Cisco Cisco Unified CallConnector for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Weißbuch

The convergence of IP telephony (voice) with CRM solutions

(data) erases many of the obstacles to achieving a customer-

centric SMB.“IP telephony tied to CRM opens up opportunities

to SMBs that were formerly out of reach,” says Peter Alexander,

vice president of Commercial Marketing, Cisco Systems.“Voice

and data infrastructures can be combined on a single, con-

verged IP network, which is more efficient and more cost-effec-

tive than maintaining two separate networks.”Research studies

indicate that many SMBs agree. A 2005 study by InfoTech found

that the IP-telephony market among U.S. SMBs is growing at a

compound annual growth rate of 42%.

4

With cost and complexity down, SMBs are entering territory

traditionally reserved for enterprises.“The only way to survive is

to win and retain customers,” says Matt Pease, Regional Vice

President, US SMSP, Microsoft. “SMBs are being forced to com-

pete with enterprises for valuable customers. Technology offers

SMBs the ability to take on enterprises without taking on 

significant costs.” There’s a revenue component as well.

“Seventy percent of all customer interactions take place over

the phone,” says Alexander. “By using Cisco IP telephony and

Microsoft CRM to access a customer’s information on the fly,

employee productivity and customer satisfaction go up.”

When a customer calls, the Cisco IP phone patches into the

Microsoft CRM system and up pops the customer’s profile on

the LCD or a directly on a CRM User Interface (UI). Since phones

are on every desk, any employee can view a complete commu-

nications history between the customer and the SMB.The same

information also is accessible remotely, so sales and service 

personnel in the field also can tap in fast. “No more losing 

revenue because data is locked away,” says Pease.“Rather than

shuffling through files, employees can focus on meeting 

customers’ needs.” Any new information is uploaded back into

the system, so the next interaction picks up where the last one

left off, creating a superior customer experience.

©2006 Peppers & Rogers Group. All rights reserved. Peppers & Rogers Group is a division of Carlson Marketing.

The Customer-Centric SMB: Increasing Profitability by Focusing on Customers

WHITE PAPER   2006

5

Unified Voice and Data: The Customer-Centric SMB