The long wait for mobile CRM: Are we there yet?

CRM users have been waiting for a viable mobile CRM market ecosystem to develop for years. To be sure, the industry tantalizes users with news that this or that vendor or offering or solution will herald mainstream application of this technology. For the most part, though, it hasn't happened yet, Yankee Group analyst Sheryl Kingstone told CRM Buyer - even though the need is huge among companies that wish to stay competitive.

"I strongly recommend that, as much as possible, organizations incorporate mobile technologies into their sales operations, if nothing else," she said, noting that an environment has evolved that demands data intimacy and immediate information to effectively connect with the customer.

While the industry hasn't quite reached that point, several vendors are beginning to provide a glimpse of what is possible. The iPhone, in particular, has generated much excitement among users and vendors.

For example, check out this list of five iPhone apps for business. With more than 550 iPhone apps now in the iPhone store, writes Drea Knufken, the challenge is not acquiring them, but finding the ones most relevant to your needs. Among Knofken's picks:

• 43 Actions - the ultimate action list that allows a user to organise actions, add new ones via e-mail or Twitter, check off finished actions, get agendas e-mailed on a regular basis, and more.
  
• Salesforce Mobile for the iPhone - instant customer information on Salesforce.com's mobile platform. "What more could you ask for?" enthuses Knofken.
  
• Oracle Business Indicators - business performance info, including a range of analytics. "No more need to pop open the laptop before that big meeting," she writes.
  
• Airport Flight Delays - flight statistics allow users to check out delay info.
  
• PackageTrackr - tracks packages through UPS, FedEx, DHL, the US Postal Service and more.

  Read the full article here.