Understanding On-Demand CRM Solutions

The rise of permanent, high-speed Internet connections has made possible the rise of on-demand customer relationship management.

On-demand CRM is known by different names, including:

• Web-based CRM
• Hosted CRM
• Online CRM
• Browser-based CRM

In all of these cases, the customer relationship management software is hosted and managed by an application service provider (ASP), generally the CRM software vendor itself.

Unlike conventional CRM solutions, on-demand CRM is delivered as a service over the Internet. This is sometimes referred to as SaaS, short for software as a service. These web-based services have become ubiquitous, with Google perhaps the best known example of a company who deploys many different on-demand applications.

A web-based CRM solution makes customer relationship management affordable for smaller businesses because it doesn't require a large investment in hardware and software, nor does it require the expensive personnel and consultants normally required to install and manage a CRM solution. Although on-demand CRM was initially very generic, tailor-made online CRM solutions are now being offered to customers of all types and sizes.

On-demand CRM solutions are also beneficial when the employees or contractors of a company are in widely-dispersed locations, especially those that work from home. Such companies are saved the hassle of creating and managing a secure intranet in order to allow each location or home-based office to access the company's CRM system.

The new web-based CRM architecture overcomes many of the shortcomings of the traditional client-server solutions. Online CRM allows wireless access, for example, making the CRM system accessible from smartphones and other wireless devices.

Overall, the use of on-demand CRM is on a definite upswing. There is no software or hardware to install and maintain. Access to the system is by subscription and can be easily controlled and predicted. Upgrades happen automatically and smoothly. And there's the added ability to access the information from anywhere.

This is why on-demand customer relationship management is the wave of the future.

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