Reflecting the CRM Wave of the Future

CRM and e-customer strategic advisory firm ISM has unveiled the winners of its second annual "Real Time CRM Software Awards," which taps eight apps for their real-time CRM functionality. The results are based on the ISM Software Labs staff's tests of more than 35 software entries against nine criteria: real-time dashboards, rapid application development tools, workflow tools, business object configuration, mobile-device implementation, real-time currency conversion, real-time analytics, real-time accounting integration, and SOA functionality. "The eight software solutions selected reflect the CRM wave of the future as Real Time CRM is providing more rapid answers to customer questions, instant chat with customer service, immediate access to order status and inventory, and seamless connectivity between the Internet and brick-and-mortar stores, with real-time intelligence," said Barton Goldenberg, founder and president of ISM, in a written statement. The winners, in alphabetical order, are:

C2 CRM v. 8.0--Clear Technologies

growBusiness Solutions v. 3.1.1--Software Innovation ASA

Microsoft CRM v. 3.0--Microsoft

NetSuite CRM v. 11.0 and NetSuite v. 11.0--NetSuite

SalesPage CRM--SalesPage Technologies

Saratoga CRM 6.5.3--Saratoga Systems

Siebel 8.0--Oracle's Siebel Systems

StayinFront CRM v. 9.3--StayinFront "Real Time CRM--increasing access to time-sensitive information via handheld and/or wireless devices--is improving customer satisfaction, productivity and financial performance of Customer Relationship Management," Goldenberg said. By the end of 2008 all CRM applications will be "wirelessly ready," and mobile CRM will overtake traditional CRM's growth rate in two to three years, according to Goldenberg. "Real time functionality, along with analytics created in real time, are driving the growth of both the CRM and mobile and wireless products/services markets." Real-time CRM was a core component of Goldenberg's opening and closing keynotes at destinationCRM 2006, CRM magazine's first annual conference, held in San Jose from September 17 to September 19. (destinationCRM 2007 will be held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York August 21-22.) "The new great options, whether it is the SFA move to real time, whether it is cost down and benefit up, whether it is the new technologies [like the ASP model, Web services, and wireless networks and capabilities], they're all happening in respect of this emerging and important people, process, technology paradigm," he said at the conference. The industry got that paradigm "wrong in the past, [but] we're getting it increasingly right in the future." Related articles: ISM Announces Its Top 15 (or 16 or 17) The State of CRM: Strong and Healthy A Real-Time CRM Software Capabilities Test

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