Microsoft unveils CRM 3.0, woos big enterprise clients

12/06/05 - newratings.com

NEW YORK, December 6 (newratings.com) – Microsoft Corp (MSFT) Monday launched the updated version of its sales and marketing business software, the CRM 3.0, aiming to capture the market for large enterprises, which is being dominated by giants Oracle (ORCL) and SAP (SAP-EUR).

Microsoft's new CRM 3.0 software is an attempt to win large enterprise clients, apart from gaining more clients in SMB space. The company is witnessing challenges to its Business Solutions segment, with revenues growing only 5% last year and contributing a mere 2% to the total revenues. The new version of the company's CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software also possesses the functionalities to carry out marketing campaigns, apart from customer relationship and sales management capabilities.

General manager for Microsoft Dynamics, Brad Wilson, said that CRM is a demonstration of the company's intention to get large enterprise clients in a very broad manner. Kevin Faulkner, senior director of product marketing at Microsoft Dynamics, said that the company is getting "multi-thousand-seat deals" for the CRM 3.0, while marketing it to the SMB segment as well.

Microsoft's CRM 3.0 features easy ad-hoc query and analysis, a quick marketing campaign design wizard, rapid Excel spreadsheet integration, service scheduling and dispatch systems, among its several new features. According to The Financial Times, Bruce Richardson, chief research officer at AMR Research, said that Microsoft continues to have problems with its sales channel, as it sells its products through partners, while its huge competitors are enjoying close relationship with their clients.