Microsoft Dynamics CRM vs. Oracle: According to the Analysts

Several times a year, leading analysts at organizations like Gartner and Forrester release their comparative studies of all customer relationship management (CRM) software solutions in a particular market segment.  In the last year, Microsoft Dynamics CRM was listed as a leader in every one of these studies that was released, while the various Oracle CRM products faired differently across each of the studies. 

In order to give you a big picture idea of how Microsoft Dynamics CRM compares with the CRM products from Oracle, let’s look at how each product stacked up in each of these market segments:

Sales Force Automation: (Based on the Gartner Magic Quadrant released August 2010)

Oracle’s Siebel CRM and Oracle CRM On Demand both ranked just below Microsoft Dynamics CRM on their “ability to execute”, which means that with Dynamics CRM the overall product is stronger, the strategy is more viable, the pricing is more competitive, and the customers are more satisfied.  Whereas both Oracle products were ranked slightly higher than Dynamics on “completeness of vision” for innovative product and business strategy.  Keep in mind, however, that this Magic Quadrant was published before full details about the then forthcoming release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 were made public. 

Customer Service: (Based on the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Customer Service Contact Centers from April 2011 and the Forrester Wave™: CRM Suites Customer Service Solutions, Q3 ’10)

While both analyst agencies agree that Oracle’s Siebel CRM currently offers stronger functionality for customer service organizations than does Dynamics CRM, they differ on their perspective of the products' vision and strategy.  Gartner ranks them about even on completeness of vision while Forrester puts Microsoft ahead of Oracle’s Siebel CRM in terms of their customer service strategy.  Forrester alone ranked Oracle CRM On Demand in this category, placing them on pace with Microsoft’s strategy, but far below them in terms of current product functionality.  Forrester ranked Oracle E-Business Suite CRM and Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise CRM in their “strong performers” category, while Gartner placed the E-Business Suite in their “niche players” quadrant, giving them the lowest ranking on “completeness of vision” of any product included in the study. 

For Midsized Organizations: (Based on the Forrester Wave™: CRM Suites For Midsized Organizations, Q2 ’10)

For midsized organizations, Microsoft Dynamics CRM and its SaaS version, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, were the obvious leaders in all areas, thanks to their advanced functionality while retaining an ease of use, rapid deployment and time-to-value, competitive pricing structure, native integration with Microsoft Outlook and inter-operability within the Microsoft stack.  As an affordable SaaS solution, Oracle CRM On Demand was close behind Microsoft and the only Oracle owned CRM product that was deemed a “leader” in this market segment.  Oracle’s Siebel CRM is functionally adequate for midsized businesses but is often too costly to be deployed.  Oracle’s E-Business Suite CRM and PeopleSoft Enterprise CRM were only deemed “strong performers” for organizations already using the corresponding ERP solutions. 

For Large Organizations: (Based on the Forrester Wave™: CRM Suites For Large Organizations, Q2 ’10)

While Oracle’s Siebel CRM narrowly beat out Microsoft’s current offer usability, Dynamics CRM’s strategy was ranked significantly more suited for large organizations than Oracle’s.   Oracle CRM On Demand lagged behind Microsoft in both areas, but also beat out its Siebel counterpart in terms of product strategy.  While E-Business Suite CRM and PeopleSoft Enterprise CRM were both considered to have strategies better suited for large organizations than midsized, they both still only ranked as “strong performers” recommended only to organizations currently using the appropriate Oracle ERP suites.

To read the in-depth reports that correspond with each of these comparative analyses, view each of these Forrester Wave and Gartner Magic Quadrants today!

If you are currently using an Oracle CRM product and are considering a switch to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, do so before June 30, 2011 to pay only $34 per user per month and also receive a $200 per user pay-out for each Dynamics CRM Online user purchased (regardless of how many Oracle user licenses you own). 

By Socius, a Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner in Ohio, Kansas City, and California