What's new in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Portals

Now available in preview, the next major release of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Portals will soon be generally available. Major releases are ones that include new features and are generally done every six months. This is the first major release since the initial launch of CRM Portals in May 2016.

For the new version, Microsoft has put significant investment into both improving the stability of the existing features and adding new capabilities. As part of their monthly maintenance updates (typically released during the last week of the month), they have also been hard at work squashing hundreds of bugs, including those related to synchronization issues between the CRM and the portals.

There is a broad range of updates and enhancements due in the next release, so let's examine some of the most important ones.

Improved accessibility

Since there is no such thing as a finish line when it comes to website accessibility, Microsoft has continued to make improvements in this respect to CRM Portals. Over 300 bugs have been resolved to make the portals more accessible to people with disabilities, and they will now support Section 508 (accessibility standards for US federal agencies).

Faceted portal search

The built-in search of portal content will now support further filtering of the search results, including by the type of documents, and the publication date.

Partner relationship management

The newest portal is Partner Relationship Management, and it includes the following features:

• Management of your partner lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding and the ongoing relationship;
• Deal registration; and,
• Ability for multiple partners to work together on a single opportunity.

Dashboard and charts