The “ABLE’s” of Online CRM in 2009

It goes by many names; Web Based CRM Software, Online CRM Software, Hosted CRM Software or On Demand CRM Software. No matter what name you choose it is all the same, Customer Relationship Management Software accessed via the internet.

This form of CRM has been around since early 2000 and is still considered by some to be a new form of CRM when compared to its more traditional relative, On Premise CRM Software. Whether it is thought of as new or not it has more than proven that it isn’t going anywhere but up anytime soon. Predictions by Gartner in 2007 stated that CRM Software was set to exceed 7.4 billion USD in 2007 with a main cause of this growth coming from “the explosive growth of software as a service [SaaS] solutions”.

With strong growth in the past and a bright future, Web Based CRM Software provided as a service has helped many organizations since early 2000 grow their company and achieve new heights. Throughout 2009 we are sure to see much advancement in the areas of Web Services API, development of Platform-as-a-Service, simplified Customizations and Integrations and an overall increased usability.

One way to sum up what to look for in 2009 is by looking at the “able’s”; customizABLE, IntegratABLE and UsABLE.

The advancement of Web Services API plays a key role in making Web Based CRM Software easily integratable, expandable, usable and customizable. Some CRM vendors provide an API which allows them to connect their platform to virtually any other software solution currently leveraged by businesses. Organizations can new view all their information within a single location which is updated in real time across their entire organization. This level of functionality will prove to be a timesaver and is sure to increase productivity since multiple logins to different platforms with different sets of data are no longer present.

Advanced customizability also comes in the form of AJAX which allows the common user to customize areas of the CRM platform such as fields and tabs. Users can now simply click on an area of their CRM and drag it with their mouse to a desired location. Users also have the ability to hide certain areas of their CRM allowing them to provide their users with only the information needed to complete their tasks.

These features are already available from CRM vendors such as Salesforce or Salesboom.com and we’re sure to see these ideas greatly expanded throughout 2009. There are practically no limits to what one can accomplish with Web Based CRM, an entire organization can now have all the tools they require within one place accessible from any location with the internet.

What does enterprise security, going green and going under have in common?

If you are wondering what enterprise security, going green and going under could could possibly have in common then allow me to elaborate. CRM.

That’s right Customer Relationship Management (CRM) ties these three topics together since they can all be improved by implementing a CRM Software solution. CRM helps enterprises met SOX compliance and maintain a single secure database. Also, CRM aids an organizations effort to cut down on wasted time and resources in their attempts to green up their operations. Finally, with the condition of the market these days’ businesses are searching for ways to reduce operating costs and better track leads to ensure no opportunity ever slips through the cracks.

Enterprise security is not a new worry like the other two mentioned, this is always a number one concern to organizations. Although it is not a new concern I think it is safe to say that with guidelines like SOX compliance, efforts placed on ensuring security will only increase. CRM comes into play here by providing businesses with functionality like custom profile and user role security settings, record level security, field level security, login time and IP access restrictions, advanced administration and audit trails. These features are built into many of the major CRM platforms like Salesforce, Salesboom.com or Netsuite and aid businesses control who can view or edit what information. Leveraging this type of functionality will not only show you who are accessing what for security reasons, it also brings a new level of accountability to an organization.

Next up is going green and the efforts businesses are taking to better align with this concept. Organizations are following many avenues in hopes of making their operation earth friendly which in turn can also save them money. Out on the market today is a wide array of tools designed to clean up businesses by cutting out unnecessary functions. For example, I was recently looking at Interfax and other online fax solutions. In today’s age there really is not much need for the dinosaur way of sending and receiving faxes which wastes paper and time. Let me ask how long does it take you to send a simple fax? This small but still meaningful green solution cuts out the need to first print a document, take the time to walk to the fax machine which isn’t always in your office or even on your floor, stand there and wait just to waste one more piece of paper describing the transaction. All this can be cut out by SaaS solutions which allow you to send document or email to fax or receive fax to email. Tying back to SaaS CRM vendors some of them even integrate with fax providers, I believe Salesforce has this integration as well I’m pretty sure Salesboom.com integrates with InterFax now. This is just one area where organizations can cut down on waste but there are many with Online CRM. The simple ability to access your entire database from any location with an internet connection also cuts out wasted resources. When traveling or working in the field there is no need to print or bring documentation with you, just login to your CRM offline or mobile solution and you have everything you need.

