Top 10 Online CRM software

Latest news about Online CRM software

2023. Pipedrive unveiled AI-powered sales assistant



Pipedrive, the user-friendly and efficient sales CRM designed for small businesses, has unveiled its new AI-driven Sales Assistant, currently in beta. This innovative tool offers sales professionals insights into a deal's likelihood of success and suggestions for optimal next steps, significantly enhancing the chances of closing deals successfully. Companies that leverage the Sales Assistant experience a threefold increase in deal closures compared to those who don't. By incorporating AI capabilities into the Sales Assistant, Pipedrive aims to empower sales teams with targeted and actionable guidance, enabling them to further elevate their performance. The integration of AI into the Sales Assistant equips small businesses with a virtual assistant that utilizes cutting-edge technology to help them prioritize tasks, focus on key deals, and identify potential challenges in their sales pipeline.


2023. HubSpot unveils strategy to integrate AI across the platform



HubSpot, the marketing and CRM platform, has unveiled its comprehensive AI strategy known as HubSpot AI. While the incorporation of AI elements has been an ongoing effort for HubSpot and other enterprise SaaS vendors, the advent of technologies like ChatGPT has prompted HubSpot to adopt a more extensive approach while retaining earlier features. The CRM database stores valuable company data, enabling users to gain insights into customer profiles, encompassing basic information, purchase history, customer service interactions, and more. HubSpot AI encompasses a four-pronged strategy, starting with content assistants that assist users in generating various content types across the platform. Additionally, AI agents, currently in different development stages, aim to automate customer service tasks and answer queries. The third component, AI Insights, provides predictive analytics, such as identifying customers likely to churn or make a purchase, a capability integrated into the platform over time.

2023. Salesforce launches AI Cloud to bring models to the enterprise



Salesforce is introducing a new collection of products with the goal of strengthening its position in the highly competitive field of AI. This suite, known as AI Cloud, consists of tools that are designed to provide AI solutions that are suitable for enterprise use. It represents Salesforce's latest effort to enhance its product lineup with AI capabilities across different disciplines. The launch of AI Cloud builds upon the company's previous generative AI initiative, which was introduced in March, aiming to incorporate generative AI throughout the entire Salesforce platform. AI Cloud serves as a hosting and delivery platform for AI models, specifically those focused on generating text, from a variety of partners such as Amazon Web Services, Anthropic, Cohere, and OpenAI. Additionally, Salesforce's own AI research division offers first-party models that power features like code generation and business process automation. Customers also have the option to bring their own custom-trained models to the platform while storing their data on their own infrastructure.


2023. Kustomer, the CRM startup acquired by Meta last year for $1B, spins out



Facebook has officially spun out Kustomer, the CRM startup it acquired last year for around $1 billion. The existence of potential buyers for Kustomer remains uncertain; however, Meta has opted to retain a minority stake in the CRM business. This allows Meta the flexibility to collaborate with Kustomer in further product development and continue servicing any clients acquired during Meta's ownership tenure. With the ongoing race in generative AI and the introduction of new innovations, both Meta and Kustomer have the potential to create and integrate intriguing tools across Meta's platforms. However, the extent of their existing collaborative business remains unclear. Initially, Kustomer aimed to revolutionize CRM by adopting an "omni-channel" approach to customer contact. According to Kustomer, traditional CRMs did not align with how modern consumers and potential customers interact with businesses today.


2023. Personal CRM app Clay introduces an AI helper to help you navigate your relationships



Clay, a startup that serves as a personal CRM to assist individuals in managing various relationships, such as friends, family, colleagues, and industry peers, has introduced AI technology to enhance insights derived from one's contact network. With Clay's new AI navigator called Nexus, users can now inquire about specific details regarding their connections, such as who has visited a particular place, works at a specific company, or possesses expertise in a specific subject. While AI is commonly utilized today to aggregate information from the internet or answer general queries, Nexus leverages AI for a more practical and personal purpose while prioritizing user privacy. The newly implemented AI-powered Nexus feature empowers users to query their personal database, enabling them to gain deeper insights about their network and support them in nurturing their relationships.


