This IDC study examines the customer relationship management (CRM) applications market in Western Europe for the period 2003?2008, with market growth forecasts, forecast assumptions, and vendor guidance.

The $2.1 billion Western European CRM applications market finally appears to be turning healthy with a predicted 2004 growth of 2%. The market is expected to grow to $2.6 billion in 2008 with a 2004?2008 CAGR of 4.6%.

"Software-as-a-service CRM offerings represent a key growth driver. Software-as-a-service will broaden the overall CRM adoption, rather than steal users from traditional CRM solutions. This expansion of the CRM user base will much more than offset the lowered per-user price point of software-as-a-service solutions," said Bo Lykkegaard, senior research analyst, IDC European Software Group.