CRM Idol 2012: The winners revealed!

We have the winners. After a tough competition with companies of incredible quality; after a rigorous vetting of references, a demo in front of multiple judges a deep interview with a judge and the production of a video; after a record setting popular vote and the votes of the primary and extended judges, we now have the winners of the 2012 CRM Idol.

We’re not going to hold you in suspense any longer. Without further ado, the winners of CRM Idol 2012. Give it up for:

For the Americas:
Crowdtap

For Europe/Asia/Australia:
Artesian Solutions

The combination of the companies products, mission, vision, management team, marketing, culture, their video and just plain excellence led to these two final winners. To get this far and then win the competition – that’s incredible indeed. A testament to two superb companies with a great future.

The next step for these incredible companies, who beat an extraordinarily deep competition, aside of course from this announcement and the PR that we will provide to varying media outlets over the next year (not just contest related) will be the choice of their prizes. Plus they are welcome to have a conversation in private with any of the primary judges they choose to talk about what next for them. For example, last year’s winners were able to present at CRM Evolution on who and what they are in front of a very receptive crowd of analysts, journalists, potential vendor partners and potential customers.  

Congratulations to both of them for a victory well deserved!!

A different award: Citizen of the year

Each year so far (that would be two) we have also awarded a Citizen of the Year to the CRM Idol contestant who has been the most cooperative with and supportive of the other candidates. Last year, this went to Steve Youngblood of Salestrakr; this year the choice is even more obvious: 

Ken Pearson, Mothernode

Without a doubt, Ken was one of the nicest and most cooperative contestants in the history of the contest. Not only did he relentlessly tweet out the contest information, but also he was very supportive of the other candidates, doing a video panel with several of them (see it here) and he wrote a very nice piece on the benefit he got from the contest. Most importantly, he was (and is) always gracious, congratulating the companies that advanced to the next round as well as participating in the community discussions.  A good man and an easy choice for Citizen of the Year for CRM Idol 2012.