Hi Erin,
Most abstract platforms are able to create a Single Sign-on (SSO) option that connects back to a databse. Most are done through API's, and just need to be contracted to create those and work with your CRM to get those working correctly.
Our CRM is iMIS, and we have SSO set with our registration platofrorms and abstract platforms.
We recently did a vast search and demoing of new options for our abstracts and went with X-CD. We really like this one because it writes back to our CRM as well. Our runner up was OpenWater which is very cost effective and had many of the options we wanted too, it just wasn't the best for sessionizing our abstracts which we have over 430 oral abstracts in 64 sessions, and about 1500 poster abstracts also in various sessions.
A few options you may want to look into depending on your needs are Oxford Abstracts, Planstone, and Confex, Omnipress.Catalyst, Orchestrate/Sessionboard.
If your only output is a publication, I do suggets looking at CTI. We used to use them, and althrough we looked for a new vendor for a reason, they do make a great publication and do all the PDF layout edits and contstruction for you, which we have not been able to find else where. I'm happy to send you an example of our publication as well.