2023. Microsoft brings an AI-powered Copilot to Dynamics 365



Microsoft is introducing a new AI tool called Copilot, which aims to automate repetitive tasks in sales and customer service. In applications such as Dynamics 365 Sales and Viva Sales, Copilot can assist in composing email responses to customers and generate an email summary of Teams meetings in Outlook. The meeting summary incorporates information from the seller's CRM, including product details and pricing, and combines them with insights gathered during the recorded Teams call. In Dynamics 365 Customer Service, Copilot can draft "contextual answers" for customer queries in chat or email formats. It also provides an interactive chat experience for customer service agents, drawing from knowledge bases and case history. Additionally, Microsoft's AI Builder tool features a new "GPT" model that enables organizations to integrate text-generation capabilities into their Power Automate and Power Apps solutions, complementing the conversation boosters provided by Copilot.


2023. Attio raises $23.5M to build a next-gen CRM platform



Attio has secured $31.2 million in funding for its CRM platform, which combines a robust data model with collaborative capabilities typically found in no-code software. This platform enables businesses to create a comprehensive database of contacts and companies they engage with, facilitating analysis and management of customer records, note-taking, and the creation of automated workflows for updating contact information. Attio distinguishes itself from legacy CRMs by offering superior performance and pricing ($119 per user per month at the higher end). While legacy CRMs may feature intricate data models, they often suffer from slow deployment and high costs. Conversely, CRM startups and in-house CRMs tend to be more stable but may have overly simplistic and inflexible models. Attio bridges this gap by providing a powerful and flexible CRM solution at a competitive price point.


2023. Gameball raises $3.5M to scale its CRM platform for consumer brands



Gameball, a platform focused on customer intelligence and marketing CRM, has recently secured $3.5 million. Gameball enables consumer brands to utilize their data for growth purposes. The platform emphasizes the establishment of long-term customer relationships and retention through personalized loyalty programs driven by data insights. By leveraging existing customers, businesses can maximize their value instead of solely relying on acquiring new customers through paid advertisements. Gameball empowers brands to engage with their existing customer base through targeted campaigns and loyalty programs, eliminating the need for blind customer acquisition spending. Additionally, Gameball provides monetization opportunities for brands, allowing them to efficiently upsell and cross-sell to their customer base.


2022. monday.com introduces monday sales CRM



The renowned project management service, monday.com, has recently introduced monday sales CRM, a dynamic customer relationship management (CRM) system designed to streamline all customer-related processes within a single platform. Leveraging monday.com's flexible low-code/no-code framework, monday sales CRM offers a fully customizable CRM solution that empowers users to automate repetitive tasks, synchronize their Gmail/Outlook accounts for seamless email communication, and automatically log sent emails. Additionally, the CRM system provides real-time notifications when leads open or respond to emails, facilitates team quota tracking over time, allows for goal setting at both individual and team levels, centralizes post-sale activities for efficient client onboarding, project management, and collection tracking, streamlines the sales hiring process, and equips sales teams with the necessary tools and resources to enhance deal closure rates. The offering includes a free version for up to 2 seats, while the paid version starts at €10 per seat per month.


2022. SaaS platform LeadSquared becomes unicorn with $153M funding



LeadSquared, an Indian SaaS startup, has achieved unicorn status by assisting sales teams in optimizing their efficiency through its CRM platform. The company focuses on automating the sales process, enhancing productivity across various touchpoints where sales executives operate, such as call centers, field sales forces, and digital channels involved in consumer purchases. LeadSquared equips businesses with tools to streamline vendor onboarding, conduct verifications, and facilitate collections, thereby simplifying and improving these essential sales operations.


2021. Salesforce announces first integrations with Slack



When Salesforce completed its acquisition of Slack towards the end of the previous year, it was evident that they had ambitious plans for the company. Today, the renowned CRM giant has unveiled the initial integrations that are set to benefit Salesforce customers. To begin with, the Sales Cloud now offers dedicated deal rooms. These rooms allow all parties involved in a complex sale, including internal departments such as finance and product teams, as well as external partners, to collaborate within Slack throughout the sales cycle. This enables them to stay updated on the fluctuations and progress of all sales activities. By leveraging Slack's capability to integrate external enterprise applications within its platform, the goal is to foster collaboration and discover methods to streamline and automate various Salesforce tasks. This ultimately results in faster and more efficient usage of Salesforce, eliminating the need to switch contexts in order to achieve desired outcomes.


