''All our CRM apps will be mobile enabled''

Sigi Achappa

Mobile CRM has been spoken about for a long time now, why has it not taken off till now?

Robust mobile CRM applications have been built on Blackberry and MS Mobile windows platforms. While the acceptance has been steadily increasing in more mature CRM markets, it has been slow in India due to the limited penetration of these devices. Device and access costs will be the key determinants of how fast this concept with catch on in India. You only need to look at the exponential growth factors of cellular telephony in India to appreciate that point.

 How will it address the challenge of always-on connections in a mobile environment?

The advantage of mobile environment will be that you should be able to work offline on your mobile device and synch the data whenever connected to the network. The application will therefore reside physically on your device. Users can work on the application anywhere, anytime. So you are not affected by the vagaries of connectivity

 What are the security features built into the product as we are dealing with critical information?

Generally mobile users will only carry limited information on their devices. The application can have in built security that prevents data export if required to limit misuse by end users. Like  any other corporate application, the main database can reside behind firewalls to prevent unauthorized access. 

Which are the verticals are you focusing on for this solution?

Sage has a significant installed base in India across SalesLogix, Sage CRM and ACT! products. Many of these organizations have given their employees handheld devices like Blackberry. Our first target would be these organizations wherein a certain segment of users could use our applications on their handhelds as an additional option while continuing to use the application on their laptops or on the web. It is important for us to build a critical mass of satisfied customers which can happen faster if we address our existing Windows and Web users.

 Is Sage targeting the Indian market? Is India ready for products such as these?

Sage is aggressively targeting the Indian market. We have over 700 customers using our CRM products. That gives us a ready market to start addressing with mobile CRM. All our CRM applications will be mobile enabled. We believe that a certain segment of Indian Industry is ready for mobile CRM – most likely that those already using CRM on windows or web will be the first to adopt mobile CRM as they already have some experience to go by.

How can enterprises build an effective mobile strategy?

Enterprises in India are considering mobile applications as part of their core strategy. It appears that many companies will leapfrog directly into mobile CRM without even adopting traditional forms. Consider a Logistics firm with several hundred employees located across the country selling into customers. With mobile CRM they can now operate from home – they do not require laptops nor web connectivity – just a handheld device. These mobile salespersons will be able to work while on the move, file in their reports, keep track of prospects and customers and effectively forecast future business.

The increasing demands and pressures of selling within a global environment require that sales professionals have mobile access to real-time customer data.  Research demonstrates that top performing organizations provide sales professionals with access to vital customer information such as: key accounts, order status, and inventory availability at the point of customer interaction as a competitive edge. Annual benefits measured by these best-in-class performers include: revenue growth, increased sales productivity, and enhanced customer loyalty and retention rates.

.What are the other mobile applications Sage is working on?

At this point in time our focus will be on mobile CRM. We see a huge opportunity in India given the rapid penetration of mobile devices that can enable a mobile office – voice, e-mails, data transfer.  Mobile CRM by itself can have several different verticals being addressed,

–         Sales Force Automation in different industries like Financial Services, Hospitality, Pharmaceuticals, and many more…….

–         Field Service in the hardware business

Sage will be focusing on developing vertical solutions to accelerate market penetration and build up consulting expertise. 

CIOL Bureau