By Paul Velgos - Practice Manager, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consulting

So what’s the Microsoft BigEasy Offer 2.0? Simply, when buy Microsoft products you get money back.

Let’s say that you’re planning on buying Dynamics CRM Professional for 50 users. BigEasy would give you back around $4,300 in subsidy funds to use toward products or services. Not too shabby.

When you apply for the BigEasy program it looks at what products you bought and calculates how much subsidy money you get back. You pick a Microsoft partner to assign the check to and the money can be used toward buying Microsoft products or professional services with that Microsoft partner. You must purchase products between Aug. 25 and Dec. 31, 2008 and spend the funds within 90 days.

There are quite a few products that qualify including Microsoft Dynamics CRM and also:

• Microsoft® Visual Studio®
• Microsoft® Expression®
• Microsoft® Exchange Server
• Microsoft® Forefront™
• Microsoft® Office Communications Server
• Microsoft® Office
• Microsoft® Office Project & Microsoft® Office Visio®
• Microsoft® Office SharePoint® Server
• Microsoft® SQL Server®
• Windows Server®
• Microsoft® System

Qualifying Microsoft Volume License programs vary based upon the product and include:

• Open Business License
• Open Government License
• Open License & Software Assurance Purchase for local government
• Open Value Subscription Purchase
• Open Value and COEM License Only plus Open Value Software Assurance Purchase

If you’re buying Microsoft products and not using this program you’re letting money fall down the drain.

Here’s the Microsoft BigEasy website http://www.microsoftincentives.com/bigeasy/

By Paul Velgos - Practice Manager, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consulting

Microsoft is holding a Chicago area Dynamics Customer Event at their office in Downers Grove, IL on September 30th at 8:30 AM. This event is intended for customers who are already using one of Microsoft’s Dynamics products such as AX (Axapta), GP (Great Plains), SL (Solomon), and NAV (Navision). These events are usually a good way for customers to connect directly with Microsoft product experts and other local employees.

Here’s the registration link. You need a Windows Live account to register. Alternately you can give us a call at 815-469-7255 x 37 and we’ll register you.

https://www.clicktoattend.com/register.aspx?eventid=130720

Description

Join Microsoft representatives for an exciting event to learn how to maximize your current Microsoft Dynamics solution. Convergence 2009 won’t be here until the spring so join us this fall for an event in your city!

In these challenging economic times, maximize the value of your current Dynamics solution. By attending this event, you will immediately gain additional value from your Dynamics investment. Learn how to leverage and expand your Dynamics solution to increase processes, visibility and profitability. Microsoft Dynamics product specialists will demonstrate how your Microsoft Dynamics solution can enable your people to propel your business forward through best practices and breakout sessions to focus on key business processes.

This is a great place to connect with your peers and share best practices. You will have the opportunity to network with other business leaders in your area and discuss current trends in your industry.

Seating is limited. Register now to join our business solution advisors, who will share insights, demonstrations and roadmaps for Microsoft Dynamics, as well as the extensive integration with other Microsoft products.

By Paul Velgos - Practice Manager, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consulting

I’m getting caught up on blogging and just came across this one.

It’s called the No-Charge Microsoft Dynamics CRM License (seriously, that’s actually what it’s called). Yes, companies who have purchased (or are about to purchase) one of Microsoft’s ERP products may qualify for a free server license of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Professional.

I would think Microsoft ERP customers should be interested in this because the Dynamics CRM Professional Server license costs over $2,000 and it’s pretty common for ERP customers to eventually buy and deploy Dynamics CRM.

If you’re not familiar with Dynamics CRM, it’s Microsoft’s Customer Relationship Management database software. It helps sales, marketing, and customer service departments better manage customers and their data.

So how do you qualify?

