Who should enter the ‘Cloud CRM, Sales, and Marketing Solution of the Year’ category?

The ‘Cloud CRM, Sales, and Marketing Solution of the Year’ category recognizes cloud-based solutions that excel in delivering customer relationship management, sales enablement, marketing automation, or customer service functions.

Eligible solutions should show how they use cloud technology to improve customer engagement, support revenue generation, or enhance overall customer experience. Entrant’s solutions may specialize in either CRM, sales, or marketing – or provide functionality that supports several business areas.

Judges will assess how effectively the solution centralizes customer data, automates processes, and provides actionable insights across commercial teams. Strong entries will demonstrate measurable improvements in pipeline visibility, lead conversion, campaign effectiveness, customer satisfaction, or service performance.

Submissions should clearly convey the role the solution plays within the broader customer lifecycle and provide evidence of adoption, scalability, and tangible business outcomes.

CRM system in use by office worker

Example Use Cases

Cloud CRM, sales, and marketing solutions eligible for this award may either provide an outstanding broad solution, or exceptional specialized solutions in one of these areas (among others):

AI-driven lead qualification in sales

Empowering sales teams with smart automation that improves productivity, consistency, and performance. Cloud CRM platforms use AI and workflow automation to reduce manual effort and guide sales teams toward the most effective actions, supporting human decision-making rather than replacing it.

Typical use cases:

  • Automated lead routing and qualification
  • Next-best-action recommendations for sales representatives
  • Automated follow-ups and task creation
  • Workflow automation across prospecting, quoting, and approvals

Some examples of results from this application:

  • Increased sales productivity and reduced administrative time
  • Faster response times to inbound enquiries
  • Shorter sales cycles through proactive engagement

AI to increase lifetime customer value

Delivering consistent, personalized customer experiences across every touchpoint. Combining interaction data from digital and offline channels, enabling organizations to coordinate seamless engagement journeys driven by real-time insight and behavioral intelligence.

Typical use cases:

  • Unified customer profiles combining online and offline interactions
  • Cross-channel journey orchestration (email, SMS, web, mobile, social, contact center)
  • Integrated campaign performance measurement and attribution

Some examples of results from this application:

  • Improved consistency of brand experience across channels
  • Higher customer retention and lifetime value
  • Greater visibility into cross-channel performance and ROI

Highest customer satisfaction with SaaS award

Strengthening long-term customer relationships through clever insight and timely engagement. Cloud platforms tap into behavioral data and usage analytics to identify retention risks and expansion opportunities - enabling organizations to maximize customer lifetime value.

Typical use cases:

  • Automated renewal reminders and lifecycle communications
  • Usage-based upsell and cross-sell identification
  • Early warning alerts for at-risk accounts

Some examples of results from this application:

  • Increased upsell and cross-sell revenue
  • Higher customer lifetime value, and reduced customer churn
  • Higher quality of customer engagement, either via an agent, or through automated channels

AI-driven sales forecasting

Connecting data, teams, and insights to create a single source of truth for revenue performance. These platforms consolidate marketing, sales, and customer success data into unified dashboards enabling organisations to make faster, evidence-based revenue decisions.

Typical use cases:

  • Centralised revenue dashboards combining sales, marketing, and service data
  • End-to-end lead-to-revenue tracking and attribution
  • Cross-functional performance reporting and KPI alignment
  • Real-time pipeline visibility across regions and teams

Some examples of results from this application:

  • Improved alignment between marketing, sales, and customer success teams
  • Greater accuracy and consistency in revenue reporting
  • Clear attribution of marketing activity to revenue outcomes

Best AI for sales and marketing award

Cloud-based marketing platforms supporting campaign planning, creation, execution, and reporting - supporting diverse channels including digital, social, SMS, and direct email. Intuitive tools enable teams and managers to quickly interrogate performance, and make alterations to improve outcomes.

Typical use cases:

  • Advanced audience segmentation and analysis
  • Campaign creation and reporting
  • Multivariate testing
  • Design tools for content creation, including AI-driven creation
  • Support for brand kits and consistent visual identity

Some examples of results from this application:

  • Improved campaign visibility and effectiveness
  • Increased efficiency in campaign creation and execution
  • More personalized content, resulting in higher customer brand affinity and lifetime value

Hall of Fame: Previous Winners

AgencyBloc Logo

AgencyBloc stood out for delivering a cloud CRM that is purpose built for real operational workflows, not generic pipeline tracking. AMS+ demonstrates strong automation, usability, and measurable value for teams that need reliability every day. The judges were impressed by the platform’s focus and execution within its market. This made AgencyBloc a deserving winner at The Cloud Awards.”

Lead Judge, Shiva Kumar

Cloud CRM Solution of the Year 2025/26, AgencyBloc
Unanet Logo

Unanet CRM GovCon has won this award for its comprehensive suite of business development capabilities, designed specifically for the government contracting industry. The platform’s seamless integration with Outlook, providing easy access to communication histories and real-time updates, ensures that users never miss a critical opportunity. With its ability to streamline operations and support compliance, Unanet delivers tangible value to GovCon firms, helping them win more business and stay competitive in a challenging market.”

The Cloud Awards COO, Annabelle Whittall

Cloud CRM Solution of the Year 2024/25, Unanet
MYOB Logo

The judging panel here at The Cloud Awards were very impressed with MYOB’s offering for Best CRM Solution of the Year. Tall Emu is a cloud CRM platform that integrates with MYOB and Xero, connecting lead management, sales, stock, shipping and manufacturing processes in a whole of business CRM solution. Together, Tall Emu and MYOB combine the best of purpose-built CRM and smart business solutions, empowering businesses to succeed and scale seamlessly.”

The Cloud Awards COO, Annabelle Whittall

Cloud CRM Solution of the Year 2023/24, MYOB

Areas to Highlight in Your Submission

Judges score nominations across these five key areas:

  • Innovation: The features or technology that makes your CRM, sales or marketing solution unique - or transformed your market.
  • Impact: Evidence of the positive effect your sales, marketing or CRM solution has brought to your customers.
  • Scalability: How your solution grows or adapts to changing business needs, without significant upgrades or overhauls.

  • User Experience: How intuitive your CRM, sales or marketing solution is to use for users of varying roles or skill levels.

  • Relevance: What makes your solution a worthy winner in this particular category.

Although not formally scored, focus on these areas specific to this category, can help your nomination stand out:

Automation

AI-driven features that increase user efficiency, without compromising accuracy, or 'human touch'.

Personalization

What data or features are available to enable users to personalize their customer communications or campaigns.

Customization

The options available to users to customize the solution to meet their individual user needs, or that of their industry or sector.

More Cloud Awards Categories

Next Steps to Enter The Cloud Awards

To enter this Cloud Awards category, or any other category in The Cloud Awards, please follow these three simple steps:

  • Download the entry form. Open up the ‘Cloud Awards Simple Form’ document.
  • Complete your form. You only need to complete the form once, even if entering multiple Cloud Awards categories.
  • Submit your entry. Head to the ‘Submit Now’ section on our website, select ‘The Cloud Awards’ and the category/categories you are entering from the list, upload your form and any other materials you would like the judges to review, and process your fees.

Since 2011, The Cloud Awards been helping organizations across the globe gain the recognition they deserve for market-leading innovation in the cloud computing and software sectors.

For a detailed breakdown of all the benefits you receive as an awards entrant as either a shortlistee, finalist or ultimate winner, please see our “Why Enter?” page. The many benefits are replicated across all international awards programs. If you have any questions about this category, please contact us.