"CRM", customer relationship management, is an umbrella term used to identify a range of functionality, rather than one specific technology component. CRM is a strategy that companies deploy to understand, anticipate and design solutions that meet the needs of their current and potential customers. To carry out this strategy, organizations use CRM technology to capture data throughout the enterprise and from external sources, consolidate the data into a central database, analyze the data, and ensure the data is accessible and usable. The specific components that comprise this technology continue to evolve, but generally fall under the categories of data management, campaign management, customer service management, sales management, and e-business management.