IDC's CRM Applications and Customer Experience service keeps product, marketing, and strategic planning professionals informed of trends, leading and emerging vendors, and new market opportunities in the CRM applications market. Customer experience (CX) encompasses the software and processes that encourage better, more effective customer interaction and leverage and coordinate the broader organization with the intention of increasing intimacy between an organization and its prospects and customers. Social, mobile, and analytics are key technologies supporting the CX initiative and represent the market dynamics that suppliers must track, understand, and respond to. In addition to competitive intelligence, this service provides case study and survey insight within the user community. The blend of supply- and demand-side perspectives will help technology vendors and suppliers make informed decisions to address customer needs and market opportunities.

• Marketing and sales automation applications
• Customer service and contact center applications
• Social business (customer, supplier, and partner engagement)
• Social marketing, sales, and service software and implementations
• CRM analytics and socialytic applications
• Customer experience across channels (includes CRM, content management, commerce platforms, integration, advanced analytics) for B2B and B2C
• CRM application priority investments
• On-demand, hosted, and on-premise models

• IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Social Marketing Management Applications
• Emerging Trends in CRM Applications
• CRM Applications Worldwide Forecast and Analysis
• AppStats Quarterly End-User Study
• CRM Analytics and Web Analytics Applications

In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct research on specific topics or emerging market segments via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.

1. What is the market size and five-year forecast for CRM applications, and who are the major players?
2. What is the taxonomy for customer experience and what are the fundamental components? What delivery models for CRM applications are end-user organizations adopting?
3. What role do CRM applications suppliers play in helping customers create CRM strategies?
4. What are the best methodologies for implementing analytics within a CRM framework?

IDC's CRM Applications and Customer Experience service examines how software providers are positioning themselves to compete in the CRM applications market. This service reviews strategies, market positioning, and future direction of several providers in the CRM applications market, including:

5th Finger, 7 Billion People, Adobe, Alterian, Amdocs, Aspect, AT Internet, Attensity, Augme, Avaya, Awareness Networks, BlinQ Media, Buddy Media, Buzzient, CDC Software, Cegedim, Cisco, comScore, Consona, Constant Contact Dendrite, eCairn, eGain, Eloqua, Epicor, FrontRange Solutions, Genesys, Genius, Get Satisfaction, Google, Hearsay Social, IBM (Corementrics, Unica, and SPSS), Infor, Interactive Intelligence, Kadient, Kana, Lithium, Lyris, Marketo, Meltwater, Microsoft, NetBase, NetSuite, NICE Systems, Nimble, Oracle, Parature, PegaSystems, Sage, salesforce.com, SAP, SAS, Scout Analytics, ShopIgniter, Spotify, SugarCRM, The Savo Group, VirtualHold, Wildfire Interactive, and WebTrends.

For IT suppliers or IT buyers doing business planning and budgeting, sales and marketing, or performance measurement, we have the custom offerings to optimize your success at every stage of your business. Our data- and content-driven approach helps you make better decisions, drive more effective marketing programs, and effectively measure your success - resulting in a greater return on your investment.

Whether you are a technology buyer or provider, IDC Insights' research translates today's global end-user requirements and trends into business opportunities for your organization. With dedicated businesses targeting energy, financial services, government, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail, IDC provides unmatched integration of global technology and vertical industry expertise to deliver industry-specific customer intelligence that gives clients a powerful business advantage.

Connect and engage with a global network of business and IT professionals in the first-of-its-kind end-user community at http://idc-insights-community.com.