ZOHO CRM Announces New Features For Google Apps
Recently, Zoho announced it has added new integration features for Google Apps. The integration allows Zoho CRM and other Zoho Business tools to display data in Gmail messages.
Zoho has expanded its service portfolio to go beyond just CRM and they now host over twenty-four services. Although Google Apps and Microsoft are competitors of Zoho, Zoho has not been opposed to integrate with both Google Apps and Microsoft technology.
Zoho has recognized that customers most likely will not stop using applications like Gmail and Microsoft Office, so even though Zoho offers their own email service and word programs they still opt to integrate with the more popular applications. With this strategy, Zoho has aligned itself as a complimentary product to Gmail. Zoho CRM, Projects, and Invoice applications will now integrate and take advantage of Gmail’s contextual gadgets.
Zoho executive Raju Vegesna commented on the newfound integration between the applications. He said, “When you receive an email from your customer in Gmail, our CRM Gadget can display the customer information (pulled from Zoho CRM) along with the notes, contact info, etc within the email. Similarly, the Invoice gadget can display information like overdue or unpaid invoices from that customer, all without leaving that email message.”
Zoho is making the right moves in focusing its efforts on integration, this is one of the number one need/concern of web-based business apps buyers.
CRM is growing as the hottest category in business apps as demonstrated by the October Top 20 Business Apps of GetApp.com
http://www.getapp.com/blog/online-crm-applications-popular-amongst-small-businesses-in-september/