Yesterday, I offered a brief introduction to the cloud computing services offered by two household names: Google and Amazon.
Companies that like the idea of hosted CRM systems but hate the idea of losing control of their code have started to investigate cloud computing. The recent announcement that Force.com has opened a version of its platform to users of Google App Engine has already started CRM software developers thinking about ways to leverage partnerships with two of the most trusted names in technology.
Developers using the Force.com platform have the ability to build applications that reach far beyond the CRM systems commonly associated with its parent, Salesforce.com. However, the appeal of using the platform lies in its tight connection to customer sales, tracking, and communication tools. The development platform allows companies the luxury of spending only a fraction of previous technology budgets on higher quality sales and service applications.
Meanwhile, the foundation offered by Google App Engine lets companies test new CRM applications and other tools without buying or leasing additional hardware. Best of all, as applications grow and mature over time, the cloud computing platform expands seamlessly to meet demand. Instead of frustrating users with slow server times, applications simply access more processing power on the fly. A taxi-like meter keeps track of the processing units expended by the software, meaning that companies no longer have to waste money on unused resources.
Over on the Amazon cloud, developers enjoy more flexibility to deploy CRM applications in their favorite operating environments. Virtualizing servers gives administrators the flexibility to host a single instance of a tool like SugarCRM, or multiple user desktops connected to a shared ACT database. Expect to hear lots more about CRM systems and cloud computing as we head into 2009.
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