2021. Creatio raises $68M for its low-code CRM platform



Creatio, a low-code platform designed to streamline business processes, has secured $68 million in funding. One of Creatio's key strengths lies in its specialization within the CRM space, offering efficient automation solutions for marketing and sales-related tasks. The platform's competitive advantage lies in its ability to rapidly automate processes, allowing companies to transition from a low-code platform to live applications quickly. The low-code industry, in which Creatio operates, is currently experiencing significant investment and growth.


2020. Sales CRM Pipedrive becomes unicorn



The latest European company to achieve unicorn status is Pipedrive, the sales CRM tool catering to small and medium-sized businesses. The company recently secured a majority investment from Vista Equity Partners, a U.S.-based private equity firm specializing in enterprise software. This investment has elevated Pipedrive's valuation to an impressive $1.5 billion. Pipedrive has always distinguished itself as sales software prioritizing the needs of salespeople, rather than just their managers. It was developed by sales professionals, for sales professionals. However, the platform has evolved into a comprehensive CRM solution that encompasses marketing functionalities as well. Pipedrive proudly boasts a user base of 95,000 companies relying on its software.


2020. Freshworks relaunches its CRM service



Freshworks, the company specializing in customer and employee engagement solutions that encompass a wide range of products, including call center software, customer support tools, HR solutions, and marketing automation services, has announced the launch of its latest offering: Freshworks CRM. Developed on the foundation of the newly introduced Freshworks Neo platform, this new service aims to equip sales and marketing teams with comprehensive tools for gaining valuable insights into their customer base, leveraging the power of machine learning to enhance predictive capabilities. Freshworks CRM essentially represents a rebranding of the company's Freshsales service, complemented by the advanced features of its Freshmarketer marketing automation tool.


2020. HubSpot’s new end-to-end sales hub aims to simplify CRM for mid-market customers



HubSpot, renowned for its role in shaping the concept of inbound marketing, has unveiled the HubSpot Sales Hub Enterprise. While the company has been providing a CRM tool for five years, which has successfully addressed the usability concerns of salespeople, the new offering aims to deliver a comprehensive approach that caters to the needs of not only sales professionals but also management and system administrators. HubSpot recognizes that larger players in the industry, such as Adobe, Salesforce, and SAP, typically acquire various components of the technology stack and integrate them into their solutions, or customers themselves piece together different elements. In contrast, HubSpot believes that developing a unified, integrated solution in-house will naturally result in a more user-friendly experience.


2020. SugarCRM acquires Node to gain predictive customer intelligence



SugarCRM made an announcement today about its acquisition of Node, a customer intelligence startup. This strategic move not only brings valuable AI expertise to SugarCRM but also introduces a customer prediction component to its platform. This means that SugarCRM will now have the capability to identify customers who are most likely to convert or churn. As a result, SugarCRM enters into direct competition with industry players like Adobe and Salesforce, who have long offered predictive intelligence layers. Established in 2014 and having raised over $43 million, Node fills a significant gap for SugarCRM by enhancing engagement analytics and enabling action across various stages of the business. Simultaneously, it serves as a unique market differentiator for the company.


2020. Salesforce announces a new mobile collaboration tool for sales called Anywhere



Salesforce has introduced a new tool called Salesforce Anywhere with the purpose of facilitating collaboration and data sharing among teams, regardless of their location. Recognizing the increasing significance of collaboration in a digital environment during the pandemic, the development of such an application became crucial for the company. The primary objective is to go beyond the confines of a traditional database and enable salespeople to access the most relevant information based on their sales pipelines. This tool allows employees to share information within their teams and engage in discussions related to that specific data. While there are other chat tools available, Salesforce Anywhere is specifically tailored for sharing Salesforce data, distinguishing it from more general-purpose platforms like Slack or other business chat tools.


2020. Zoho introduced Bigin - pipeline-centric CRM for small business



Alongside the widely-used Zoho CRM, Zoho has introduced Bigin, a new pipeline-centric CRM specifically designed and priced for the requirements of small and micro businesses. Bigin revolutionizes CRM by incorporating a user-friendly interface reminiscent of spreadsheets, making it accessible to anyone without prior CRM knowledge or the need for additional resources to implement the software. During the development of this product, Zoho identified that small businesses were often misled by vendors who offered stripped-down CRM features under the guise of being suitable for their needs. In contrast, Bigin includes crucial features such as multiple pipelines, integrated telephony, and workflow automation, providing small businesses with an optimal feature set for managing comprehensive customer-facing processes within their CRM. Notably, Bigin distinguishes itself as the most cost-effective CRM system currently available, priced at $7 per user per month with annual billing.


