Applications of CRM software packages

With increasing aspects of e-commerce, there’s a variety of CRM software applications available. They can cost anywhere from £0 to literally hundreds of thousands of pounds, depending on difficulty level. Normally speaking, they can be divided into two categories; locally and remotely hosted. Locally hosted software is installed on your server. While, remotely hosted is the service run on the CRM companies’ server.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages…Lets take a look at them.

The advantage of a remotely hosted CRM services is that the CRM provider is responsible for the smooth running of the software. To make sure the software is secure is another responsibility. As there will be a lot of confidential data stored in your CRM software, this is very imperative. Any problem that occurs in the CRM application software is also the responsibility of the provider as is its upgrading.

As CRM software is very complex, by using a remotely hosted service you can gain from the ‘buying power’ of hundreds. Perhaps many other users, i.e. new features will be added without costing you a fortune. To build a CRM application from scratch can be a very expensive task for any single company.

But there are disadvantages too. The CRM service can disappear, along with all your records, hence it’s important to select a reputable company. This is also vital as you don’t want your records being used for other purposes. A good quality CRM service will allow you to backup/export your data.

Now moving on to the advantages of the locally hosted CRM software. Such software helps you to control over the software and the opportunity to make it work exactly the way you fancy.