In order to effectively track communications within a central database, it's essential that a CRM integrates well with your Email and Groupware solution. For those companies using Microsoft Outlook for Windows, SugarCRM provides a powerful plugin for Microsoft Outlook that:
- Allows for archiving of inbound and outbound email to the associated client record in the CRM, or any specific project, case, opportunity or lead.
- Provides the ability to auto-archive emails as a streamlined way of archiving email to the CRM
- Provides two way synchronisation for contacts (based on an optional flag), tasks and calendar between the CRM and Microsoft Outlook
- Allows for the creation of new leads, cases, accounts or opportunities from directly within SugarCRM
The plugin for Microsoft Outlook is included in the license cost for SugarCRM Professional, Corporate, Enterprise or Ultimate.
Although Microsoft Outlook for Windows does have significant coverage in the business market, CRM Online prides itself on being able to provide platform independent solutions for CRM. The following integration options are also available:
- For Exchange-based server integration, CRM Online recommends the Riva integration server. Riva delivers the first server-side SugarCRM integration software for Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise.
- For Mac OSX users, CRM Online recommends using Riva if the company is using Microsoft Exchange.
- For those that prefer a completely platform independent solution , a seamless integration is available that uses Mozilla Thunderbird as the email client. The Opacus Thunderbird Extension for SugarCRM offers both inbound and outbound email archiving, and synchronisation of contacts with SugarCRM. This solution is entirely platform independent as it will work with any IMAP or POP-based email solution.
- For Google Apps users, an addon is available via Google Marketplace by OpenSymbol that synchronises Contacts and Calendar between Google Apps and SugarCRM that also allows for the archiving of emails from Google Apps to SugarCRM.