2020. Zendesk’s latest tools designed to give fuller view of the customer



Two years ago, Zendesk, a well-known provider of help desk software, expanded into CRM with its acquisition of Base. Shortly after, the company introduced the Sunshine platform, enabling customers to develop applications on top of the Zendesk platform. Since then, Zendesk has been actively integrating the CRM tool into its platform, and today's announcement focuses on offering Zendesk users a more comprehensive understanding of their customers. With access to extensive data from customer interactions with the help desk, Zendesk can provide valuable insights into customer preferences and behaviors.


2020. Zendesk launches app marketplace for its CRM



In 2018, Zendesk acquired Base CRM and subsequently rebranded it as Zendesk Sell. Now, the company is introducing Zendesk Marketplace for Sell, an app store specifically designed for this CRM product. The marketplace serves as a platform where organizations can share components that enhance the capabilities of the core Sell product. Notably, prominent companies like MailChimp, HubSpot, and QuickBooks are already available on the platform. Initially, customers have the ability to develop private apps utilizing a new application development framework. This empowers them to personalize Sell according to their specific requirements, whether it involves integrating with an internal system or creating unique functionality. Moreover, independent software vendors (ISVs) can develop custom apps, a practice that has already been prevalent within the Zendesk ecosystem for some time, particularly in the realm of customer support.


2019. Salesforce brought AI power to its search tool


Salesforce has unveiled Einstein Search, an AI-powered search tool catering to Salesforce users, aiming to guide them directly to the precise information they seek. While it may not possess the broad knowledge base of Google regarding topic popularity, Einstein Search can learn from individual behaviors and tailor responses based on the user's profile, including geographical location and past activities, resulting in more meaningful answers. Furthermore, it enables users to input search queries using natural language, comprehends the intent, and delivers relevant results accordingly. Moreover, leveraging its understanding of your preferences and search parameters, the intelligent engine can predict your most probable desired actions and offer quick action buttons within the search results, streamlining the process and reducing time to action.


2019. Salesforce added order management to its CRM software


Salesforce has introduced Lightning Order Management, an integration layer that enables seamless order management across sales, service, and marketing systems. The Salesforce solution comprises several key components. Firstly, there is order life cycle management, which is referred to as the brains of the operation by Ball. Customers can begin by creating visual order workflows, and they have the flexibility to switch between systems using an App Picker. The information is seamlessly shared between Commerce Cloud and Service Cloud, ensuring a smooth transition for customers as they move from sales to service. This integration facilitates the processing of customer inquiries regarding orders, including returns.


2019. Partner Management software Crossbeam got $12.5M Series A


Crossbeam, a startup specializing in software for facilitating information sharing between potential partners, has revealed a $12.5 million Series A funding round. The company's product operates by gathering data from various sources such as Salesforce, HubSpot, or even a .csv file, and then comparing and analyzing that data within the Crossbeam platform. This allows partners to identify areas of overlap and determine the most effective collaboration opportunities. The shared data can encompass various aspects, including customer names or common sales representatives across accounts. Crossbeam emphasizes that many companies initially begin by partnering with highly trusted organizations to familiarize themselves with the product before expanding their network of collaborations. By leveraging Crossbeam's software, businesses can optimize their partnerships and unlock valuable synergies to drive mutual growth and success.


2019. Sales assistant software Vymo raised $18M


Vymo, the startup behind a mobile-first service designed to assist salespeople in effectively managing their leads and optimizing productivity, has successfully raised $18 million in a recent funding round. The funds will be utilized to expand Vymo's presence in the United States and other global markets. Vymo functions as a customer relationship management (CRM) solution and seamlessly integrates with popular CRMs such as Salesforce. The service enables salespeople to automatically capture essential details of their business interactions, including calls, visits, messages, emails, calendar events, and engagement levels. This comprehensive tracking and management system allows for efficient lead management. With a workforce of approximately 100 employees, Vymo has attracted over 40 enterprise customers across seven countries, including prominent life insurance firms such as AIA Group and AXA. Notably, Vymo's service is utilized by more than 100,000 salespeople worldwide.