• You must already own, or need to purchase, one of the following: Microsoft Dynamics GP (formerly Great Plains), Dynamics AX (formerly Axapta), Dynamics SL (formerly Solomon), or Dynamics NAV (formerly Navision)
• The ERP product must be purchased through Microsoft’s Business Ready License (BRL) program.
• You must have a valid current Business Ready Enhancement Plan and Advanced Management Edition, or Module Based Licensing and Professional Edition. Business Essentials Edition or Standard Edition do not qualify for the no-charge CRM license.
• The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server License is included in the Foundation Pack of Dynamics AX, Dynamics NAV, Dynamics GP, and Dynamics SL. But, to receive the free Dynamics CRM server license, you must purchase at least one Client Access License (CAL) which essentially is a license for each user or computer that will access CRM.

Kind of confusing? It was for me at first too. Drop me a line with any questions.

By Paul Velgos - Practice Manager, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consulting

The July issue of CRM Magazine features a cover story with Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer and Dynamics CRM 4.0. It’s an interesting read. The online version can be accessed at http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crmmedia/crm0708/#/2

I was at the Microsoft Convergence conference where CRM Magazine interviewed Ballmer and had the opportunity to see his keynote speech. He’s a pretty intense guy and has a huge amount of enthusiasm for Dynamics CRM. More specifically, he’s big on xRM. The “x” being an almost unlimited list of possibilities for managing relationships such as Physician Relationship Management, Partner Relationship Management, and so on. CRM is no longer just sales, marketing, and service. It’s a platform to manage any type of relationship for any business.

Here are some parts of the Steve Ballmer interview that I thought were noteworthy:

• CRM currently represents hundreds of thousands of users while xRM represents millions of potential users
• Everything has a tracking and relationship aspect to it
• The line is becoming blurred between what’s in CRM, SharePoint, and other applications
• A lot of CRM implementations have been viewed as the systems for the oppression of the sales-and-service professional
• Ease of customization is key because nobody’s process looks exactly like somebody else’s
• The EDS deal gives a sense of readiness of the Dynamics CRM platform for the enterprise

They also interviewed Brad Wilson, General Manager of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Here are some parts I thought were noteworthy:

• Dynamics CRM has 14,000 user companies and over 625,000 users
• Business is balanced half-and-half between large businesses and SMBs (Small and Medium Businesses)
• A CRM project is 30% technology and 70% fitting technology to business problems
• Almost everything we (Microsoft) do, except for Xbox, is CRM

After the CRM calamity earlier this decade, it’s exciting to see interest in CRM has been skyrocketing over the past few years and xRM is taking on a whole new role in business.

By Paul Velgos - Practice Manager, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consulting

I just received an update that TenDigits MobileAccess v4.0 will be available in the third quarter of 2008. So based on past releases good changes are this means October 1st but I’m hoping they’ll launch it earlier.

Also, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile Express is supposed to be available in beta “late 2008”. This looks like a Microsoft-designed thin client version for accessing Dynamics CRM through phones that can display HTML webpages.

By Paul Velgos - Practice Manager, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consulting

Back in March at the Microsoft Convergence conference the word on the floor was that Microsoft was going to release the mobile version of Dynamics CRM 4.0 “soon”. While there wasn’t any official date, “in about a month” seemed to be floating around quite a bit. And it seemed that Microsoft itself was creating the mobile products.

It appears that Microsoft decided to go the partner route and use the company TenDigits for creating the mobile software.

Microsoft and TenDigits Announce Alliance for Microsoft Dynamics CRM

A little history. For Dynamics CRM 3.0, Microsoft released two mobile versions. CRM Mobile (for Windows Mobile) and CRM Mobile Express (a browser based version for non-Windows phones such as Blackberries). These CRM 3.0 mobile versions aren’t compatible with CRM 4.0.

So it appears that TenDigits will be the first company to offer both Windows Mobile and non-Windows versions for CRM 4.0 with their product called MobileAccess. As of today July 8th, the Windows Mobile version is still listed on their site as “Details Coming Soon”.

So what other mobile options are there for Dynamics CRM 4.0?

