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Chapter 12 • Customer Relationship Management 343
Client\Vendor access
CRM Web
Server
HTTP CRM Database
Server
Connection
Firewall
CRM
Application
Server
Customer
Marketing Access
Customer
Service Sales Management
FIGURE 12-3 CRM Architecture.
of the CRM system. Hundreds of users could require multiple application and database servers, or
hundreds of Internet users could require multiple Web servers.
The CRM software architecture is usually the standard client–server configuration. This
can be best described as a company wants using a standard browser for a Web-based client.
Choosing hosted architecture where the vendor hosts the CRM system or choosing an in-house
CRM architecture is based on the requirements of the system. Customization is usually easier
in-house, whereas scalability and performance are better in hosted models.
A good CRM system needs to be fully integrated with the enterprise resource planning and
transaction systems, knowledge management system, and office automation and communication
systems. CRM systems typically process such well-structured information as customer contact
data and profiles. They are supported by knowledge management systems, which provide such
unstructured information as documents and rule-based systems for guidance, and by ERP sys-
tems, which provide access to the transaction data. For example, customer support or help desk
staff will need detailed information about the product and details on customer transactions from
the ERP system and guidance on how to resolve the customer complaint from the knowledge
management system.
On-Demand CRM
High-speed secure Internet connectivity has recently spurred a lot of interest and demand in
hosted CRM systems. Using thin-client architecture, such vendors asNetSuite, Inc. and
Salesforce.com have provided firms with the option of a scalable CRM application suite via a
browser and pay a per-month, per-user set fee. Such vendors as Siebel, RightNow, Microsoft,
and Oracle have all started offering hosted CRM solutions to small and large business
