Article about trends – hybrid, mobile, and of course, the cloud. Other trends may or may not be on your horizon line like social, big data, data marts, and private/public cloud but definitely we’ve seen and heard a lot about them

1. Waterfalls, 2012 Trends, and Integration
As we end January, most of us have read various industry articles and blogs
predicting the top trends for 2012. Data integration has had its fair share of
trends and predictions; Jeff Kaplan and Loraine Lawson both have some of the
more interesting blog posts on what they see coming up in 2012. Jeff and Lori
both talk about integration and data trends that make perfect sense as the CRM
and tech industry in general goes through its own evolutions. You might be
already experiencing these trends (or about to experience them) – hybrid,
mobile, and of course, the cloud. Other trends may or may not be on your
horizon line like social, big data, data marts, and private/public cloud but
definitely we’ve seen and heard a lot about them.
Both Jeff and Lori touch on larger trends that are applicable to just about
everyone: hybrid, social, mobile, consumerization of IT, and data ownership.
Big data, private cloud, and cloud analytics might be a long tail for some.
We’ve all read and heard about these throughout 2011 and will continue to do
so in 2012. But how does this apply to my business? What does it even mean for
integration and why am I reading about this in Scribe’s blog – I’m just trying
to integrate my CRM system! It’s like looking at the lip of a 100 foot waterfall -
how in the world am I going to even attempt this social, mobile, big data,
hybrid, consumerized IT monster and still own my cloud data when I get to the
bottom? Will I even make it in one piece? Why should I even try?
Trends are like waterfalls – popular, powerful, and majestic looking. You feel
good when looking at them. You want to feel the power. Some crazy people,
like me, like going over them in a kayak. But if you blindly jump or fall into
one, or as kayakers say “blow your line”, it’s not going to be good times for
you. Some folks walk away and others jump in without proper preparation and
get into trouble. Trends are the same way – pick the right one and the right
size, scout and plan what you are going to do, get some trusted partners to set
safety and support you, and you’ll “style your line”. Running a waterfall can be
a huge rush when done properly and implementing a trend – in a practical way -
can bring the same rush to your business. The trick is picking the right one and
applying it to the right circumstance so you’re styling your line and not getting
hurt.
At Scribe, we’ve picked our line through these trends – CRM – and in the coming
weeks we’ll be talking to you how to style CRM using integration in your
business and overcome obstacles like hybrid, private/public cloud, social,
analytics, data ownership, and data governance. Done right, you’ll
avoid carnage and enjoy the rush.
If you’re not ready to take on a waterfall just yet, we’ll also be talking about
how to get some excitement from those rivers and streams in your own
backyard - your premise apps – with your CRM system to get maximum value

2. out of all your data and better sell and service your customers. I can’t think of
a single person who doesn’t enjoy increasing sales and having happy customers
– we’ll give you tips and tricks to navigate those waters successfully!
In the month of February, we’ll be tackling 3 big ones for CRM that everyone
seems to be talking about – social, hybrid, and data management - and an old
friend you shouldn’t be taking for granted, the customer data you already have
in your business today. We’ll also be showcasing some partners and customers
who use integration successfully with their CRM systems and the real life,
tangible benefits that integration can bring to your business.
Here’s to a happy and successful 2012 – we’re looking forward to helping you
enjoy the ride!