2019. HoneyBook, CRM for creative businesses raises $28M



HoneyBook, a customer-relationship management platform tailored for small businesses in creative industries, has announced a successful Series C funding round, securing $28 million with Citi Ventures as the lead investor. This latest funding brings HoneyBook's total raised capital to $72 million. The company plans to utilize the funds to expand its teams in San Francisco and Tel Aviv, as well as develop new features to enhance the user experience for its diverse customer base, which includes small companies, solopreneurs, and freelancers. HoneyBook serves as a comprehensive CRM solution, assisting users in fostering relationships with potential clients, managing projects, generating invoices, and facilitating payments. The platform's tools are specifically designed to cater to the unique requirements of small businesses, enabling them to streamline their operations effectively. With this recent investment, HoneyBook aims to further empower creative professionals by providing them with advanced features and capabilities to support their growth and success.


2019. Oracle adds more AI features to its suite of sales tools



Oracle is enhancing its suite of sales tools with a range of AI-driven features. Firstly, the company aims to assist sales managers and representatives in gaining a deeper understanding of the market, enabling them to identify the most promising prospects in the sales pipeline. To achieve this, Oracle has announced the integration of DataFox, a company it acquired in the previous year. This integration empowers Oracle's Customer Experience Cloud with comprehensive company profiles, incorporating details such as SEC filings, job postings, news articles, and other pertinent data. Additionally, Oracle has unveiled an AI-based sales planning tool developed in collaboration with its ERP team. By leveraging machine learning, this tool aims to facilitate more accurate performance predictions based on internal data, ultimately assisting finance professionals in making informed decisions.


2019. Infusionsoft rebrands as Keap



Infusionsoft has undergone a rebranding process and is now known as Keap, a name that embodies the determination and dedication small businesses exhibit every day to persevere, serve their customers, and achieve growth. Alongside the rebranding, Keap has introduced a new CRM product, also named Keap. This CRM solution specifically caters to small service providers in fields such as interior design, home repair, fitness, and business consulting. Keap serves as intelligent client management software that automates repetitive tasks related to sales and client interactions. These tasks include appointment scheduling, lead and quote follow-ups, and payment collection. By providing intelligent prompts, Keap assists users in effectively communicating with clients, progressing leads, and ultimately cultivating a higher number of satisfied clients who are likely to refer the business.


2018. Zoho CRM enables to convert website live-chats to phone conversations



Zoho has introduced significant updates to its integrated customer experience platform, Zoho CRM Plus. The latest version not only allows customers to engage with businesses through their preferred channels but also enables seamless channel switching for internal teams. Sales representatives can effortlessly transition from website live chats to phone conversations, support agents can handle calls directly from their ticket interface, and marketers can convert social media interactions into tickets for expedited issue resolution. With the new ASAP plug-in for Desk, customers gain access to quick answers from the company's knowledge base, the ability to create support tickets, and the convenience of chatting with support agents directly on the company website or mobile app. The introduction of Blueprint empowers businesses to build and automate processes that span sales, marketing, and support teams. For instance, a sales order Blueprint can involve both sales and support teams, automatically creating a ticket in Desk when a sales order is approved in CRM, and updating the sales order status to "Delivered" in CRM upon completion of the delivery process in Desk.


2018. Salesforce allows to enter data to CRM via voice



Sales managers are renowned for their verbal prowess, as talking is an integral part of their job. However, when it comes to entering customer data into a CRM system, they are faced with the arduous task of typing. Salesforce aims to alleviate this cognitive dissonance by introducing a new feature called Einstein Voice. This feature enables users to input data into the system effortlessly using natural speech. Just imagine, you hop into your car, open the mobile app, and have a conversation with a virtual assistant. You might say, "I just had a meeting with John Smith. He expressed interest in making a purchase but requested a follow-up call in a week...". The virtual assistant then dutifully adds a note to the customer's history in the CRM system. However, Salesforce might need to address the personality of their virtual assistant. It seems incongruous to task Einstein with such mundane responsibilities.


2018. Salesforce released new product - Customer 360



Customer 360 is an innovative software that integrates various customer data components to provide a more cohesive view within the Salesforce product family. Leveraging technology from Salesforce's Mulesoft acquisition, this solution aims to empower customer service representatives by equipping them with a comprehensive understanding of your interactions with the company. By eliminating the need for redundant information sharing, the representative can address your needs more effectively. The primary objective is to consolidate different product functionalities—such as sales, service, community, commerce, and marketing—into a unified customer view. Remarkably, this can be achieved without the need for coding, as highlighted by Salesforce.