Magic Quadrant for Sales Force Automation

22 July 2009 Robert P. Desisto
Gartner RAS Core Research Note G00168995

Oracle CRM On Demand joins salesforce.com and Siebel as leaders in the sales force automation Magic Quadrant.
Despite slow sales due to the economy, organizations continue to invest in sales force automation (SFA). Gartner has not seen a drop-off in customer requests for help with vendor evaluations related to SFA. We have seen slightly more emphasis on software as a service (SaaS) due to tight capital budgets and the use of smartphones to drive salesperson adoption. Most vendors have come up with service and/or integration capabilities with fast-growing social networks, but sales organizations have been relatively cautious in embracing social-networking integration with SFA.

All vendors shown on the 2009 Magic Quadrant for SFA have customers that are successfully using their products and services. However, we are not offering an exhaustive list: Other regional and/or vertical-industry SFA specialists do not meet our inclusion criteria. This Magic Quadrant encompasses a wide cross-section of vendors, including those that offer different delivery models — including on-premises, hosted and SaaS — and differing levels of functional breadth and sophistication. Regardless of the provider you're considering, ask yourself, "Will this vendor help my sales organization sell more effectively?"

Use this Magic Quadrant as a reference for evaluations, but explore the market further to qualify the capacity of each vendor to address your unique business problems and technical concerns. Depending on the complexity and scale of your requirements, your shortlist will be unique. The Magic Quadrant for SFA is not designed to be the sole tool for creating a vendor shortlist. Use it as part of your due diligence, and in conjunction with discussions with Gartner analysts.

Figure 1. Magic Quadrant for Sales Force Automation

Source: Gartner (July 2009)