NOT so LONG AGO, IT WAS COMMON FOR A BUSINESS TO INVEST RS. 4.500.000 or more in a customer relationship management package that it then had to maintain and support on its own, But that scenario is changing rapidly, thanks to Web-hosted services that can do it all for just a couple of thousand dollars a year.
Web-based CRM solutions are flexible and customizable. They can handle everything from inventory control and lead tracking to sales forecasts and market¬ing campaigns. Customers are even able to check on the status of trouble tickets themselves, and everyone in a company can see exactly which products are where at a glance.

For a monthly fee on a per-user basis, online CRM software is not only main¬tained but also automatically upgraded, without additional costs, making it the ideal solution for many growing small and medium-size companies.

At the forefront of the online CRM trend is Salesforce.com, whose pricing starts at Rs. 44,800 per year for five users. More advanced packages start at Rs. 3,000 per user per month.
But prices for CRM and sales-force automation range widely. Entellium, for ex-ample, starts at Rs. 2,250 per user per month (with a five-user minimum) for a basic package. RightNow, on the other hand, charges tens of thousands of dollars for a two-year license, which includes a package of tools. RightNow acquired a competi¬tor, Salesnet, earlier this year and is about to launch a new package that is aimed at supporting large enterprises.

So before choosing an online, hosted CRM solution, decide what your business goals and needs are, and then go with a service that can grow with you.