Maximizer Software will release version 11 of its CRM software on April 14. Client Colonial Life, a South Carolina-based insurance company, has used the platform since late last month.
The edition includes licenses for software, mobile and Web-based versions of the CRM product. It also features real-time access to content documents and e-mail attachments in a central database; GPS functionality for field representatives; video, voice and image support; and mobile multi-user support allowing users to assign tasks, escalate cases and assign opportunities to other colleagues.
The version is also compatible with the Firefox browser, and its mobile capabilities can be used on BlackBerry devices, with plans to expand to the iPhone in the near future.
“We have a lot of agents nationwide with different needs, so we’re able to use all the different portals to bridge the communications between customers, brokers and field agents,” said Zina Oster, Pacific Northwest territory manager for Colonial Life, which has used Maximizer since version 10.5. “Most of our people are out in the field, so it’s much more convenient. They don’t have to wait till they get back to the office.”
Bob Neudecker, director of marketing for Maximizer Software, said that customers are increasingly demanding real-time information from marketers.
“The ability to work on the fly like that is so valuable,” he said.
Customers can host the Web version on servers of their choice, Neudecker added.
“We don’t host the offering, but it’s something we are potentially looking at. We have a lot of financial services clients, and what they like is that they use their servers to host the Web option,” he said. “That’s mainly due to data security issues.”
Colonial Life uses a third-party host for Maximizer’s Web version, Oster said. The company communicates with its customer base weekly through e-mail newsletters, she added.
