CRM News: Enterprise Apps: Microsoft Introduces CRM Upgrade for Vista, Office 2007

Microsoft Introduces CRM Upgrade for Vista, Office 2007

By Erika Morphy
CRM Buyer
11/07/06 9:01 AM PT

Vista-centric features in Dynamics CRM include role-based capabilities, data visualization and business intelligence enhancements, as well as unified communications with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.

Increase Customer Sales with VerticalResponse Email Marketing! Quickly and easily send email newsletters, coupons & sales announcements to your customers – no technical expertise needed. Sign up for your Free Trial today and send 100 emails on us!

Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) plans to ship a retooled version of its Dynamics CRM 3.0 application when Office 2007 and Windows Vista ship at the end of November. The compatibility upgrade is one strategy the company is using to encourage corporate buyers to adopt the new Vista-Office bundle.

Feature-wise, the upgraded CRM application will offer tighter integration with Office and a completely redesigned user interface. The new release will also work with previously supported versions of Office and Windows, the company said.

The product now mimics the look and feel of Office 2007, Dynamics CRM general manager Brad Wilson told CRM Buyer. To illustrate, he pointed to a technology in Vista called "gadget."

"It exposes CRM information directly onto the desktop," he explained. "Users don't have to go into the CRM application at all," and they can view call lists, activities and other CRM data points via the desktop, as well.

"It provides incredible visibility," Wilson added.

Upgraded Security Features

Other Vista-centric features in Dynamics CRM include role-based capabilities, data visualization and business intelligence enhancements, as well as unified communications with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.

For instance, the new release allows users to store voicemail messages in Outlook and track them automatically in Dynamics CRM.

Vista's new upgraded security features -- long awaited and one of Microsoft's fiercely guarded secrets -- are also built into Dynamics CRM. Vista's new BitLocker, for example, is designed to prevent unauthorized users from accessing CRM data on laptops, according to Microsoft.

New Licensing Options

Microsoft's new license options include both Business Ready Licensing (BRL) and Modular Based Licensing.

Microsoft Volume Licensing -- the same licensing model that is used for Microsoft Office, Windows and Microsoft Exchange -- will continue to apply to Dynamics CRM, the company said.

Upgrades will be free to customers with active support agreements. Ultimately, Dynamics CRM be available in 18 languages.

Next Article in Enterprise Apps

SalesGene Changes Name, Revamps Sales-Marketing App
November 07, 2006

Landslide Personal Edition targets individual sellers who want to do a better job, whether or not their company supports the application in-house. "For the ambitious salesperson ... there is no time to wait for your company to grow into a solution -- or for your IT team to find the budget and bandwidth to approve one," said CEO Razi Imam.

More by Erika Morphy

Ballmer Gives Shareholders - and Dell - Cause for Optimism
November 20, 2009

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was all smiles at the company's shareholders meeting, as he touted the early success of Windows 7. Ballmer's cheer may have been contagious; after posting a massive earnings decline for the third quarter, Dell needed some good news to latch onto, and the prospect of broad enterprise adoption of Windows 7 could spur PC sales.

AA.com Sucks the Fun Out of Trip-Planning
November 20, 2009

Using AA.com to book a flight was a painful experience. Densely packed, disorganized information was displayed in an unattractive format. On the plus side, it did seem as though the deals American Airlines advertised were real and not mere bait-and-switch lures. For anyone who wants a travel-planning Web site to inject a little pleasure into the experience, though, I say look elsewhere.

Salesforce.com Pumps Up Volume of Workplace Chatter
November 19, 2009

Salesforce.com has developed a collaboration platform that puts social networking to work. Salesforce Chatter facilitates employee collaboration on projects through Facebook-like profiles, status updates, feeds and groups. The question remains whether employees will be as open to social networking in the workplace as they are in their personal lives.

[Search More...]