Feature Gap with CRM Online Has an Old-Tech Solution, Says Microsoft Team Member

As Dynamics CRM Online (formerly CRM Live) edges closer to its full-scale introduction, the folks charged with working the kinks out are continuing to solve seemingly minor, but thorny, problems.

The latest one involves staying updated on "events" via CRM Online--important CRM-related matters like new leads being created or deals being closed. And the solution turns out to lie in the seemingly ancient communication technology known as email.

Jon White, a technology specialist for the CRM Online team, reports on the Dynamics CRM Team Blog,

"One of the differences between Microsoft Dynamics CRM hosted by Microsoft and Microsoft Dynamics CRM On-premise is that you can't use plug-ins in the Online environment. Plug-ins allow you to have code running on the server that can subscribe to events such as 'a new lead was created'. With the Microsoft hosted deployment model, you can not put code on the server, so it can't subscribe to the events."

The solution, which he notes is "so simple that it has eluded me, " is "to send [workflow-generated] email to an address with the event information and have code that monitors that mailbox for new mail. Presto, you now have CRM Online pushing data to you."

Of course, it's not quite as simple as it sounds, White allows. (It never is, is it?) "The complex part is monitoring the email inbox for email and then parsing the email for the appropriate information and responding to that information." That may involve writing a service application, which he says "is not a trivial exercise and does require development skills, (though) it's not a monumental effort."