How adding 'Insights' to Microsoft Dynamics CRM has boosted one GP partner's sale intelligence in unexpected ways

Last year Microsoft added access to InsideView's sales intelligence capabilities from within Dynamics CRM Online for professional users in North America at no extra charge, and it's changed how some CRM users work.

To Marcia Nita Doron, marketing director at Marlborough, Mass.-based Altico Advisors, InsideView's "Insights" solution is really, underneath it all, like hiring on the ultimate digital executive assistant. And as Doron wrote on Microsoft's Dynamics Community Blog earlier this month, "Until I saw it with my own eyes, I had no idea how powerful [Insights] was going to be. Now, my team uses it every day."

Microsoft complicated the product naming in June when they began referring to Microsoft Social Listening also as "Social Insights" (the earlier name of the InsideView offering), though it is unrelated to InsideView's offering.

The OEM agreement with InsideView appears to have been a net benefit to Microsoft so far - it has contributed to a boost in Dynamics CRM's perception by analysts, and it now integrates with Yammer.

A spokesperson for InsideView told MSDynamicsWorld.com earlier in 2014 that the company is still focused on educating the Dynamics CRM community - both partners and users - on the availability of the free solution, as well as its paid offerings. The move to CRM 2013 for Dynamics CRM Online reportedly gave usage of Insights a major boost by CRM customers.

Expanded sales visibility