Enlisting CRM to fight spyware: malicious applications are challenging the Internet's integrity as a business tool.(ANALYZE THIS)(Customer relationship management)

SPYWARE is one of the most important issues threatening the CRM community today. There are few things more likely to evoke a visceral response from a soccer mom than spyware, those invisible programs that can cripple a computer. Enterprises of any size that depend on fast, cheap, Internet transport to communicate with customers should also be concerned.

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Often a spyware problem manifests as slow performance--users first suspect a hardware problem, so they call their PC vendor's support line. "It is a big problem for us," says Jennifer Davis, a spokeswoman for Dell Computer, "because customers are not getting as much out of their technology …