What does the CRM of 2015 look like? Contact management with a mobile app, maybe some analytics, and integration with email? Throw in some pipeline visualizations and a couple of dashboards, and you’ve got yourself a modern day CRM app.

Like with a lot of business software, however, CRMs tend to lag behind when it comes to innovation, preferring instead to stick to flash-free features that literally ‘get the job done’.

But what if a CRM application were to embrace the technology of the near future to create something truly customer-focused? Believe it or not, the stuff of the ‘future’ is slowly creeping its way into the present, and the potential in a field like CRM is huge.

Between smartphone holograms, augmented reality, so-called ‘huge’ data, and virtual assistants, the CRM of 2020 could lead the way in innovation for business apps. Here’s how:

Mobile apps are a necessity for any CRM, but the CRM of 2020 could take the mobile concept a stage further with holograms. The technology for hologram-equipped phones has already made waves with the 2015 CES Innovation Award, and unlike 3D technology, it lets you see a full 360-degree view of a projection without using any special glasses or other fancy add-ons.

What use could this have for a CRM? Imagine being able to see a visualization of your entire sales pipeline and its status, projected from your phone. Bonus: it could also replace your projector during meetings where you’ll most certainly need to reference your pipeline.

Visualizations won’t stop at holograms. Augmented reality made one of its first appearances in the mainstream market with Google Glass, but its potential in five years could see something much more discreet: smart contact lenses. Google itself has already taken on the challenge by creating a contact lense with a built-in camera that could live stream data to your phone and give you details about what you’re seeing.

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