Meet the CRM Idol Winners

Last month, we introduced the finalists in the CRM Idol competition for fledgling CRM-related companies. Sixty companies–40 from the Americas and 20 from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia (EMEA)–competed, and after months of anticipation, the wait is over.

Winning first place in the Americas and EMEA categories, respectively, is Get Satisfaction and BPMonline. The winners were chosen by thousands of voters and the judges. Each group was responsible for 50 percent of the vote. The primary judges then applied a scoring algorithm to the totals and the "winners became clear," according to a statement on the CRM Idol Web site.

"The Americas contest was particularly hard-fought, with Get Satisfaction edging out two of the three other contestants…It was a tough race, and there were differences of opinion between the judges and the popular vote," says the competition founder, Paul Greenberg, in a blog post.

Both winners will be given the opportunity to choose their prizes, which include consultations with leading firms and analysts, free software, workshops, and more, during the coming weeks.

"The competitors were really tough, their solutions were awesome, and we wish them luck," says Katerina Kostereva, BPMonline CEO and managing partner. "After winning the contest, we are more confident than ever before that BPMonline CRM provides benefits to the market. We are sure that in the nearest future stand-alone CRM solutions will be replaced by platforms that provide new features, such as BPM features and deeper integration with social media." 

Wendy Lea, CEO of Get Satisfaction, also expressed her admiration for the other CRM Idol competitors."Winning is wonderful, and we are greatly honored, but at the end of the day, we all need to succeed," she says. "Paul Greenberg and his team did a very important thing for new companies by shining a light on the technology and systems that are available to companies. He and other folks know the CRM market is a real deal."

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