Wijmo's UI Tools Lend Ease of Use to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016

Early in March, GrapeCity, Inc. announced that Microsoft had incorporated a line of HTML5 and JavaScript products developed by its Wijmo division within its 2016 update of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online.

Wijmo and Microsoft have worked together for years, says Chris Bannon, GrapeCity product manager. However, most of the collaborations have occurred in the Visual Studio space; Wijmo is both a Visual Studio partner and a Microsoft partner.

GrapeCity is a diversified technology company headquartered in Japan. Wijmo's US headquarters are in Pittsburgh, and the company has offices around the globe.

For the last several years, GrapeCity has also collaborated with Microsoft on Dynamics applications. "Microsoft approached us and inquired about our user interface [UI] components," Bannon says. They were especially interested in the mobile-friendliness of Wijmo's components, he adds.

As Bannon notes, Dynamics applications are widely implemented, and accessed from numerous devices. "It's a testament to our UI controls that it's really user-friendly," he says. Moreover, the speed with which Microsoft could integrate the Wijmo controls and release this update of Dynamics CRM Online is evidence of their ease-of-use and stability, he adds.

This update, according to a GrapeCity press release, features new mobile capabilities for both administrators and customizers of Dynamics CRM Online. In building the mobile interface, Microsoft relied on the JavaScript controls in Wijmo 5. Wijmo 5's touch support and mobile-friendly user interactions enabled the Dynamics CRM team to deliver "intelligent customer engagement solutions and that provide a great mobile experience," said Param Kahlon, general manager ...