Microsoft to focus on key verticals

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Mumbai, Nov 9 : Microsoft, which launched its CRM 4.0 (customer relationship management) platform during January in India, is looking aggressively at companies which are showing a renewed interest in CRM during tough times.

Microsoft is focusing on three primary verticals—BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance), manufacturing, which includes auto and pharma, and IT & ITeS (IT-enabled services). Though these sectors are badly hit by the economic slump and there are apprehensions regarding cost cutting by companies, Microsoft is banking on the fact that this is also the time for increased competition, and also acquiring and retaining customers by these companies.

“Companies are going through a tough time. At this point, their main objective will be doing more with less. They are talking about cost cutting, but they have to deliver on revenues. Moreover, companies are too dependent on IT solutions. Though the CRM platform is not new, we are observing a renewed interest from the companies in recent times,” said Sushant Dwivedy, director, Microsoft Business Solutions. The market for CRM services and support in India has been showing a CAGR of 21%. According to a Forrester Research prediction, the market for CRM software and services is expected to reach $10.9 billion in 2010.

Microsoft is driving into the enterprise segment in a big way with the CRM 4.0 and has already acquired 50 customers which also include a few big names in the enterprise segment across the three verticals.

“For the CRM platform, almost 85% of our customers are from the enterprise segment, 14% come from medium organisations,” said Dwivedy. Microsoft is also planning to incorporate Hindi into the CRM 4.0 platform in some time, as it feels that localisation requirements are vital for companies.