Microsoft Dynamics CRM Pivots Off R8 Misfire with New App Vision and Schedule at WPC 2012

With last week's disappointing news that Microsoft Dynamics CRM R8 (aka the Q2 2012 Service Update) was not ready due to quality issues in both cross-browser compatibility and the CRM Mobile offering, updates on CRM at this week's WPC 2012 seemed likely to lose some steam. 

But in a new Dynamics CRM roadmap presentation (recording of one delivery here) to partners, director of Dynamics CRM program management Bill Patterson laid out an extensive new multi-year vision for the product that reflects a changing product management approach - one that could even supersede much of the troubled R8 functionality within the next few years. 

General sentiment from the audience immediately after the presentation and demos of new web and Metro interfaces could best be characterized as guarded optimism - compelling ideas and demonstrations but they will await more real progress.

Streamlining and modernizing the application layer

The heart of the changes coming to Dynamics CRM focus around a re-imagined application layer and interface that Patterson believes need to come into line with the new generation of business users accustomed to streamlined apps and lots of easily surfaced data.  The CRM team will attack this goal with work on accentuating improvements in areas like structured and un-structured search, machine learning, smarter integration of CRM entities in the UI, and a more seamless experience within other improving parts of the Microsoft landscape like Windows 8 and Office.

"We will focus on differentiated scenarios," Patterson said. "We will be fusing the walls and seams of our applications ...