News and Notes on the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 Rollout: Subra, OAuth, Real-time workflows, and more

The latest top line statistics on Microsoft Dynamic CRM, as provided by the company, are that the product has over 3.5 million users, over 40,000 customers, and thirty six quarters of double digit growth.  And Microsoft says that today sixty six percent of new Dynamics CRM customers are choosing a cloud deployment.

The short term release roadmap for Dynamics CRM includes three named releases, each with a functional focus area. In Q1 of 2014, there will be two CRM Online releases to bring recent acquisitions into the CRM Online offering. "Subra" (also known as Omicron Leonis, a binary star in the constellation of Leo) will introduce Netbreeze integration for listening and analysis capabilities. Netbreeze integration will be offered as an Office 365 service, Microsoft says. The other Q1 release for CRM Online, "Mira" (a red giant star estimated 200-400 light years away in the constellation Cetus), and will deliver MarketingPilot's "complete IMM cloud story" with an extended reach in 10 languages and 17 countries.

The "Leo" release is planned for Q2 2014 and is focused on enhanced case management, including an enhanced case object to manage configurable entitlements based on customer, particular contacts for a customer, different SLAs, and managing case hierarchies (parent-child case relationships, rules on when cases can be closed, etc.).

Favorite features

Microsoft representatives opened up to partners at the Partner Connections Event's CRM symposium on Sunday, talking about some of their favorite new features of CRM 2013 - capabilities that demonstrate the improvements over past releases ...