as access to CRM databases can be easily reached via the phone. Customer information could be compromised, leading to hundreds of angry customers. This raises an issue of whether or not it becomes reasonable for employers to allow employees to carry around this critically important and confidential information.

The introduction of all these new technologies into CRM Software has made it much easier to utilize CRM Software within your company. However, some of these new technological innovations may have tradeoffs which you may need to take into consideration prior to implementing a new solution or new update. It may be wise to analyze the potential benefits and consequences of all these new innovations as failure to account for some of the possibilities can lead to some disastrous consequences.

Technorati Tags: CRM Software, Mobile CRM

As technology continues to improve at a rapid pace, these new technologies are forcing companies to keep up with competitors. As newer software offerings are introduced into the market, these new offerings threaten to give competitors the edge they may need to succeed in today’s worsening economy. It has become more and more essential for companies to pursue some type of business software in order to keep pace in today’s rapidly changing business environment. 

A CRM Software is often a very popular choice for many companies, but the wide variety of options to choose from as well as the different pricing options make an already difficult decision in today’s economy even more difficult. The worsening economy has discouraged many companies from diverting funds to an investment which may in the long run benefit the business. However, with the current economic outlook so poor, many companies are delaying their implementation of a CRM Software platform in order to survive today. However, failing to implement the proper technology now can prove to be costly in the long run.As company budgets tighten, the need for an inexpensive CRM software solution becomes even more important. CRM Software packages that often carry high upfront costs are quickly eliminated leaving a limited selection of choices which may not necessarily meet the company’s requirements for an updated CRM platform. This may discourage companies from looking into other options that are capable of performing as well as the more expensive options at lower costs which often causes companies to fail to look at another potentially beneficial solution.

Open Source CRM can be the answer to many companies’ needs in today’s trying economy. It can allow companies to improve upon inefficient operations while providing features that can greatly improve employee morale. Also, the investment into an open source CRM platform is minimal as there are many free options available. Although Open Source CRM may not be 100% free, the investment made in the product is limited and can be quickly changed if it is found that the solution does not meet the company’s needs. This flexibility can allow a company to try different options at a low or no price. Although the functionality many not be as advanced as the more traditional CRM offerings, Open Source CRM is definitely catching up.

However, be aware that there are limitations to Open Source CRM offerings. With the lower price and flexibility comes some costs. Limited support is available to Open Source CRM Software which can be a problem for some companies. Also, functionality is not as advanced as the more expensive CRM counterparts. But, if your company can adjust to these minor limitations, Open Source CRM can provide the best rate of return for your business. For a cheap and efficient alternative to CRM Software, strongly consider adopting an Open Source Version.

Technorati Tags: Free CRM, Free Software, Open source CRM

As the economy continues to struggle and companies continue to look for ways to cut back on their budgets, SaaS Software has become an increasingly popular option for many struggling companies. As companies look to scale back on expenditures, software providers are providing the options that allow companies to do this. CRM providers are looking to continue this trend as companies such as Oracle expand into the On-Demand CRM software market.

Although CRM Software has been provided in SaaS format, it has not been as prevalent among CRM Software providers as other industries. However, companies such as Salesforce.com have shown that on-demand CRM providers can survive in an intense CRM software market by providing companies with the flexibility and ease of use commonly associated with SaaS Software.

 Oracle has recently jumped on the bandwagon as it takes on Salesforce.com in the On-Demand CRM marketplace. Currently, with a limited number of On-Demand CRM providers, there is definitely room for more providers in the marketplace. The expanding repertoire of companies to include SaaS CRM software will definitely be beneficial for many companies as companies will have more options to select from and find the solution that fits their company best.

Oracle’s new offering looks to add a host of new options to compete with the already popular Salesforce.com CRM offering. With more customization options as well as more flexibility in pricing plans, Oracle hopes it can succeed and establish a strong customer base in the SaaS CRM market.

The future of SaaS CRM Software looks bright for providers and users. As SaaS Software continues to grow in popularity, this opens up an opportunity for On-Demand CRM providers to establish their presence within this new, yet rapidly expanding market. The introduction of more SaaS CRM providers will simultaneously provide companies with more benefits as companies will benefit from the increased competition among CRM Software providers which will increase product quality while drive down price.

As the SaaS CRM Software market continues to grow, companies should expect better and far more innovative options that once could only be dreamt of.

Technorati Tags: On-Demand CRM, Oracle CRM, SaaS CRM, Salesforce.com

Sage CRM Solutions has unveiled its global CRM strategy - Sage CRM Solutions 2010. The vision is a detailed and exhaustive strategy that covers products and technology development. It covers all aspects of business that Sage considers important to be better able to serve its more than 5.5 million customers. Business requirements, interoperability issues, focus on emerging Web 2.0 technologies, application of open Web standards are some of the issues covered in the comprehensive strategy guide.

The strategy aims to enable SMBs with additional capabilities that can be delivered to them on an incremental basis through 2010. Benefits for customers include faster ROI through purpose-built solutions; better productivity across the company due to Web 2.0; end to end integration; best protection for money invested through inter operable on-demand and on-premise implementation.

