CMS needs an API. We are CMS pro user. Can't use Denali without an API for our newer technologies. Why no API?
We're CMS PRO user and have been for a while. Time to upgrade to new CRM/ERP system. We currently have our own web site/application that handles all CRM and uses CMS PRO as our foundation for the ERP side of the system. Unfortunately, we are forced to import/export text files between our webapp and CMS PRO every few hours to get what we need. CMS PRO is too old and we need to upgrade but we can't use Denali because, with technology out there today, it is a waste of time passing data back and forth in text files. I would stay with CMS right now if there was an API that my web guys could access to allow me to leverage all the solid financial ability of CMS while using the newest web technologies to help me grow my business. There is a huge market in SMB for a cloud based CRM/ERP product. Instead of hoping for someone like SugarCRM to develop a product for CMS, CMS should just develop an API and let customers leverage that product to make use of CMS products using their own custom-made solutions. Whatever the cost, even if it cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, the API could be sold as an add-on. Personally, based on my own research into my CRM/ERP options. I would be happy to pay $10k for a CMS API so I could then buy Denali and pay someone $30k to write a web app. I know $10k is probably not much when compared to cost of developing the CMS API but, considering the fact that for every API sold, you are upgrading/retaining an existing customer or selling a new customer, the API seems like a good investment. It costs twice as much to find new CMS customers than it would take to keep the ones you have. If customers are leaving to find the technology they need, they will never come back to CMS. I really don't see how CMS can afford NOT to build an API immediately. Seems like future customer losses will outstrip new customer increases at an exponentially increasing rate until there is no longer a CMS. I hope that is not the case. CMS is an excellent product and could be leveraged by SMB companies far into the future. However, custom use of standard software & data therein is the future. I wish I could just upgrade to Denali and continue growing my business. As it is, I need to re-train all of my people on a new system that will end up costing me $60k by the time I'm done anyway. When I am done, I will not have a product that is better than what I could have done by using Denali and paying someone to create a custom web application to interface with Denali.
Thanks for your feedback!
We are currently researching options for a Denali API and we understand the significant benefits that an API will provide for our customers. We will be soliciting feedback on this subject soon, so please stay tuned!
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Dave Smith commented
Computer Team, Inc. has already developed several API's for Denali that are used daily.