Finally, going under is a rising concern when the market is feeling a pinch. During a time when banks are closing their doors and large corporations like Lehman Brothers are declaring bankruptcy businesses begin searching for ways to save money and secure their future. Hosted CRM Software helps organizations of all sizes manage and track their business which can uncover wasted resources or marketing campaigns with poor ROI. One of the greatest benefits to using Web Based CRM Software is the ability to closing track and report on leads, campaigns, opportunities and accounts. Accurate real time lead tracking is key to making sure no lead is ever forgotten about or passed by. Kind of on this topic, recently I have seen a lot of Real Estate agencies making the move to Web Based CRM. This is most likely for some of the reasons mentioned here like accurate lead tracking along with the fact that it is cost effective and quickly rolled out. Never missing an opportunity is extremely important when purse strings are tightened and consumers are less willing to part with their dollar. This is why businesses large and small need the tools to allow them to track opportunities and leverage analytical and reporting tools to uncover trends in the market, all possible with CRM Software.

Is There Too Much Marketing in CRM?

With the latest news of Salesforce and their 9.6 million profits in their first quarter out of a total of 247.6 million in sales in the quarter goes to show the amount of money the giant of the Online CRM Software industry has to spend on marketing. I will admit I am a fan of underdogs in many situations and the Web Based CRM industry is no exception. I like to see many CRM vendors do well because it will create a more competitive market and keep a single company from obtaining a monopoly. With more competitors battling with roughly the same market share the end user and small businesses are sure to benefit from lower costs and better service.

Unfortunately it is sometimes the case that when a company grows into a position where they control the market they can neglect their current clients and provide less then optimal customer support since there is not much fear of a client going elsewhere. The same scenario plays into the pricing of software and services or software as a service, prices can be raised because it is almost certain that businesses will pay the higher price if the marketing of a company controls the means people use to research other possibilities. There are many Web Based CRM Software vendors out there who offer small, medium and large businesses a great solution for their CRM needs. These vendors are companies like Netsuite, Salesboom.com or Oncontact; there are many more out there you just need to dig through the marketing of the large firms to find the other great CRM solutions.

A Salesforce.com Offer like No Other

Yesterday in the CRM Software industry there was an offer put on the table for exsisting Salesforce.com customers. This offer did not come from the CRM giant, rather from one of their competitors, Salesboom.com. The offer is comprised of an enticement program for those who migrate from Salesforce.com CRM Software to Salesboom.com and have a minimum of 20 user licenses. The details include a $5000 check and free data migration with the Migration Magic Button if an agreement is made by a certain date.

The Migration Magic Button is stated to quickly migrate all data along with business processes from Salesforce.com to Salesboom, kind of a way to rest aside the moving pains and ensure the integrady of a companies information remains intact.

So I wonder if this move by Salesboom to target the customers of the largest CRM player in the market will pay off or piss off, either way it will let those who are unhappy with Salesforce.com know there is an alternative out there, they're no long stuck.

Salesboom release states they'll end phishing scams on CRM

Salesboom.com has just put out a press release saying they will end phishing attacks on CRM. They are using a two factor authentication security approach which means an employee must insert a USB key into their computer before login, if the username and password entered match the "digital ID" then access is granted. This would have been helpful to salesforce.com when one of it's employee's was "tricked" into disclosing their password, with Salesboom's security you could give your password away and it's still no good to any scammer out there, Salesboom says that the USB keys can not be duplicated and are encrypted. This news is good to hear, something needed to be done to help protect companies databases., by the looks of things, 2008 should be a safe CRM year.

Microsoft Shows True Worth

In today's news I am seeing alot about the price slash by Microsoft on their CRM Software Dynamics. They were able to drop the price they charge their partners to $15/user enabling them to resell it at a much lower cost then companies like Salesforce. What i take away from this is the fact that it shows just how much CRM customers have been getting over charged when they purchase their CRM Software solutions from large vendors who charge too much. It certainly makes some smaller CRM vendors like Salesboom.com look good since they have been offering their hosted on demand CRM Software solutions for as low as $40/user from the beginning. I am glad that customers now know what they should be paying for their CRM Software which should help them make decisions when it comes to future CRM purchases.