CRM Articles

Whether you refer to the technology as CRM, Customer Relationship Management or Sales Force Automation, the fact is the technology and terminology can be confusing. CRMReview.org helps address this challenge by providing a number of informative CRM articles which include editor reviews of top CRM providers.

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In an attempt to meet the contemporary and future customer expectations, efforts are being made by small and large companies to adopt a true CRM environment, and the CRM market has flourished as demand continues to increase across the board. An efficient CRM system will allow organizations to unify customer data, turn this data into important information, and use it in an effective manner to improve business processes far beyond the sales department, and to deliver a measurable ROI. To facilitate these needs, CRM vendors have rolled out many new and innovative solutions that are much more customizable than ever, and size-appropriate, allowing smaller organizations now to take advantage of the same features that were only available to larger enterprises in the past.

The market share leaders in the CRM business include SAP, with the greatest market share according to Gartner, along with Oracle, Salesforce.com, and Amdocs. But although the top of the market is dominated by a relative handful of vendors, there are several smaller innovators entering the market as well, with new innovations including Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offerings, as well as Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS). Much of the innovation seems to be coming from the smaller vendors, as the larger ones have been slowing down in the frequency of major releases. Salesforce.com is the exception, and continues its frequent updates.

CRM vendors introduce their software with great gusto, fairly asserting that CRM is a must-have in a troubled economy. But the billion dollar question is, beyond all the marketing hype, are they able to meet the demands of your own organization? Analysts believe that CRM spending is rising with every passing day, despite - or perhaps because of - the shaky economy. The focus of CRM has shifted to small and midsized businesses (SMBs) and Software as a Service (SaaS) continue to be a major trend as a means of delivering CRM on a more affordable and manageable level. Today, use of analytical tools along with mobile offerings within CRM has increased. There is no denying the fact that different vendors are providing different interfaces within their CRM solutions, like search engine marketing, Mobile CRM, and Web 2.0 functionality. Technically speaking, the move from client/server to Web-enabled technology, XML and AJAX are all affecting the delivery of CRM.

Different surveys assess the top CRM vendors, all with different results, although a handful of vendors stand out. For example, Aberdeen's outcome after evaluating 26 CRM vendors includes Oracle/Siebel, Salesforce.com, SugarCRM and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. At the enterprise level, consistent top performers include Amdocs, Oracle/PeopleSoft, Salesforce.com, Onyx Software, Pivotal Corp, and Saratoga Systems.

Interestingly, many of the players that in the past focused strictly on the enterprise are now dominating the small to mid-sized business (SMB) market as well, with offerings that have been built from the ground up to accommodate the smaller customer. Highly-ranking SMB offerings have been delivered by SAP, Microsoft, NetSuite, Sage Software, Salesforce.com, and RightNow Technologies.

Let's take a closer look at some of the most prominent players in this dynamic field. Microsoft has earned a solid seat at the enterprise table with its Microsoft Dynamics ERP solution, which includes the Microsoft Dynamics CRM solution. As is the case with the entire ERP suite, Microsoft's CRM implementation offers the advantage of a familiar interface for all users. As has become the trend, Microsoft provides both a Software as a Service version as well as an on-premises version.

One more recent innovation in CRM applications is integration with social networking, and Salesforce.com has lead the way in that area. Microsoft has also integrated social networking in its own Microsoft Dynamics offering. Both Salesforce.com and Microsoft are leading the new Platform-as-a-Service model of CRM. SalesForce.com's Force.com platform allows developers to create applications to integrate with its available services, and Oracle, SugarCRM, and NetSuite have all joined the party with the ability to create mashups and allow developers to create custom applications with an included SDK. NetSuite's approach to PaaS is based on open standards and relies on JavaScript for programming, allowing developers to create small applets that take advantage of the NetSuite interface.

Microsoft's approach to CRM is to deliver it in different forms, including Software-as-a-Service, hosted either by Microsoft partners or Microsoft itself; or as an on-premises installation. It is primarily targeted at smaller businesses.

Oracle On Demand, which Oracle gained when it acquired Siebel, also allows for the easy creation of mashups and gadgets to improve productivity. Oracle On Demand is very strong in the area of sales force automation and in customer service, although its marketing features are more limited.

SugarCRM is another that takes an open source approach, and they have been very innovative with their most recent releases. Developers are able to control deployments and manage reporting, and includes connectors to link to third-party data. SugarCRM is distinctive because their CRM management products support open source technology. Their product which is on-demand version is focused on Sales. They leverage the whole SugarCRM suite to their support, IT, HR and PR team; right from the receptionist to the CEO all small to midsized companies uses Sugar in their day today activities.

SalesLogix, based on highly scalable Web 2.0 technology, also offers mashup capabilities, relying on Web services for enabling Web 2.0 applications such as LinkedIn and Zillow. RightNow Technologies, a relative newcomer compared to SAP and Oracle, has nonetheless made substantial inroads into the CRM market, particularly in the SaaS realm, with its RightNow CRM solution, which offers very strong customer service, and sales force automation solutions. It is available both as on-premises and hosted solutions.

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