KUALA LUMPUR: Small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) usually shy away from full-suite customer relationship management (CRM) software because of the high price.

Knowing this, Soft Solvers Technologies is leveraging on “cloud computing” to offer a more affordable and scalable CRM suite.

Cloud computing is a technology that allows businesses to access computers and software online and spend less on hardware, space and energy.

Soft Solvers chief executive officer, Mohandeep Singh, said 70% of SMEs in the country are not using any kind of business automation software.

“They use a spreadsheet to manage their customer data instead. (With our help) they can upgrade from the spreadsheet to a proper CRM solution,” he said.

Mohandeep was speaking at the Soft Solvers booth during The MSC Malaysia Great ICT Sale at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.

Soft Solvers offers a cloud-based CRM solution, called Second CRM, to businesses for only RM45 a month. The six-month-old solution has already attracted about five local customers.

The company is still faced with SMEs that are apprehensive about adopting cloud-based solutions. “Many people still don’t understand the technology while others have issues with data security,” Mohandeep said.

He said Soft Solvers is trying to put such fears to rest by educating SMEs on the benefits of cloud computing. Also, the data on Second CRM is safeguarded through firewalls and company policies.

Soft Solvers, said Mohandeep, hopes to reach more customers by getting into a partnership with a global computer manufacturer and a local telecommunications company to offer a package specially for SMEs, that will include PCs, broadband connectivity, and Second CRM software, which will cost about RM500 a month.

“I believe this will increase both PC and Internet adoption among SMEs,” Mohandeep said. The company will also be targeting small office, home office users with its product in the near future.

In conjunction with The MSC Malaysia Great ICT Sale, Soft Solvers is waiving its RM500 setup fee for each customer that signs up for Second CRM. The offer is good until Aug 31.

For more information on Second CRM, go to www.secondcrm.com.

The Sale is an initiative by the custodian of the MSC Malaysia initiative, the Multimedia Development Corporation.