Friday, December 26, 2008

It's Time For Online CRM to Rule

There was a time when CRM came with loads of expectations. It surely delivered as per the expectations but it also came with its own share of headaches.

There were problems with installation and then with implementation. There had to be a separate technical team 24x7 to ensure that the CRM worked without any hiccups. However, all this has changed now with the arrival of online CRM.

Online CRM is also known as hosted CRM in business circles and it is an end to all the woes that you traditionally associate with CRM.

In hosted CRM, all that you need is an internet connection. You buy the software on a subscription basis and then use the internet to stay connected to the CRM applications. You do not have to bear the expense of initial startup, managing the software and technical support.

The rise

Online CRM has risen because only large enterprises could manage the huge expenses of traditional CRM models. This new online model means that even small and medium sized businesses can take advantage of CRM.

In fact it has led to the market being flooded with vendors offering CRM solutions for small and medium sized businesses. The advent of broadband internet across the world has also contributed to the rise of online CRM.

However there have always been customization concerns with online CRM. CRM experts have speculated that online CRM vendors do not allow room for customization. But most vendors offer flexible programs that can be easily adapted to by employees. Users can then easily dictate the attributes of the system without even getting into programming.

Here to stay

While there are people who still advocate the traditional CRM models, CRM experts suggest that online CRM is here to stay and will soon render all other models obsolete. Only time will tell how the future unfolds for CRM tools.

For more info visit : Online CRM

Rama Krishna - EzineArticles Expert Author

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