Zoho has released the latest version of Zoho CRM, a version that it is calling "the industry's first multichannel CRM" with a mobile app, dedicated sales-oriented email client, and cloud-based SalesSignals application that pulls together social media, user feedback, support ticket tracking, and other customer-based actions.

Zoho isn't the first option many IT specialists think of when the topic is CRM, but in a telephone conversation with Raju Vegesna, chief evangelist at Zoho, he said that Zoho currently has some 300,000 businesses actively using Zoho CRM. He put that number in context, saying that Zoho has 20 million users and is adding 700,000 new users each month.

While the new edition of Zoho CRM adds approximately 50 new features, Vegesna focused on parts of the application that deal with three major functions -- analysis, communications, and incentive -- as potential break-out features intended to help Zoho compete with giants like Salesforce.com in the CRM marketplace.