Sage has taken into consideration the different customer-interaction models of it customers in developing its strategies for performance enhancement. Sage has endeavored to segment its CRM offerings so that it can better address the scalability and expanded functionality requirements of its customers. This level of planning on part of Sage allows buyers to acquire custom fit CRM solutions that work best with their business. Sage hopes to help its customers achieve better customization through its extensive partner network.

The Sage approach to technology development covers common components that will facilitate a consistent user experience across the Sage solutions deployed; services-based and standards-based integration; interoperability for smooth migration; a SaaS platform that will enable on-demand or on-premise access to Sage CRM; and rich clients, web terminals etc that will enable the workforce to access data. Sage aims to fulfill customer desires concerning improved business processes, better access, and integrated web services.

Go here to download white paper that details the CRM Solutions 2010 strategy.

Technorati Tags: Sage CRM

Verticals onDemand, which provides SaaS CRM solutions for the pharmaceutical sector, has brought forth the VBioPharma Primary Care Edition CRM application targeted at the Life Sciences organizations. This new CRM is the first of its kind in that it has been pre-validated for PDMA and the Food and Drug Administration s CFR Part 11 compliance. The call reporting and sampling system offered by Verticals onDemad comes with IQ and OQ documentation. This validation helps reduce costs and protects the company from potentially damaging consent decrees that can cost a company millions of dollars.

Learn more about VBioPharma.

Technorati Tags: VBioPharma, Verticals onDemand

Loyalty Lab’s integrated marketing platform features a stand-alone email product that enables integrated targeting, segmentation, and CRM capabilities. Businesses can send personalized and precise messages thanks to a range of data integration options. The platform is easy to deploy, in fact it is as the company puts it ‘Ready-Aim-Engage’. Marketers can use emails to create marketing messages that can be utilized in different environments such as social networks. Multi-channel integration allows marketers to follow campaign performance and tweak their efforts accordingly.

Technorati Tags: Email Marketing, Loyalty Lab

Apparently the jury is still out on the merits of SaaS as a vehicle of distributing software. In an excellent piece Galen Grumen considers actual industry examples where SaaS deployments met with varying degree of success with respect to their integration with core company apps.

One aspect that hinders SaaS integration is that SaaS providers do not offer out-of-the-box support for APIs of other enterprise applications. In other words, cross vendor integration is limited and this often leads to a scaling down of software capabilities upon deployment. It can isolate a significant portion of your other software from your CRM.

An interesting point which the article raises is that although SaaS CRM purports to be what its name suggests, in reality its capabilities are limited to functions like contact management and sales force automation. The heavy duty transaction management activities are in most cases executed by in-house software.

Technorati Tags: crm, saas

It looks like we are fast headed toward another convergence of technologies. According to a recent report from ABI Research traditional map-production technologies are fast becoming obsolete.

The reason is the tremendous increase in the volume of map and navigation details that can be managed only with the help of digital-mapping services. This is leading to an integration between between mapping and location-based services. An example of the significance of mapping in the navigation and location value chain is the recent acquisition of NAVTEQ by Nokia.

The upshot of all this for CRM is that you can access user generated street level maps, travel direction, and local information for geo-targeting.

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Technorati Tags: crm, GI Insight, mapping services, NAVTEQ, Nokia

GI Insight, an integrated marketing specialist, has found that an impressive 19% of top UK companies have demonstrated their keenness to implementing CRM by appointing a dedicated Head of CRM. Is that really a measure of commitment to a cause, in government undertakings such a move serves effectively to silence detractors and to show things are moving but this is the private sector that we talk about… so I guess the increase in dedicated CRM directors over the past two years only augurs well for CRM vendors.

Another question that pops into my head is that what has prompted the big companies to commit to CRM. Now am not saying that the GI Insight report is biased in any way but getting information on the state of preparedness, the manner in which these companies went about their preparation, their prime objectives for pushing for CRM and other such points would be of considerable interest and could throw light on what different industries perceive to be their strong points and weak points regarding CRM and their expectations from CRM.

Managing Director, Andy Wood explains why the research can be taken as an accurate measure of companies’ commitment to CRM thus “Since one-off CRM technology costs can be written off and ongoing senior people costs cannot, a company that puts CRM into the title of one of its senior managers is making a real statement of commitment to CRM. In many cases, measurable return on investment has to be proved before a company will appoint a Head of CRM into a senior directorial role (regardless of whether this is an internal promotion or external hire).”

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Technorati Tags: crm, GI Insight

Everton Football Club has added TALENT Sport all-in-one ticketing and CRM system in an effort to update its customer facing and ticketing technology.

The famed Premier League Club got to test its new system, implemented to very tight time scales in October, in a big game when Everton played Liverpool. According to Andy Ward who heads ticketing at the club the system enables them to execute ticket-office processes faster, get more ticket sales online and it offers more opportunities to the marketing and sales department of the club.

Everton has witnessed an increase in online ticket sales and club supporters can now access the best seats at the most sought after games online. Earlier, the diehards had to book tickets via postal applications or at the bx office.

Read more.

Technorati Tags: crm, Everton Football Club, TALENT Sport