Microsoft demonstrated new features in its forthcoming Dynamics CRM Live service at its Worldwide Partner Conference in Denver this week. The final version of the service will be available in the first half of 2008 and come in two flavors: Professional and Enterprise.
\r\n\r\nDynamics Live CRM users will be able to access a variety of workplace services from inside the product. The workplace calendar, shown here, is one such service.
Via the Resource Center View that’s baked into Dynamics CRM Live, users will have access to a variety of “problem-solving content,” including relevant blogs, newsgroup posts and articles about how to make use of the CRM Live functionality.
Microsoft will allow users to customize both the Professional and Enterprise editions of Dynamics CRM Live. The “Import Customizations” setting is designed to make customization easier.
\r\n\r\nMicrosoft plans to offer two new vertical templates — for public sector and manufacturing — as it rolls out the CRM Live service. The new templates include reference data models, pre-defined workflows, and roles-based user experiences. Microsoft plans to make templates for other industries available over the next 12 months.
Mary Jo Foley has covered the tech industry for 30 years for a variety of publications, including ZDNet, eWeek and Baseline. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008). She also is the cohost of the "Windows Weekly" podcast on the TWiT network.
