SAP and RIM offer mobile CRM for BlackBerrys

Mobile sales teams will have secure access to information in a SAP CRM system

SAP and Research in Motion (RIM) have delivered on their promise of a customer relationship management (CRM) application for smartphones.

The BlackBerry Sales Client for SAP CRM was launched at the Sapphire 2009 event this week. It lets BlackBerry users access data stored in their organisation's SAP CRM system from their mobile device.

The application will give mobile sales teams secure access to any customer information held within a SAP CRM system, the firms said.

"As the business world becomes increasingly time critical, smartphone users need access to business processes that allow them to work more productively, wherever they are," said a RIM spokeswoman.

"In order to attain true business mobility it is essential to mobilise business-critical systems, such as CRM solutions, so that employees have the information they need to service their clients on the move."

SAP and RIM said that they are working together to address the changing needs of enterprises, increase worker productivity when on the road, and improve customer service.

Features in the application include the ability to 'push' customer updates and information to devices, and 'two-click' access to a wealth of client and sales data. A local cache feature can save some information, giving the user access to customer data even when outside their network coverage, while the firms promised end-to-end encryption between devices, servers and smartphones.

IT administrators can securely deploy the BlackBerry Sales Client for SAP CRM to users over the air to speed up the rollout process.

"These apps are key to SAP's entrance to new platforms, gaining licence seats for new users and improving enterprise penetration," said Ray Wang, vice president at analyst firm Forrester Research.

"For RIM this is a natural extension into enterprise apps. The net result is a win-win for both companies and their users."