I was “on the phone” using Skype this morning when it dawned to me that this Freemium service may one day disappear like several other apps I have used in the past (i.e. Dim-Dim, Etacts Gmail plugin, etc)
If you’ve read my posts over the past few years, you know I have been an advocate of unified messaging. The phone system at CRM Helpdesk Software.com is a pure VoIP system from day 1.
It would be a perfect world if you could capture all forms of messaging into your current CRM system. That includes phone, text messaging, and all social networking references to Facebook and Twitter.
By combining the ease of use of Skype into Microsoft Dynamics CRM (and that includes regular Outlook users), at least all calls and text messages can be captured.
We are not sure what plans Microsoft had in mind when they purchased Skype. Perhaps it was to beat Google to the punch? Or perhaps it will be integrated with their gaming products? Maybe integration with their mobile smart phones?
It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.
In April, I mentioned BranchIt and how most contacts are not captured in the CRM.
When you consider over 80% of a company’s relationships don’t get captured into the CRM, and the average employee has over 1,500 relationships, a 1,000 person company has the potential of 1.5 million relationships.
A 10,000 person company has the potential of 15 million relationships.
That’s a lot of contacts.
But what good is it if you don’t know the relationships behind every contact?
Who knows? Your tennis partner may be a key lead to an upcoming sales presentation for another colleague in your company
Unified Messaging + CRM
So in my utopian world of the perfect enterprise software, I believe if an easy to use unified messaging system like Skype can be integrated Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Outlook, with real time tracking of all calls (inbound and outbound; at the office and mobile devices), then I think we have a winner.
Add a LinkedIn type application (like BranchIt) to harness the power of connections by centralizing and associating your contacts, and you have a double winner.
Of course, Salesforce.com isn’t resting on their laurels, either.
