In the decade since customer relationship management (CRM) software first appeared on the market, implementation of the enterprise application suite that helps businesses find new customers, retain existing customers and otherwise increase revenues have gained a reputation as being risky ventures, subject to user rejection, cost overruns, and missed deadlines.

That bad reputation was substantiated in a Gartner Inc. survey of more than 600 enterprises that indicated that nearly half (42%) of all purchased CRM licenses are now �shelf ware� - that is, companies paid for them but never installed them. Maintenance fees associated with those fallow licenses drive up the wasted money even more. Gartner�s March 2003 report, called "Unused CRM Software Increases TCO and Decreases ROI," estimates more than $1 billion has been spent on CRM software that is not being used.