The advent of cloud based hosting has literally changed the entire game for businesses. As technology takes the fore, and as security becomes a primary, backbone issue, more businesses are looking to the safety and security as well as convenience of the cloud for their computing needs.
There are many innate advantages that are found with cloud based hosting. One, you don’t ever have to store your files on sensitive company computers. Two, you can access the cloud from anywhere and at any time, including from your smartphone. And three, hosting plans tend to be rather affordable.
With these three constituents in mind, one can more easily understand why cloud CRM software is the next big thing for many businesses. But what features does it offer that would make it a realistic contender against desktop hosted software of the same sort? We’ll take a look to help you better understand.
Real-Time Cloud Hosting
Real-time updates in standard CRM for your PC or Mac require that you login to the software and download the update. A Forbes article explains why this has made these systems slower and unresponsive, and in some cases outright unusable. But with cloud CRM software, the updates are not necessary because the software is updated by the cloud.
Integrated Social Functions
Social integration is becoming the next big thing in most software suites. With the power of social media growing, and with thousands of networks out there, integrated social functions are a necessity. So it should come as no surprise that cloud CRM software fully integrates into most social channels.
Integrated Email Functions
One of the goals of cloud CRM software is to help you put all of your most used business communication functions in the cloud, so you can access them all from one convenient portal. Integrated email API helps with that because now you can choose an internal email provider to access your messages from the cloud.
Back-up & Recovery
Being able to back data up and store it as part of your disaster recovery plan is imperative to protecting your business interests. According to TrueShip, this is a very sought after feature with cloud based software of any type. And you can bet that cloud CRM software offers data recovery and storage, but that there’s also some sort of storage fee assessed for doing so.
Faster Operational Protocol
Gleaning back on an earlier subject matter, cloud based computing is simply faster. That’s because the cloud does the heavy lifting, whereas the computer accessing the cloud is merely processing what it’s fed. This equates to faster operational protocol, which means happier end users.
Enhanced Security
Cloud server arrays are nearly as secure as Ft. Knox. They are housed in man-trapped buildings in clean rooms that feature robust biometric security. It really does not get any safer than this when it comes to housing your data.
Internalized Project Management
Project management is at the core of functions for good cloud CRM software these days. This is inclusive of things like task lists, calendars, chat, social integrations, and much more. Without it, CRM is not very useful at all for team members.
Smartphone Integration
Last but not least, there’s smartphone integration. Cloud software can allow users to access their portal from a smartphone via an app or mobile login. This means that, essentially, users have access to their CRM from anywhere and at any time.