Open Source CRM Software

By Ray Lam | July 11, 2008

by Ray Lam

Today, as a result of high competition among companies engaged in marketing and service providing, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) practices became mandatory for all business organizations. CRM software systems are specially customized programs for better customer relationship management; they automate all company procedures like customer tacking, contacting and serving customers. At their introduction, CRM software programs are standard packages, with all wanted and unwanted CRM applications.

Though many businesses have taken up on-demand CRM however, many are also moving away from it. On-demand CRM solutions may seem a good fit to start with, but businesses can soon outgrow them, find they are limited in what they are capable of, or that the business needs a more comprehensive CRM solution.

The major advantage of open source CRM system is its adaptability. These CRM systems eliminated the need of installing large sized software programs with unwanted applications in to company computers. Today, pre-customized CRM systems are available for companies working in different fields such as automotive, insurance service and medical service, marketing, sales etc. The initial cost for purchasing the raw software may be some what high.

On-demand solutions frequently have limited functionality, and are notoriously difficult (which usually means expensive!) to integrate with other applications. So, although on-demand CRM solutions may seem cheap to start with, the price may not always turn out to be as attractive as it first appeared. Paul Petersen, Senior Director of the GoldMine Business Unit for FrontRange Solutions, recently stated “We talk with many companies that learn too late of the limitations of on-demand CRM”. He goes on to say “On the surface, on-demand CRM is compelling and seems to offer incredible benefits. Yet, an increasing number of organizations that tried on-demand applications have returned to an on-premise solution, and we want customers and partners to be as informed as possible about the options for cost-effective and mission-critical CRM.”

In the right circumstances, on-demand CRM can certainly be the right solution for some businesses. For example, SageCRM.com can be an ideal CRM starting point for some small and mid-sized companies, enabling them to share and manage customer information across all departments. It’s often a quick and easy fit, and can go a long way in installing a “CRM culture” within a growing business. What’s more, as these businesses expand, it’s straightforward to transfer the SageCRM.com database to an in-house CRM system (and migration to on-site Sage CRM is seamless). Similarly Microsoft CRM is an on-demand (hosted) CRM solution built with the same code base as Microsoft Dynamics CRM Professional Edition. It has a variety of options to fit business needs, with the ability to easily migrate data as businesses evolve.

About the Author:

Learn more about crm software companies and get your Free CRM Software Report by visiting http://crm-software-info.info, a popular website that provides free crm software tips and advice.

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