While it's been established that there is a lot potential value in the integration of CRM applications with various social network platforms, the process by which that would have to be accomplished can be daunting.

That's why it was only a matter of time before providers of CRM application providers started providing all the hooks needed to stream data from social network directly into the CRM application. Among the first providers of CRM application software to take this step is SugarCRM, which has added a series of connectors to social media sources that can be plugged into its open source CRM software.

When implemented, the connectors can be used to create a messaging system within the application that updates everyone to any event that takes place on various social media platforms that might have a bearing on any customer account listed in the CRM application.

That means that instead of relying on the team of people working on a specific account to keep track of events, the SugarCRM application in effect can reach out to the social network platforms to bring that information to the account management team. There's no doubt that there is a lot of information floating around various social media platforms that could be incredibly useful. But actually tracking that information and then sorting through what portion of it is meaningful can be a full time job in itself.

By finding a way to pull information from social media sites directly into a CRM application, SugarCRM gives business users the ability to provide some context around that information. Ultimately, that not only validates the value of social networks for business purposes, but also gives users an edge against less-informed competitors that for first time turns CRM applications into a true customer portal versus a specialized accounting application for sales people.