Oracle CRM On Demand release 19 sees the cloud application grow even more sophisticated.
Oracle CRM On Demand users, prepare to say hello to release 19.
Now, “release 19” might not sound very catchy. So let’s look at two of the big features promised by Oracle for the upcoming “refresh” of its cloud CRM software:
- CRM Desktop: Control Oracle CRM On Demand from your Microsoft Outlook client
- Mobility: Oracle adds iPad support and releases Fusion Mobile CRM, a single client for its cloud and on-premise CRM applications
To learn more, I spoke with two of Innoveer’s most experienced CRM On Demand consultants, Minesh Patel and Oliver Dunford, for how these updates will benefit CRM On Demand users:
Fusion Mobile App Supports Customizations
Previously, any customizations made to the core CRM On Demand application–and few businesses use a 100% vanilla configuration–weren’t reflected in the related, mobile app for iPhone and BlackBerry. With release 19, however, Oracle has introduced Fusion Mobile, which supports not only Oracle CRM On Demand but also Siebel and the forthcoming Fusion CRM, all via the same mobile application.
Now, any customizations you make to CRM On Demand also carry through to the mobile client (still for iPhone or BlackBerry). Furthermore, the new mobile client is a much thinner app than the old one, because it doesn’t store information locally.
Timing-wise, Oracle expects to begin rolling Fusion Mobile out this month to selected customers, after which it will probably reach all users in the next couple of months.
iPad Support Added
Apple fans, rejoice: Release 19 adds iPad support, specifically via Safari support (versus just Internet Explorer and Firefox before). Because the iPad doesn’t run Flash, and Oracle CRM On Demand does, some types of charts and graphs may require a workaround, or might not be available. Stay tuned to see the extent to which workarounds will be required.
CRM Desktop Syncs With Microsoft Outlook
Want to increase user adoption and productivity, while lowering training requirements? Release 19 now gets a plug-in from Oracle, CRM Desktop, that enables the cloud-based application to synchronize with your desktop-based Microsoft Outlook client. As a result, you can manage a lot of Oracle On Demand–accounts, contacts, opportunities, appointments–from within Microsoft Outlook.
This is a big deal, since it effectively adds an offline client to Oracle CRM On Demand. Furthermore, everyone knows how to use Outlook, which makes CRM On Demand even easier to deploy. Oracle will initially be rolling out CRM Desktop for CRM On Demand to its single tenant environments, then expanding it to multi-tenant environments after it gets put through its paces. (Likewise, Oracle said it’s planning a Lotus Notes client, though it hasn’t named a release date yet.)
One caveat: As with any cloud-to-desktop sync, you probably won’t want to sync everything. Typically, we recommend that companies start with calendar events and tasks, and avoid synchronizing contacts, since it’s difficult to avoid duplicate records.
Takeaway: Release 19 Advice
What’s the big takeaway from release 19? First, Oracle is adding a top-notch mobile client. Second, Oracle CRM On Demand will now have a solid offline client–in the form of Microsoft Outlook, no less. And a major benefit to both of these clients/form factors is that they’ll require minimal training.
Now, should existing users rush out and adopt Oracle CRM On Demand release 19? In fact, we recommend that you never adopt any new SaaS software–and especially mobile clients–without thoroughly testing it first. As with any new software, make sure it’s completely sturdy and stable, and plays well with your current environment, before giving it to your users.
Learn More
Need CRM fast? Innoveer’s CRM accelerators enable organizations to deploy Oracle CRM On Demand with core marketing, SFA, or service capabilities in just four weeks, and for a fixed price.
New to cloud CRM? Despite this blog post’s technology focus, based on Innoveer’s extensive experience, we’ve found that CRM projects succeed most when they don’t start with technology. Instead, begin by identifying your business requirements, and then find the best technology for meeting those requirements.
Post and thumbnail photos courtesy of Flickr user Vinoth Chandar.
