CUPERTINO, Calif.--SugarCRM, the world’s leading provider of open source customer relationship management (CRM) software, today announced a record quarter with the addition of nearly 600 customers in the first quarter of 2010. The announcement was made on the eve of SugarCon 2010, SugarCRM’s global customer and developer conference to be held at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco April 13-15.

“Sugar Professional’s ability to manage dynamic, third party, worldwide relationships will take FamilySearch’s mission to preserve the family history of the world to a whole new level”

“Customers are increasingly turning to cloud applications like SugarCRM that deliver a cost-effective, flexible alternative to legacy SaaS applications,” said Larry Augustin, CEO of SugarCRM. “We are pleased about our strong Q1 and look forward to welcoming our customers, developers and partners to SugarCon.”

New Customers Using SugarCRM in Innovative Ways

SugarCRM achieved record numbers in terms of subscriptions and users, including U.S. Water Services, Western Athletic Clubs, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, FamilySearch International, Hornblower Cruises & Events and INTI Education Group.

Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life

The largest Jewish campus organization in the world, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, provides opportunities for Jewish students at more than 500 colleges and universities to explore and celebrate their Jewish identity through its global network of regional centers, campus foundations and Hillel student organizations.

Hillel is working with SugarCRM partner, agencyQ, to use SugarCRM as the data-centerpiece of their innovative relationship-based outreach model - consolidating information on students, organizations, staff and relationships at over 500 colleges and universities to support their mission.

“SugarCRM will be the centerpiece of our relationship-based model,” says Matt Braman, vice president of information technology. “It will help us manage and improve dynamic relationships with students, organizations and staffs across the 500 college and universities we serve.”

Hornblower Cruises & Events

With vessels ranging from cozy and custom-designed to the three largest dining yachts on the West Coast, Hornblower welcomes guests for classic sightseeing and dining cruises, corporate outings, weddings, special events, environmental tours and film shoots. The company sails from seven California ports and serves as the National Park Service concession of ferry service to Alcatraz Island, the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island.

Hornblower will be using SugarCRM to manage their charter sales group for Luxury cruise operations as well as group bookings. The company will be integrating SugarCRM to its legacy CTERM system and using Sugar to provide real time sales pipeline measurement and operational improvements.

U.S. Water Services

U.S. Water is a middle market water treatment chemical and equipment company, growing its customer base by exceeding customer expectations through a focus on quality, innovation and continuous improvement in all aspects of water management within a facility.

“We chose SugarCRM because it’s easy to use,” states Regional Manager, Bill Lough. “It’s our belief that this would go a long way to driving user adoption and transforming us from a paper driven company. We also believe SugarCRM will get us results quicker than any other solution due to the dedication and experience level of its Business Partners in providing us a thorough, viable and flexible solution in a rapid way.”

FamilySearch International

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources and services to learn more about their family history. For over 100 years, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving and sharing genealogical records worldwide. Patrons may freely access resources and service online at FamilySearch.org, or through over 4,500 family history centers in 70 countries, including the renowned Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

To economically preserve the world's heritage and facilitate research, FamilySearch must create a global network of communities consisting of commercial and non-profit organizations as well as individuals. As a result, FamilySearch has leveraged the expertise of SugarCRM Partner, Plus Consulting, to begin to create a worldwide community portal and communication platform for genealogical research.

“Sugar Professional’s ability to manage dynamic, third party, worldwide relationships will take FamilySearch’s mission to preserve the family history of the world to a whole new level,” said Ransom Love, senior vice president.

INTI Education Group

The INTI Education Group is a pioneer and one of the most respected and trusted names in the private higher education sector in Malaysia. With 11 campuses in Malaysia and Indonesia, INTI has been recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education as having the largest number of accredited programs and highest international student enrollment in the higher education sector globally.

INTI is using Sugar Professional to integrate campus and student information systems at 11 separate campuses, as well as centralize the management of its marketing and recruitment process. It chose SugarCRM for its flexibility, cost-effectiveness and enterprise readiness.

“Sugar has allowed us improved visibility into our sales and marketing recruitment efforts for improved decision making,” states Richard Pany, group CIO, INTI Education Group. “We have also seen a huge increase in the productivity of our staff thanks to Sugar’s automated tools.”

About SugarCRM

SugarCRM is the world's leading provider of open source customer relationship management (CRM) software. Over 6,000 customers and more than half a million users rely on SugarCRM to execute marketing programs, grow sales, retain customers and create custom business applications. Leading publications such as CRM Magazine, InfoWorld and eWeek praise SugarCRM for its ease-of-use, flexibility and open design. SugarCRM runs on the leading cloud computing platforms, including Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure, Sugar On-Demand and Private Clouds, offering customers unparalleled choice and control of their data and deployments.

For more information, call (408) 454-6900 or 1 87 SUGARCRM toll-free in the US, email contact@sugarcrm.com, or visit http://www.sugarcrm.com.