Zoho has completed what it calls a major update to Zoho CRM, the company's on-demand, customer-relationship management software.
Zoho says the update includes a completely redesigned user interface and four new features: “Pulse" module, LinkedIn integration, Zoho Creator integration, and WebHooks – designed to improve the social aspects and extensibility of Zoho CRM.
The new interface was built with user productivity as the primary focus. Zoho says it wants users to focus less inside the CRM application and more on selling. After studying how users were using the app, Zoho made improvements to various screens and workflows within it.
The new "Pulse" module allows you to follow a particular deal, contact or account in Zoho CRM, just like how you can follow people on Twitter. For example, a CEO might be interested in a deal that could have an impact on his quarterly results; by following that deal, he'll be updated on all activity related to it. Speaking of social media, the application now allows users to link a contact's profile with the LinkedIn profile.
Zoho CRM also now integrates with Zoho creator, allowing users to build custom apps that appear inside the CRM application and access data from the CRM system. In addition, WebHooks simplify integration with other systems, the company said. For example, if you want to update your accounting system every time you close a deal in CRM, you can configure a WebHook to notify the external system about the change (through GET/POST requests). WebHooks can be configured alongside a workflow to send instant Web notifications when a specific event occurs.
For those using Zoho CRM with Google Apps, Zoho CRM now supports bi-directional synchronization with Google Calendar.
The update is now available to all Zoho users, free and paid. The Pulse module and Google Calendar Sync will be available for paid users. Zoho Creator integration and WebHooks features will be available to Zoho CRM Enterprise Edition users.
