Homepage and download location

Homepage: http://www.sugarcrm.com/
Download: http://www.sugarforge.org/

Description of solution

SugarCRM is a rapidly expanding open source CRM solution, whose functionality includes sales force automation, marketing automation, collaboration, helpdesk/customer service functions, mobile functionality and more. The application is available in over 30 languages.

SugarCRM uses a dual-license model. The open source product is subject to a modified Mozilla Public License (MPL), an attribution clause regarding the redistribution of the software. The Professional and Enterprise versions add functional and architectural extensions to the base product, aiming at making the application more fit for purpose in a professional or enterprise context. These extensions cannot be freely distributed.

Related solutions

• Application server: PHP implementation, based on Apache or MS IIS.
• Relational database management: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle 10g

Development tools

• Built-in studio for user interface customization tasks
• XTemplates

Adherence to integration standards

• SOAP
• Planned adapters for different standard enterprise applications

Project team background, adoption, and endorsements

Founded in 2004 by a team coming from proprietary CRM vendor E.piphany, SugarCRM was one of the first VC-funded open source application companies. SugarCRM is based in Cupertino, CA and employs a team of around twenty full-time developers and is supported by a community of over 4'000 part-time and voluntary developers and testers worldwide. SugarCRM is supported by a number of online user communities, including the companysponsored http://www.sugarforge.org/ , http://sourceforge.net/projects/sugarcrm , sugaraddicts.org/.de/.nl, and forums on sugarforge: http://www.sugarcrm.com/forums/ . SugarCRM is supported by more than 100 official systems integrators and other partners worldwide.

Project motivation and qualitative analysis

SugarCRM entered the open source CRM market with a dual-license model. Revenue that is realized with the Professional and Enterprise editions sponsors the development and continuous improvement of SugarCRM. In return, the commercial versions offer enterprise-relevant extensions to the open source base version in terms of functionality and architecture, and are provided along with a support services programme.

SugarCRM impresses through its completeness and depth of CRM functionality, high-paced release cycles and a remarkably flexible, multilingual user interface. The application is light to install and maintain thanks to the strategic choice of PHP. On the critical side, this choice limits the integration with popular choices of Java-based peer applications in the enterprise landscape. In addition, the long-term functional extensibility and upgradeability of the application requires a certain level of programming discipline.