• C360 - Interestingly, long time Dynamics CRM add-on provider c360 didn’t get the alliance job here. c360 already makes a Windows Mobile version for Dynamics CRM 4.0 but not a browser-based version that will run on non-Windows phones such as Blackberries. They also make quite a few other add-ons to enhance Dynamics CRM.
• CWR Mobility - Another software provider, CWR Mobility, launched a Windows Mobile based version back in March called Mobile CRM.
• Logotec – Logotec has Mobile@Connector which is also Windows-based.

That about covers the main options. It’ll be interesting to see where all of this goes.

By Paul Velgos - Practice Manager, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consulting

Pretty interesting read. Microsoft CRM quickly has moved into the Visionaries section of Gartner’s Customer Service Contact Center Magic Quadrant.

What I got out of this is that Microsoft serves as a financially stable vendor and Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a platform that can be augmented and integrated with many other Microsoft product offerings. The Cautions they list are really nothing major in my opinion.

http://mediaproducts.gartner.com/reprints/microsoft/155677.html

By Paul Velgos - Practice Manager, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consulting

If you’re planning on holding off on upgrading your CRM 3.0 to CRM 4.0, it’s probably a good idea to test and deploy this new update rollup. This is a cumulative update so it contains all of the fixes from Update Rollup 1 and 2.

The full knowledge base article can be found at http://support.microsoft.com/Kb/935364

Here’s the page to directly download the update rollup

As always, it’s recommended that you first deploy this in your test environment to identify and resolve any issues that come up and then deploy it to your production environment.

By Paul Velgos - Practice Manager, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consulting

Microsoft held their official Chicago area launch event of the new 4.0 version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM in Chicago on April 3rd in Oak Brook, IL.

I have to say that I think this event was very nicely done. It was split up into a few different sessions including a keynote, a chat with Don Peppers, a customer case study discussion, and of course an overview of CRM 4.0.

Although Don Peppers was hocking his new book a bit (Rules to Break and Laws to Follow), I thought his session was great. Refreshing actually. He’s one of the founders of the Peppers & Rogers group who have written several books related to Customer Relationship Management. He covered a lot of ground and barely mentioned anything about CRM products or technology. What really struck me was that he spoke quite a bit about the importance of understanding how customers perceive relationships with companies they do business with. And with all of the online networks such as epinions and resellerratings, customers now have an immediate channel to share their opinions about your company instantly with millions of other people. The impact, positive or negative, can be immense. Great technology is only one important piece of the puzzle in improving the relationships your customers have with your company. Customer Relationship Management is a business strategy enhanced with technology.

We’ve all had bad experiences in dealing with a company:

• Ever call customer service and get disconnected after sitting on hold forever?
• Ever deal with a customer service rep that knows less about their product than you do?
• Ever enter your account number into the phone and then get asked what your account number is by the next several people you get transferred to?

We’ve all had good experiences in dealing with a company:

• Ever have a company that knows what you like and suggests other products that are a good compliment?
• Ever deal with a company that has such good customer service that you won’t buy elsewhere even if several other companies have lower prices?
• Ever deal with a company that you implicitly trust because you are confident they will never steer you wrong?

These are all customer relationship issues that should be addressed with a strategy. The strategy will more clearly define business problems and objectives, and how to address them. Some of the problems can be addressed with technology while others may need policy/procedure adjustments, training, or other measures. Which of the above scenarios represent how your customers feel about your company? If you don’t know, that could be a problem in itself.

Microsoft has been increasingly focusing on the importance of the business side of Customer Relationship Management. This launch did a great job of emphasizing the “C” in CRM, the Customer.

By Paul Velgos - Practice Manager, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consulting

Microsoft recently changed the name of its Software-As-A-Service CRM offering from Microsoft Dynamics CRM Live to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online.

The “Live” branding is associated with smaller businesses and consumers. Since Dynamics CRM version 4.0 is more enterprise friendly than the previous version, this move appears to be a slight rebranding move to prevent CRM being pigeonholed as a small business-only CRM option.

Here’s the Dynamics CRM Online website