CNET: Intuit pushes into CRM software market

Tired of seeing customer relationship management (CRM) software companies begin to stand on its turf, accounting software company Intuit will fight back with a September release of a CRM product of its own, attaching sales record analysis and other features onto its otherwise dominant accounting package.

This will bring the CRM discipline - a nebulous collection of micro-economic customer trend analyses and customizations - to the small businesses that use packaged accounting software, typically those with fewer than 20 employees. A common complaint among CRM users is a lack of integration with accounting systems, and Intuit may well be able to take advantage of that perceived weakness in other CRM products.