Adding mobility to Microsoft Dynamics CRM: The best app for the job

Mobility may be considered a "megatrend", but from the perspective of any one business, an effective mobile solutions is just one more way to take advantage of technology improvements, get an edge of the competition, and improve operations and efficiency.  As we saw in the example of the FRED app deployed to City Wide Franchise, not all mobile apps need a "wow" factor in their user experience to deliver value.  But in some cases, an app really needs to impress those interacting with it, even in B2B scenarios.

Take, for example, the case of a new mobile sales kit that the Detroit Lions deployed to improve in-person sales calls. This customer-facing app, developed by Sonoma Partners, gives sales reps a new way to walk prospects through marketing materials while tracking the interactions and outcomes in Dynamics CRM.  It also strikes an interesting balance between giving sales reps a cutting edge, professional tool and still enforcing the rules and standards that the marketing department demands for use of content.

"They mentioned that using the old logo or pitching an old offering drives their CMO nuts," said Jim Steger, co-founder of Sonoma Partners. "[Marketing] didn't know what reps were using in meetings, they had no control over content usage.  Mobile Sales Kit gives their marketing team ability to own the central repository. They can brand it and assure this is what they want reps to see. Further, reps are always getting the best content."

Like the FRED app, the Sonoma Partners-built solution relies on several Microsoft products working in concert to improve the experience and maximize use of the systems. On the front end is ...