At #WPC14, Microsoft urges Dynamics CRM partners to consider Parature business case

Microsoft offered an update for partners on its to integration between the latest Dynamics CRM 2013 case management functionality with the recently acquired Parature customer service and support platform. 

ParaConnect for Dynamics CRM has been around since 2009, but it has been refreshed for CRM 2013 to focus on synchronizing the "portal to case" experience, including tracking of case notes, status, and workflow information data between the two systems. The updated integration is due in August, according to Microsoft Parature executive Bill Patterson.

Also coming soon is the ability to embed Parature knowledge base information inside Dynamics CRM experience for agents, he told partners today.

The Parature opportunity for Microsoft  partners, according to Patterson, is to help companies address the full spectrum of support needs. The products do have some overlap, but Patterson stressed that partners should focus on the clear of each that are complementary. Parature excels in the multi-channel, high scale, less structured support scenarios. Dynamics CRM's service management capabilities, including the recent enhancements of the spring 2014 release wave for Dynamics CRM, focus on lower volume agent-driven customer service and case management.

Parature has also been folded into a new Dynamics CRM Online pricing offer. Parature is normally priced at $125 per user per month, but the CRM Online Enterprise license now bundles the typical CRM Online Professoinal level (normally $65) with Parature, Unified Service Desk, and Dynamics Marketing for $200 per user per month. There could be some restrictions on that offer based on geography, partner, or other factors.

Patterson said that the Microsoft acquisition has accelerated the Parature business generally. "Selling Parature as Microsoft, the wins have been fantastic," he said. He ...