No matter how advanced the services in the cloud become, there will always be room for the base applications that serve as the true backbones of any successful operation. Customer relationship management (CRM) solutions are at the top of that list of useful solutions that tend to be irreplaceable.

Cloud CRM platforms give companies all the benefits they are accustomed to having in their traditional CRM platforms, but with all the advantages that come with cloud-based apps, according to this ChannelNomics report. The traditional, on-premise CRM is no longer the preferred method of delivery; most companies today have their CRM solutions running in the cloud.

A recent survey of nearly 700 businesses conducted by Really Simple Systems shows that more than half of participants are using cloud CRM; just over 10 percent are reticent about moving their CRM to the cloud; around 80 percent said they are taking pressure off their IT staff by taking on a cloud CRM solution; around half said their cloud CRM is delivering more value than the in-house CRM; and nearly three quarters of participating businesses have much more confidence in cloud-based computing and cloud CRM than they had 12 months ago.

The fact is, CRM solutions provided in-house will likely be a thing of the past in a matter of years. Companies that are holding out because they have security fears or think they are going to encounter a large amount of downtime due to the switch from on-premise to cloud CRM are misguided.

The security threats traditionally encountered have greatly reduced, mostly because the reputation of cloud-based businesses depends on the safeguarding of their client’s information. Also, the downtime associated with moving to cloud CRM has greatly reduced; in some cases there will be no lag time.

Vendors competing in the communications space are well-aware of the concerns and the demand. To that end, Dell (News - Alert) recently put out a package that makes it easier to migrate CRM to the cloud. The move reflects that of Quest Software, which has also created a migration package that allows companies to move seamlessly from an on-premise solution to the cloud.

Companies that aren’t associated with Dell or Quest Software (News - Alert) are urged to follow a few guidelines that will help them make an easier transition. With a little planning, the move to cloud CRM is painless and brings great value to companies that adopt the cloud platform.

Enterprise resource planning solutions, which can be much more complicated than many CRM systems, are slower to move to the cloud. Providers in this space are following suit, which goes to show that all roads are leading to the cloud. And, as long as companies strive to more with less in their IT spending, the cloud will continue to offer an attractive solution.

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