CRM Online Available!

Yesterday Microsoft officially announced that Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online (the hosted version of CRM version 4.0) will be generally available in North America. Dynamics CRM Online is an on-demand service hosted and managed by Microsoft. This new service delivers a full suite of Marketing, Sales and Service capabilities through a Web browser or directly into Microsoft Outlook and Office.

Dynamics Online provides "instant-on" access to businesses that want a full-featured CRM solution with no IT infrastructure investment or setup required. It is initially packaged in 2 service offerings:

• Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Professional delivers a full suite of CRM capabilities with extensive configurability and options. Organizations get 5GB of data storage, 100 configurable workflows and 100 custom entities. Pricing is around $44/user per month, with an introductory offer of $39/user per month.
  
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Professional Plus delivers all the capabilities of Professional version, plus offline data synchronization with expanded data storage, workflow and customization options that provides businesses with 20GB of data storage, 200 configurable workflows and 200 custom entities. Pricing is around $59/user per month.

So far, more then 500 Customers and 200 Partners have already used Microsoft Dynamics CRM online over the past 6 months via the Microsoft Early Access Program.

CRM 4.0 Has Shipped!!

The new version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, formerly code-named “Titan,” has been completed and released to manufacturing, according to an announcement from Microsoft Corporation on December 17, 2007.

The new version is offered under two product names: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 for on-premise and partner-hosted deployments and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Live for Microsoft-hosted deployment.

Designed with a single unified-code base for both on-premise and on-demand deployments, Microsoft Dynamics CRM enables customers to choose the right deployment model for their specific business and IT needs, with the flexibility to change deployment models over time if their needs or preferences change.

Click Here for Complete Story

Titan Sneak Peek!

A few of my colleagues went to a recent meeting at the Microsoft Offices in New York City to hear some details on the next release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 (aka Titan). There are several new and exciting features slotted with version 4.0, including:

• Multi-Currency, Multi-Language, Multi-Time Zone
• Report Wizard Where Users Can Write SRS Reports in an Instant
• Built-in Configurable Dupe-Detection (including bulk-load de-dupe and batch de-dupe for existing records)
• Smart-Find Functionality (type first few letters and field becomes a pick-list with matches)
• Web-Based Mail Merge

...and so much more!

Stay Tuned for more details.

Portland Trail Blazers Picks Microsoft CRM

In addition to receiving the right to select the first draft pick this year (Ohio State's Greg Oden), the Trail Blazers selected Microsoft CRM 3.0 for their Customer Relationship Management solution, to deploy 100 licenses.

The Trail Blazers will be launching the CRM system over the next few months even though the project has been in the works for several years. "Over the past three years, we've been working on this plan to rebuild our systems for when we started to hit this product cycle going back up," Chris Dill, vice president and CIO with the team said. "It just happens it went up drastically because of the luck of getting the No. 1 draw."

Things are looking up for the Trail Blazers, and they seem to be looking up for Microsoft CRM as well. The company reports that it sold more than 85,000 seats of Microsoft Dynamics CRM in the last quarter, and it is preparing to release the next version of its CRM product, code-named Titan, complete with a multi-tenant, on-demand version, in the fourth quarter.

One might think that for a basketball team owned by Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, the decision to deploy Microsoft CRM was an easy one, but Allen does not have a hands-on approach at that level, according to Dill.

Rather, a couple of things appealed to Dill about Microsoft CRM, particularly its tight integration with the Outlook email client, an application most of the organization works within already. He added that the .NET architecture, mobile integration platform and a workflow engine, which the team doesn't have with their previous solution, were all factors.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Video - The Revolution Begins

This is a cool few minute video that outlines how Microsoft Dynamics CRM changes the way leading organizations manage relationships with customers. Business and IT leaders, including officials from Volvo, United Way-Twin Cities, and Euphonics, discuss the vital role Microsoft CRM plays in their organizations. These business and IT leaders point out that Microsoft CRM succeeds where other business solutions fail.

If you are STILL on the fence about your Customer Relationship Management solution - take a few minutes to review this video!

Sort Records By Multiple Columns: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0

I am always looking for little Tips and Tricks to share with my colleagues to make our "work life" just a little bit easier. Today I found out that you can sort multiple columns in CRM - not just one!

As you know, to sort a column, you click on the column heading. To click an additional column, simply left click while pressing SHIFT + CONTROL all at the same time.

Simple stuff - but pretty cool!

Some Dynamics CRM News Bits

I read some interesting Microsoft Dynamics News recently and wanted to pass it along...hope you enjoy!

First, Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 won CRM Magazine's 2006 CRM Market Leader Awards in both the Midmarket Suite CRM and Small Business Suite categories. General Manager of Microsoft CRM, Brad Wilson, also won the magazine's CRM Influential Leader Award for the second consecutive year!

Also, there was a Gartner Report recently which was very good news for Microsoft. Here is a snippet:

Expect Microsoft CRM to be the fastest-growing product in 2006 and 2007. This growth is due to Microsoft's tight integration with Outlook, a focus by its sales force in more countries and languages than its competitors, and its delivery of a basic, pragmatic solution.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Live Service

According to a Microsoft Press Release, Microsoft plans to build on the market success of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0, via a roadmap for the next major release of its Microsoft Dynamics CRM products, including a new software-as-a-service offering called "Microsoft Dynamics CRM Live".

The Microsoft CRM Live Service will be operated and managed by Microsoft within its Windows Live datacenters, and will offer Microsoft's partners another fast and flexible way to address the unique CRM needs of each Customer.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Live is planned for introduction in North America in the second quarter of 2007, and will be offered as a range of service offerings on a monthly subscription basis. There will be no limit to the number of users that the system can support, but it will initially be targeted primarily at small businesses.

Click Here For Complete Press Release.

Test Drive Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0

Do You Want to "Test Drive" Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0?
NO PROBLEM!!!

ISS Group has set up a Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Demo Environment just for you!

There is NO obligation to buy anything, and there is NO time limit to how long you will have access to this Demo Environment.

All you need to do is request access to this Demo Environment and ISS Group will send you the required login information.

ISS Group will also provide AT NO CHARGE a few hours of Web training prior to accessing this Demo Environment so that you get the most value out of your "Test Drive".

Contact Us TODAY To Request Access To This Demo Environment!

AND HAVE FUN!!

CRM Presentation Competition

ISS Group participated in a Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Presentation competition at Wednesday's NY/NJ Quarterly Partner Briefing at the NY Microsoft offices. I am proud to say ISS Group came in second, only to one of our own partners!

We loved participating in this challenge and it just continues to prove our commitment of being a leading Microsoft partner.

Hopefully we will have a rematch soon and take first place!

Microsoft Picking Up CRM Customers from Its Rivals

Although a late-comer to the CRM business, Microsoft has quietly been luring customers away from more established rivals such as Siebel, now part of Oracle Corp. Several users at Microsoft's Convergence 2006 conference late last month said they turned to Microsoft Dynamics CRM because of its integration with other Microsoft applications, including Dynamics ERP and Office.
In addition, a half-dozen users said Version 3.0, released last fall, corrects many of the performance, data synchronization and other problems in Versions 1 and 1.2 of the Microsoft CRM software.

Click For Full Story from CIO Today

Download the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Mobile Client

The download for the Mobile Client for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 is now available!

Click Here for Download!

Microsoft CRM 3 Mobile News

CRM Mobile 3.0 will be available as a web download early next week and will ship to customers under volume licensing in May. Localized versions (French, Spanish & German) should be available by the end of April.

Some of the highlights of this release include:

-- Over the air (Wireless WAN) synchronization support
-- Full enabling of Internet facing topologies
-- Support for advanced device features like high DPI, keyboard, landscape/portrait mode, etc.
-- SFA application enhancements to support 3.0 features of CRM core.

CRM Mobile 3.0 builds on the reputation of its predecessor as being one of the most easily deployable and customizable mobile applications in the market today.

Look for the Download Link on Microsoft.com soon!

ING Insurance To Invest in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0

ING Insurance Bhd announced this week it will be investing in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 to assist in their goal to achieve one million active retail policy holders by the year 2009 from the 800,000 current policy holders. Its near-term goal, according to ING's Retail Financial Services Head Rein Hermans, would be to acquire 100,000 new policy holders by 2008. "We will achieve this by better understanding and segmenting the needs of our customers through the use of CRM tools," Hermans stated.

Microsoft Business Marketing Director Christopher Young said the CRM solution contained additional functions that allowed for increased business productivity and performance. Plans are to deploy the solution to all front line Customer Service reps within the organization by October 2006.

"What we want to do is to grow our business and deliver the best services to our Customers and we look forward to reaping the benefits from this new system," Hermans said. By implementing Microsoft's cutting edge technology, it would not only enable ING to increase its Customer base but also fulfill its vision of having a one-stop service center known as ING One Service. The new service will help ING increase its Customer rentention by offering new products that fit any of its Customers at any stage.