Most sales managers want a high quality CRM system, but it’s not always clear which applications are world class and which are also-rans. All the vendors claim to be top rate, but there are few objective voices to be heard in the CRM marketplace. Fortunately, every year ISM, the consulting firm run by CRM uber-guru Barton Goldenberg, announces a list of the top CRM software vendors from around the world.

ISM’s annual Top 15 awards are based on rigorous testing of 217 selection criteria, including 102 business functions, 51 technical features, 36 implementation capabilities, 11 real time criteria, and 17 user support features. More importantly, because Goldenberg is an objective source, there is no ownership of the testing by a single vendor, ensuring that the list is essentially unbiased.

This year ISM’s Top CRM Enterprise Winners (in alphabetical order) are:

• Amdocs CRM CES v. 7.5.2 – Amdocs Limited
• CDC Pivotal CRM v. 6.0 – CDC Software
• C2 CRM v. 8.6 – Clear C2, Inc.
• Consona CRM – Consona Corporation
• Firstwave CRM v. 4.1 – Firstwave Technologies, Inc.
• Infor CRM – Infor Global Solutions
• CMS v. 9.0/OnContact CRM V v. 6.2 – OnContact Software Corporation
• ExSellence 5.9 & IAS 360 3.5 – Optima Technologies, Inc.
• PeopleSoft CRM – Oracle Corporation
• RightNow CRM February 09 – RightNow Technologies, Inc.
• Sage SalesLogix v.7.5. – Sage Software
• salesforce.com – salesforce.com
• SAP CRM 7.0 – SAP AG
• Sword Ciboodle v.2.10 – Sword Group
• update seven – update software AG

This year ISM’s Top CRM SMB Winners (in alphabetical order) are:

• Ardexus MODE v. 6.1 – Ardexus, Inc.
• Powertrak v. 9.0 – Axonom, Inc.
• C2 CRM v. 8.6 – Clear C2, Inc.
• Goldmine Enterprise Edition 6.05 – FrontRange Solutions, Inc.
• Salesplace 2008.6.1. – Interchange Solutions
• Maximizer CRM 10.5 – Maximizer Software, Inc.
• Microsoft CRM 4.0 – Microsoft Corporation
• NetSuite CRM 2008.2 & NetSuite 2008.2 – NetSuite, Inc.
• CMS v. 9.0/OnContact CRM V v. 6.2 – OnContact Software Corporation
• Oracle CRM OnDemand – Oracle Corporation
• Relavis CRM 7.5 – Relavis Corporation
• Sage CRM 6.2 – Sage Software
• Sage SalesLogix v. 7.5 – Sage Software
• salesforce.com – salesforce.com
• Salespage CRM– Salespage Technologies, LLC
• StayinFront CRM v. 11 – StayinFront, Inc.
• Sugar CRM v.5.2 – Sugar CRM

In his announcement of the winners, Goldenberg also identified the following key CRM trends:

• Integration with Social Media applications: CRM vendors are now beginning to offer integration with third-party social media applications, which facilitate communications, influence interaction with peers and with public audiences typically via the Internet and mobile communications networks.
• Increased Availability of Social Media Type Functionality: CRM vendors are now providing access to social media functionality that emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users, shifting technology from a means of one-way static communication to platforms for interaction and community building.
• Increased Use of Business Intelligence Analytical Tools in CRM Solutions: Business Intelligence Analytical tools, or predictive modeling, now can predict the monetary value and profitability of a particular customer: from profiling customers based on their behavior to segmenting markets.
• Increased Number of Mobile/Real-Time CRM applications: CRM vendors continue to develop and release CRM application modules, especially those that are bundled with or work on a large variety of handheld and/or wireless devices. These include PDAs (with various operating systems), and smartphones that support wireless infrastructure technologies.
• Increased CRM Offerings via the SaaS Model: A 2007 IDC report predicts that many software companies would derive a majority of their revenues from subscription agreements rather than perpetual licenses by 2010. SaaS is attractive to many companies because it can circumvent high prices, cumbersome deployments, and software upgrades.