Salesforce.com Unveils Upgrade Of On-Demand CRM

Salesforce.com on Monday launched the 20th generation of its on-demand customer-relationship management software.

Summer '06, which is available in five editions, provides a better view of each customer by integrating more data from sales, marketing, service and support, officials with the San Francisco company said. The CRM upgrade has also been integrated with Salesforce Partner Edition, which manages indirect sales channels; and includes support for new AppExchange Mobile updates for providing more customer data to sales reps on the road.

Other enhancements include advanced call scripting for guiding sales and service reps in working with customers. Scripts can be tailored for different customers based on their profiles.

In addition, the upgrade lets sales managers track lead status changes from week to week, conduct historical and trend analysis and help ensure legal compliance with an audit history of customer interactions.

Also on Monday, Salesforce.com launched a connector for integration with SAP R/3, the enterprise resource planning system from business software maker SAP AG. Developed with Sierra Atlantic, the connector is Salesforce.com's first packaged integration delivered by the company, officials said.