CRM SaaS vs. On-Premise – Which CRM Deployment is Right for Your Business?

Friday, January 8, 2010 by Julie Stankey

One of the first decisions you need to make when you begin the search for a CRM software solution is which deployment method is right for your business.  To help you figure out whether you should go with a hosted, Software as a Service (SaaS) CRM solution or a traditional, on-premise solution, Tom Furr, a Cleveland, Ohio CRM Specialist, and Holly Chamberlain, a Cincinnati, Ohio CRM solutions consultant, have put together some straight forward reasons why an organization would choose one type of solution over another.

SaaS is your best bet if you…

• Do not employ internal IT staff or if you can’t maintain the hardware needed to support on-premise software.
• Would benefit from a short implementation time-frame and solution that is available to you whenever your business is ready for the solution.
• Prefer a monthly software fee rather than a large upfront investment.

On the flip side, On-Premise is a good choice if you…

• Require a variety of customizations in order for your CRM system to support your business strategies.
• Have data access needs that require two-way integrations with other applications (like your accounting system or ERP solution).
• Want to reap the long-term cost benefits of recouping your upfront software and implementation costs through the systems benefits.
• Have access to an IT staff and the hardware to support the system.

To get some help assessing your business needs to see if SaaS or On-Premise CRM is right for you, request a complimentary business strategy review from Socius.

Remember, whether you select hosted CRM or on-premise, the best long-term solution for your growing business is to choose a CRM software with a flexible deployment.  Both Ohio Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Sage SalesLogix CRM allow you to switch between on-premise and hosted deployments as your business needs develop and change.