Further proof today that the iPad has indeed changed the customer relationship management (CRM) market came as CDC Software announces its first app for Apple's tablet, Pivotal CRM for iPad.
The company joins several other CRM software makers in responding to the rising popularity of the iPad in the enterprise by developing applications for the device. They include companies like Oracle, Microsoft, and most recently Sonoma Partners with its Mobile Sales Kit application for the Dynamics platform.
Catering to the hot iOS market makes sense. However, CRM software providers are also discovering that tablet support is emerging as a must-have productivity booster.
In a recent report from Nucleus Research on the impact of mobile and social on CRM, the firm discovered that sales people that use mobile CRM apps enjoyed a 14.6 percent increase in productivity. Nearly a third of the 220 CRM decision makers polled by the group reported a productivity increase of more than 20 percent.
And mobile CRM adoption among businesses is brisk. According to the report, 74 percent of respondents to the said that they enabled access to mobile CRM apps.
To help attain those productivity gains and appeal to businesses that are jumping on the mobile CRM bandwagon, CDC's Pivotal CRM for iPad app hinges on flexible connectivity and customization options, according to the company. When users are online, new data and updates to the enterprise CRM database are made available via snapshots on the software's personalized dashboard.
This customizable view can include graphs, charts and web pages. The company's Pivotal Toolkit allows organizations to tweak content layout, navigation and business logic without coding. Additionally, users can create custom searches and search lists that can grab any type of data held in Pivotal's CRM platform. For instance, users can configure searches to discover "newly acquired accounts with a specified net value, or key company or contacts in a specific area," according to the CDC.
The app also sports an offline mode. Should a user wander beyond hotspot coverage or roam past the limits of a cellular network, all is not lost. "Users can still access CRM data that was synchronized to their device, helping them stay informed wherever they are," says CDC.
Skype and Google Maps integration provides the app with communications and geographical capabilities, respectively. On the social front, the app integrates with LinkedIn and Facebook.
The Pivotal CRM for iPad app is available now as a free download from the iTunes Store. The software requires Pivotal CRM 6.0.10 or higher and a valid "mobile plus" license.