Best Open Source CRM Software For Your Small Business
The rather noble philosophy behind Open Source CRM software deserves recognition. For small businesses, Open
Source CRM software solutions will merit serious consideration in the near future, if not now.
Right now, however, Open Source is a bit of an unknown
quantity from a CRM
context, and especially from a small business perspective.
But this grassroots movement has already assumed cult-like status with major
backers from IBM to astro-entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth.
Sun has also made Java fully open source.
With this groundswell of support, CRM Open Source solutions will find themselves
in the mainstream sooner rather than later.
The open source contender to Microsoft Office - Star Office/Open Office,
is steadily eroding Microsoft's market share as it proves itself
a reliable, capable alternative.
What makes OpenSource products attractive are their price, depending on how
the Open Source Foundation (OSF) price models
are applied. Open Source products are ostensibly free. But there is a hidden
price tag. Support is not that readily available, and comes at a cost. Your
choice of software is still rather limited and a proficient IT person/team is necessary
if you are to fully benefit from open source software.
So, approach with caution. Our 'small business' instincts are probably more
tuned to the word 'FREE' than others, and Open Source CRM solutions could end
up being a case of 'false economy'.
If you are going to need to customize your CRM software, however, as is often
the case, there is strong justification for going the Open Source route. Proprietory
CRM software can be difficult and expensive to customize as the source code
is not readily available, if at all. And using their in-house development services
could end being extremely costly if you are not careful.
If you do opt to have a proprietory CRM vendor or one of their VAR's (Value
Added Resellers) do your customization, ensure your CRM specification is thoroughly
thought through, right to the last full-stop!
Best Open Source CRM Software Solutions.
If you are keen to check out some CRM solutions based on Open Source, look
at:
-
SugarCRM. Recommended. It is more suitable for larger businesses, however. According to their website,
SugarCRM is being
downloaded up to 500 times per day.
- CentricCRM. Recommended. Is a well designed, fully J2EE compliant, open source CRM solution. CentricCRM is less expensive than SugarCRM, yet is adaptable for small
or mid-sized corporations, or businesses with complex sales environments.
- vTiger.
vTiger offers a comprehensive
CRM feature set for small and medium businesses. A Helpdesk, product database,
strong Outlook integration and mass emailing are some of its strengths. A
100% open source CRM product. vTiger is a badge-engineered version
of SugarCRM, with a different subscription-based revenue model for customer
support.
-
Daffodil CRM. Now fully integrated with Compiere, ComDaf is targetted at small to medium businesses. ComDaf CRM is a full featured ERP/CRM solution. They will even customize for you at nominal rates. DaffodilCRM will be reviewed later.
- JunariCRM. Built on the OpenERP platform, Junari CRM is extensible and fully customisable as you have access to the source code. Also offers support for various mobiles including iPhone and Blackberry. See more mobile CRM solutions
- SellWinCRM. Discontinued? SellWin was developed by Open App Inc., a startup company
located in Texas, USA, that provides software services for customers needing
professional services centered around the SellWin product.
- Anteil CRM. Popular
with govt. departments, non-profits, real estate and even the fashion and
publishing industries. Product is currently being ported to Java with AJAX.
We want your independent
CRM reviews/experiences of these and other CRM products!
Open Source Accounting and CRM Solutions for Accountants.
- TurboCASH.
One of the most popular Open Source Accounting software solutions is TurboCASH.
TurboCASH .7 is an open source accounting package that is free for everyone
to download and distribute under the terms of the General
Public Licence (GPL).
Although aimed at the small- to medium-sized business market, TurboCASH
is not a simple 'home finances' bookkeeping system. TurboCASH features everything
one would expect from accounting software costing £250 or more. And
since it's governed by the GPL, TurboCASH is free - no 30-day trials or
restricted versions.
If you have access to Open Source skills, TurboCASH is probably the Open
Source Accounting package of choice for small businesses. Unfortunately
it does not yet offer a CRM module (but, I'm told, it's in the pipeline).
To read more about TurboCASH, click
here:
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Best Open Source CRM solutions
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