Three industry observers share their predictions for the CRM market in the coming year.

Rob Bois, analyst with Boston-based AMR discusses SAP’s latest release, the outlook for CRM suites and spending in the year ahead.

He’s joined by Elana Anderson, independent analyst with NxtERA Marketing, who shares her thoughts on marketing technology in 2008, including behavioral targeting, getting past the hype of Web 2.0, mobile marketing and the role of the CMO.

John Ragsdale, research vice president with the Service and Support Professionals Association, also joins the conversation. John gives his predictions for Web self-service and its effects on customer service, leveraging user communities, wikis and the job outlook for customer service.

Program guide:

• (00:01) Rob Bois
• (20:14) Elana Anderson
• (32:29) John Ragsdale

 

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 After SAP introduced its revamped CRM system, SAP CRM 2007 at its annual Influencer Event in Boston, executives say SAP is now “a CRM company.” Michael de la Cruz, senior vice president for SAP CRM solutions, and Bob Stutz, president and general manager CRM global strategy product development discuss the new interface, usability and SAP’s development plans.

 

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Ed Abbo, Oracle’s vice president of CRM products, discusses in this podcast what’s to come in Siebel 8.0 and integrating Siebel with Oracle’s other CRM applications.

Abbo also shares his thoughts on the emergence of hosted call centers and where innovation will come from in the CRM market.

 

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In this installment of the Voices of CRM podcast series, Zach Nelson, CEO of NetSuite Inc. in San Mateo, Calif., talks about NetSuite’s beginnings, the CRM market and the importance of integration between ERP, CRM and e-commerce systems. Nelson also discusses how NetSuite’s CRM approach differs from Salesforce.com, RightNow, SAP and Siebel.

Nelson has served as NetSuite’s CEO since 2002, previously holding posts at Network Associates, myCIO and Oracle.

 

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In this installment of the Voices of CRM podcast series, our conversations with CRM luminaries, we talk with Paul Greenberg, a longtime CRM industry observer and author. Paul discusses the history of the CRM market, the impact of new media and the essentials of CRM training.

Paul is a veteran of the CRM industry, president of the 56 Group LLC, a CRM consultancy based in Manassas, Va. and the author of CRM at the Speed of Light, now in its third edition.

His blog, PGreenblog, was named 2005’s Best CRM Blog by SearchCRM.com’s readers.

 

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In this podcast, Brad Wilson, general manager of Microsoft CRM, spoke from Convergence, Microsoft’s main CRM-related conference, on Microsoft and on-demand CRM.

Wilson, whose background includes stints at PeopleSoft, Epiphany and a number of start-ups, shared his experiences in the CRM market over the past 12 years and what to expect in the future, both from Microsoft and the market, including on-demand CRM. Wilson also discusses what he sees as “the next killer app in CRM.”

 

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