The information technology (IT) and software market in France has seen a steady growth over the previous decade. While the turnover of the IT market, which includes segments such as IT equipment, software and IT services, reached more than 56 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, it is projected to exceed 61 billion dollars by 2021. The software and more specifically the business software market reinforced the trend by recording similar turnover increases.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools are the most-used enterprise software. This is hardly surprising as these tools are designed to attract, process and analyze information about potential and already-existing customers, with the aim of building loyalty by offering them services tailored to their needs. Once the relationship with customers is established, CRM allows to develop these relationships, but also to improve the image of the company and its products as it does so. In order to achieve that, companies are required to know their clients and listen to them, to demonstrate relational skills and master communication channels, as well as being able to offer personalized advice and offers. This market is currently experiencing a boom in France and is expected to amount to more than 1.7 billion U.S. dollars by 2021. Larger companies in France are at the forefront of CRM tool use, as almost 60 percent of enterprises with 250 employees or more used a CRM software in 2019.
Cloud-based software and Software as a Services (SaaS) have gone completely mainstream over the past few years. While fundamentally different, both systems enable users to access software in real-time, as long as an internet connection is possible. Data is then stored and processed by a third party and users can access applications anywhere, ranging from ERP and CRM tools to organizational tools such as Slack. Predictably, the market is expanding, mostly in the information and communication sector. File storage and database hosting are the most subscribed to services by companies paying for cloud computing services.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tools encapsulate all the computerized systems that support the daily tasks within the company. It often includes tasks such as invoicing, production assistance and accounting. The ERP market is expected to reach nearly 1.45 billion dollars by 2021. More than 4,230 companies with 250 or more employees reported using this type of management software in 2019, which is also popular in the wholesale and manufacturing industries.
