December 18, 2002

SalesLogix - first strike in the war of words against Microsoft CRM

Here's SalesLogix's position on some of the buzz surrounding MS-CRM.

The Buzz: MS-CRM is available.

SalesLogix Says: The fact that Microsoft is launching MS-CRM with little fanfare and with vague guidance as to the ship dates, suggests that version 1.0 (like the initial versions of other Microsoft products) is not ready for prime time. In contrast, SalesLogix has had 5 years of customer input and product enhancements which led up to the launch of version 6.0 in October 2002.

The Buzz: It works with Outlook.

SalesLogix Says: Obviously, it better work with Outlook. But other CRM providers offer Outlook integration as well and have the established customer bases to prove it. SalesLogix, for one, already offers advanced Outlook integration, allowing customers to create, update and transfer e-mails from Outlook to SalesLogix and back.

The Buzz: Integration with back-end (Great Plains) applications is a plus. SalesLogix Says: Complete back-end application integration is a necessity today, and MS-CRM is a long way off from being able to deliver on that. As part of Best Software, SalesLogix already offers full integration of front- and back-office applications. SalesLogix can be integrated with accounting
systems and business management applications, including Best Software products MAS 90/200 and MAS 50, as well other back office products such as MAPICS, Made2Manage and Great Plains.

The Bottom Line: With a more mature product and a customer base of more than 4,600 loyal users, SalesLogix stands to securely hold on to its market share. In fact, SalesLogix welcomes competition from Microsoft, as the software giant's entrance into the market brings increased visibility to the entire space.

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