Customer Relationship Management often referred to by the acronym CRM, is software that manages a company’s interactions and affairs with both current and potential customers.
Most companies use CRM software to better organize customer data, strengthen customer associations, and ultimately increase sales and company growth.
At its core, CRM is all about serving customers better and creating better efficiencies across a company in order to do so.
Cloud-based CRM is the same exact CRM software but all of its data and files are hosted in the cloud. It offers all the same tools, benefits, and possessions as a locally hosted CRM, but has a few added benefits like:
A cloud-based CRM classification hosts all of its data and files on a remote server that is accessed by users via a browser. In the same way that Gmail works, your files are stored externally and you access them by logging on through a web browser like Google Chrome, Microsoft Explorer, or Mozilla Firefox. The cloud-based software works in much the same way as Spotify, Netflix, and Facebook you can access your data from anywhere with having to actually download anything to your computer.
The cloud isn’t a magical thing, but rather a more efficient way to store and access data. In fact, a recent study predicts that 83% of enterprise workloads will be in the cloud by 2020. So, what is it?
When you save great for your computer, it is stored on the internal hard drive and you can only access it from your computer. When you save something to the cloud it is also stored on a hard drive, but the hard drive is massive, located in a secure room in another city, and you can remotely access it beginning anywhere via the internet. Not magic, just really cool technology!
More and more businesses and software platforms are leveraging the cloud for its many benefits.
Storing and maintaining all of your data in-house can require expensive hardware and IT hours, while cloud hosting can be significantly lighter on company budget.
One of the advantages of a cloud system is that information can be saved and accessed no material where you are, so long as you have an internet connection. This allows users to retrieve information needed to complete their jobs at home, at work, or even while on the road visiting a client.
CRM platforms are growing increasingly robust to include additional applications that serve sales and marketing functions.
Cloud-based CRM software offers all of the same features of a typical on-premise solution plus the added benefits of cloud computing.
On-premise CRM is installed in-house by a vendor of your choice and is managed by your company’s IT team. When CRM is installed this way, it can only be accessed while on company grounds. More extensive implementation and maintenance often make on-premise deployments more expensive.