The following are some trends expected to dominate CRM in 2010:

1. Emergence of the Social Consumer: It is a widely known fact that use of social networking sites has increased during the past year. Twitter, Facebook and other such social networking sites dominate Internet usage. It is estimated that over 66% of U.S. adults online now use these social tools. This trend forces CRM professionals to look for innovative ways to engage with these new social consumers. In 2010, they will look to enrich the customer experience through community-based interactions, and architecting solutions that are flexible and foster strong intra-organizational and customer collaboration.

2. CRM Strategies Must Deliver Business Value: During these tough economic times, CRM professionals are focused on retooling their strategies to spotlight the biggest opportunities for quick wins. The cost-revenue equation is important.

3. CRM Investments Must Justify Their Costs: In these hard times, CRM professionals need solid financial arguments to get funding for their projects. So every business case must answer four critical questions: (1) What are the business benefits? (2)What is the impact on IT or project costs? (3) Is future flexibility increased or decreased? (4) How will risks be mitigated? By the same token, CRM vendors will be challenged to provide clear and specific data about the business value their solutions can deliver.

4. CRM Initiatives Need to Reduce Their Risks: No CRM vendor can afford failed CRM projects, particularly in down markets when business survival may be at stake. CRM professionals continue to report individual problems related to business processes, people, technology and CRM strategy. In consequence, risk-proofing CRM projects will be the top priority for CRM professionals in 2010.

5. CRM Must Provide More Value From Customer Information: Many CRM professionals state that poor customer data management is one of the biggest barriers to getting value from their CRM programs. However, the right approach to customer data management is elusive. In 2010, it is expected that CRM professionals will focus intently on how enterprises collect, distribute, and use data to create value.

6. Use of CRM Vendor Pricing and Licensing Arrangements: Software licensing and pricing continues to be marred by complexity, rising maintenance costs, and the lack of flexibility and alignment with business goals. With resources being scarce but key vendors pushing hard for up-grades for their products, CRM professionals will have to sharpen their negotiating skills to get more value from their vendor relationships this year.