The demand for mobile CRM systems is growing as executives want more agile solutions that allow them to access pivotal data in the palm of their hands. Such requirements were reported in a recent survey carried out by ISD and the IDC and showed that many organisations believe it’s a key step in moving towards a more mobile workforce.

While the aim or desire is clear progress towards it has in some parts been slow. Vendors have had many developments to keep up with including the emergence of cloud computing and new network architecture. In many cases it has been important for them to resolve these before moving to delivering a truly mobile solution.

The “bring your own device to work” revolution only further supports this need and while some areas development has been slow some have been quick to offer truly mobile CRM systems. This includes companies like MyFactory who have been quick to offer a complete solution. They have looked at all aspects of company communications and encompassed it into their sweet. Time was also spent delivering a cutting edge interface which made it easy for people to access the right information at the right time. The same mobile considerations are being used for field service applications as well (for an example, see Astea.com).

There are of course many great vendors out there but the topic of the day is mobile. Mobile is also likely to disappearing any time soon and as a result is an important development for any vendor. SAP and Sales Force for example have both been scrambling to integrate a mobile solution into their offering and others are following suit.

Of course, providing wider access to company files presents new challenges. Security is big concern for many as data is extremely valuable these days. It would be easy for an employee to leave a phone or a laptop on a train or in a restaurant. This could result in private company data being out in the public data. Companies and vendors therefore have to also think about the security implications and how they can best lock down devices.

While this could be a struggle the benefits far outweigh the limitations and it’s clear to see why top executives want such a feature. Businesses that fail to implement such technologies may fall behind and be at a competitive disadvantage. It will also make clearer the ROI on a CRM system which is also vital for any new or existing business.