Microsoft CRM is relatively new player on the now becoming traditional CRM software applications market. We would like just to mention shift in the technical conception ? Microsoft CRM is committed to Windows and Microsoft components: Exchange, Active Directory, SQL Server, etc (while traditional CRM applications, such as Siebel were biased toward multiplatform compatibility: Unix, Oracle, Windows, SQL Server) and move up to business logic paradigm shift.
There is high-tech wisdom and it is always applicable to traditional industries, such as auto makers. Don't try to be too innovative on the market, rather have your competitors build the market niche and then move in. It is rather safe not to purchase the car of the new line, just introduced this year, even if it comes from such a respectable manufacturer as Toyota. The same in software industry ? we have unlimited trust and greatest respect to such CRM makers as Seibel ? but I guess we have to admit ? companies like this had to be pioneers on the market and had to create the market, being a little bit premature, however savvy in the long term market prediction.
Microsoft seems to be allowing the enthusiasts to create the market niche and then move in with its own or purchased and beefed up solution. In the case of MS CRM it seems to be from ground up MS development and very excellent fit to Microsoft Business Solutions business strategy. Microsoft CRM application conception in our opinion was substantial simplification in CRM functionality and making IT group to support it, by deploying all the recent Microsoft technologies.
Bullets to emphasize:
1. Microsoft CRM is for MCSE / Microsoft oriented IT departments ? Microsoft CRM would be be-loved system for IT specialists. If you are MCSE+I - CRM will recruit all your MS Exchange, Active Directory, MS SQL Server, Windows domain security, Windows 2003 Server, Web publishing and HTML knowledge and experience. This is completely opposite to earlier Apple Computer believe - that computer systems should be easy in service and completely intuitive. MS CRM is kind of intuitive for end user, but not for its administrator.
2. Microsoft CRM - is not CRM - but rather simplified CRM - if you do remember old days whitepapers about CRM in general, or even it's predecessor - Lotus Notes/Domino - these papers were full of predictions about the future and were written for top level company executives, not for regular computer specialists. This was probably why so high percentage of CRM sales failed in implementations. Microsoft CRM has the highest ever rate of successful implementations, because it is not a CRM, but rather popularized version of it - it just does the job - as cheap and reliable car.
3. Transportation Companies - about 30% of our clients in the States are transportation and freight forwarding companies. This actually proves the hypothesis that MS CRM is very simple solution - these companies usually do not have extra money to spend on their computer system, but need the solution for its sales people to instantly see the cargos, plus have simple customization, allowing them to integrate with legacy system.
4. Movement down to small and tiny companies ? this is completely new trend for CRM market. We know the examples when 5 employees companies make a decision to implement and have surprising success in Microsoft CRM implementation.
Happy implementing!
Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies ? USA nationwide Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Great Plains customization company, serving clients in Chicago, California, Colorado, Texas, New York, Georgia and Florida, Canada, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally (http://www.albaspectrum.com/ ) You can reach Andrew at 1-630-961-5918 or 1-866-528-0577. He is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.
Most people understand that the "hardware" part of their computer... Read More
I love new technology. I am still ready to wait... Read More
If you are in a business that passes documents around... Read More
Linux essentials:It's free for download but you have to pay... Read More
Crystal Reports is the most flexible tool on the market... Read More
Finding the best spyware removers to detect and remove spyware... Read More
Whether you need to close a sale, gather end-user feedback,... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Small Business Manager is Great Plains Dexterity... Read More
You would like to protect your documents, wouldn't you? Reasons... Read More
In our opinion, traditional approach when you select ERP/MRP system... Read More
Introduction To ISDN, Part III: Configuring PPP PAP AuthenticationNow we... Read More
Whether you have used Microsoft Word for years, have just... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains and MS CRM (client relation... Read More
Great Plains Fixed Assets Management module is a robust tool... Read More
Document Management or Enterprise Information Management is perhaps one of... Read More
The stakes are high when considering security, privacy, and savings,... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains and Microsoft Retail Management System (Microsoft RMS)... Read More
All your software is stored on a hard-drive. But how... Read More
For those who are unclear on the differences between the... Read More
Are you one of those people that keeps track of... Read More
I started using PIP (Picture It Publishing) Platinum 2002 right... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is marketed for mid-size companies... Read More
The COSMIC FP (function point) software quality metric, is no... Read More
Language development computer: Computer-based method for aiding language development seems... Read More
Pirated software is on the increase and now accounts for... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains ? ERM from Microsoft Business Solutions and... Read More
TikiWiki is open source software - it is written in... Read More
Pirated software is on the increase and now accounts for... Read More
Many Webmasters have never bothered to view their website's server... Read More
In today's business world it's all but impossible to escape... Read More
.NET platform does not support multiple inheritance. Do not confuse... Read More
Many reasons made GBM a unanimous choice for experts, one... Read More
In this small article we will be looking at the... Read More
As of now - Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise is transformed/renamed into... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains serves to the wide spectrum... Read More
Stealing company information used to be the specialty of spies... Read More
Running Applications in Compatibility Mode With Windows XP, you can... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains serves the wide spectrum of horizontal markets.... Read More
This is a short article, written in question/answer/FAQ style to... Read More
SOFTWARE PIRACY We regularly hear reports... Read More
Costs of fleet maintenance software can vary widely. It is... Read More
After almost two decades of existence, Quark has become the... Read More
An integral part of any quality CRM system is lead... Read More
Midsize business or non-profit organization should decide if one-vendor solution... Read More
Buying accounting software is a major investment. It's an important... Read More
SyncUp, a file synchronizer is designed to assist the home... Read More
Usually workflow & messaging is realized in CRM and then... Read More
Software Engineering is the Systematic Approach for analysis design implementation... Read More
Before September of 1995, Microsoft ignored the Internet because their... Read More
Linux essentials:It's free for download but you have to pay... Read More
Software |