Open source for your next CRM deployment
SugarCRM and other open-source CRM vendors have a slick value proposition for the CIO: Save money, boost innovation, and improve internal adoption. What's not to love?
According to a CIO.com article, it depends on the type of organization you're helming. For some, it's possible that open-source CRM won't be a good fit. But these will be the exception, not the rule:
Since most of the code is open, the applications tend to be very customizable, run on any platform, and have a good, if not all-encompassing, feature set. Indeed, SugarCRM, the largest player in the category..., has added more mobile features than many of its commercial rivals....
Unlike commercial software, open source code, is just that--open. Users are free to modify and distribute most of it under any of the several commonly used open source licenses. In fact, openness and the right to modify the source code is a key advantage for tech-savvy companies willing to take on development tasks.
Does this mean that the only way to benefit from open-source CRM (and other open-source enterprise applications) is if you're a technology-savvy shop? Of course not. Most don't need to tweak the code, and never will. But even those who don't benefit from those who do.
If a CIO has decided to buy wholeheartedly into a particular vendor's complete stack (e.g., Oracle), then perhaps open-source CRM isn't for them. Open source is for those who like choice, not manacles. :-)
