A SaaS-based or hosted CRM is nothing more than an easier way to deploy a CRM that would otherwise take much longer due to SQL integration, setup, config, IIS-Setup, etc...We have tested, deployed and wasted so much money as an IT company that I am not sure what model is best. The best thing I can offer and say is this:

1. Know what you want. Many people and owners think they know what they want, then find out something totally different when its in action. This happened to us with our clients. When we broke it down, they wanted a simple way (ie - send in an email to a ticket, reverse and repeat).

2. Choose wisely and don't over-extend your budget because you think you must have the "salesforce.com" name.

3. Prepare. Moving to a new CRM. Either online or in-house is a big PITA! Be prepared to carve out several months to really get it in place properly.

4. Don't go for the cheapest (ie Open Source or Free ones). You get what you paid for. Your clients will notice and service can suffer due to this.

5. Don't over complicate your lives. We signed up with Kaseya and AutoTask only to find we didn't need 65-70% of the tools within their repertoire of services. Great products for an SMB looking to automate everything, and lose some actual interaction, and possibly clients.

If anyone needs help making a decision on this, feel free to reach out. So good luck to all and God Bless!

Regards,
Tony Greco
CEO
tekGIANTS, Inc.
Cloud Computing Expert and Consultant. CloudChimp.com