CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA: SugarCRM Inc., leading provider of commercial open source customer relationship management (CRM) software, has introduced Sugar Express, a low-cost, on-demand offering for individuals and small businesses around the world.

Sugar Express addresses SugarCRM open source users' demand for an affordable solution that runs on SugarCRM's global on-demand computing platform – the Sugar Open Cloud.

Sugar Express delivers core sales, marketing, and support features, complete with Sugar Plug-Ins for Microsoft Office and access to SugarCRM Customer Support. Platform functionality includes Module Builder to create custom modules and Cloud Connectors to integrate third-party data services from companies such as Hoover's and Jigsaw. 

Open source and on-demand converge in the Open Cloud

Sugar Express and the Sugar Open Cloud represent the convergence of open source and on-demand computing. For over five years, SugarCRM's commercial open source model has nurtured one of the fastest-growing CRM products in history. Currently, over 60,000 businesses and 550,000 users around the world rely on SugarCRM to manage customers.

"For all of its promise, the cloud computing movement is in danger of becoming yet another mousetrap to lock-in customers to proprietary vendors," said John Roberts, CEO of SugarCRM. "Sugar Express and the Sugar Open Cloud marry the seamless maintenance and deployment of on-demand computing with the values of open source: openness, portability and flexibility."

Elements of the Sugar Open Cloud

The Sugar Open Cloud is a global cloud computing platform for managing SugarCRM and other applications and extensions. Key elements of the Sugar Open Cloud include:

Application delivery – Multi-instance architecture for automated instance provisioning, configuration, and maintenance, with instant-on deployment that requires only a web browser.
Integration services – Support for Web services for the exchange and consumption of application and data services from around the Web.
Open Source and Standards – Built entirely on a modern, open source infrastructure, adhering to standards that ensure portability, low-cost and no vendor lock-in.
Secure and fault-tolerant – Employs world-class data centers to ensure security, redundancy and high-availability.
Distributed global monitoring – Utilizes 24x7 monitoring from both within and outside the Sugar Open Cloud to ensure continual delivery of high-speed performance.

"The benefits of software-as-a-service (SaaS) have been clear for several years," says Denis Pombriant, founder and principal analyst at Beagle Research Group. "The flexibility offered by SugarCRM's Open Cloud gives customers all the promise of SaaS plus the added benefits of portability and greater interoperability."