Cloud Computing and Software-as-a-Service

The beta version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 was launched earlier this fall, generating buzz among industry analysts due to its major enhancements. Among the new features are a next-generation Microsoft Outlook client, Microsoft Office contextual CRM Ribbon for Office navigation and user experience, user personalization and role-tailored design.

Specifically architected for both cloud and on-prem deployments, the new software is Microsoft’s most robust attempt at gaining traction in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) market space.

Following are some improved features of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011:

1.     Advanced User Personalization Capabilities
Users can now configure their workplaces to meet their unique roles and informational needs. Personalizing a workspace means that users can set the default pane and tab that display when they open Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. Now you can customize what links appear in the workplace view, how many records appear in lists, how numbers and dates display and language capabilities. Users can also combine these personalized features with new dashboards creating  personalized dashboards for default viewing.

2.     Integration with SharePoint and Microsoft Dynamics NAV
This latest version of Microsoft Dynamics illustrates Microsoft’s desire to offer out-of-the-box integration with two of its key products, SharePoint and Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Microsoft Dynamics CRM integrates with SharePoint Server’s document management through contextual document repositories and will also integrate with Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2 (set to arrive in the next few months). In conjunction with each other, these two products will increase productivity by enhancing interaction between front and back office applications.

3.     Business Intelligence Functionality
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011’s new real-time dashboards offer advanced business intelligence functionality that is more intuitive. Users are able to speedily configure multiple dashboards to monitor business performance, for example, and can set up dashboards for individual or shared use. The dashboards can include in-line charts with drill-down intelligence to visually navigate data, identify trends and uncover new insights.

4.     Seamless Integration with Microsoft Office
With Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 comes a new Office 2010 contextual ribbon for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and Microsoft Dynamics CRM browser clients, which delivers a consistent, familiar navigation and user experience. This allows Dynamics CRM users to take advantage of native Outlook functionality such as previews and conditional formatting. With the new release, users can highlight and flag CRM records (like with an Outlook email) and the reading pane grants readers an instant view of a record without having to open up a new screen.

5.     Interactive Process Dialogs
Dialogs aid users in the collection and processing of information using step-by-step scripts. Companies can use dialogs to increase performance and versatility by incorporating advanced work-flow logic, which calls automated tasks using the responses a customer or user makes during a dialog script.

6.     Improved Configuration Capabilities
Key features include custom activities and communications, data auditing, field-level security, tailored form experience and improved knowledge base.

7.      Cloud Development and Deployment
With Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, developers can take advantage of Windows Azure to develop and deploy custom code for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online using tools like Visual Studio. Developers can incorporate Microsoft Silverlight, Windows Communication Foundation and .NET Language Integrated Query (LINQ) into their cloud solutions using Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0.

8.     Role-Based Forms and Views
Forms and views in Microsoft Dynamics CRM are based on user roles; this role-tailored design ensures that users have speedy access to the relevant information they need, while simultaneously preventing users from accessing data that they aren’t authorized to view.

9.     Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace
An online solutions catalog which helps developers accelerate and extend their Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online implementations. The Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace is fully integrated with Microsoft Dynamics CRM enabling customers to access the Marketplace from within Microsoft Dynamics CRM in order to search applications and connect with Microsoft Registered Partners.

10.  Customizing and Sharing
With Dynamics CRM, Microsoft introduces what the vendor calls “solutions”: ways to save customizations and share them with others. Users can create a solution or import an app created by a developer outside the organization; a managed solution can only be edited by a specific user while an un-managed solution can be edited by any user with an appropriate role. A solution is able to have version numbering, relationships with entities and other components and security features based on user roles.

Microsoft Dynamics 2011 offers a powerful suite of Business Intelligence capabilities which will aid any organization streamline is contact management processes.

For more information about CRM consulting services offered by Nubifer, visit www.nubifer.com