The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Sales Surge

It's tempting to dismiss software makers' upbeat assessments about product sales as so much posturing. But in the case of Microsoft and its Dynamics CRM 4.0, there may be substance behind the producer's press promotion of a few days ago, in which it touted "the success of Microsoft Dynamics CRM in the rapidly growing CRM industry." 

The head of CRM for one of the country's largest Dynamics partner firms says it  has seen a surge in sales this year. "Between upgrades and new users, I am looking to double our business this year," says Shannon DiBenedetto, a director of the CRM Practice for TriBridge, and an official of the Dynamic Communities CRM User Group. 

The activity is much heavier than it was when CRM 3.0 came out a couple years back, she says. "CRM 4.0 is seen as more mature and more stable," she explains.

Other partners say the same thing, and cite a number of reasons for all the interest in CRM 4.0:

--Its Report Wizard, which is much more accessible than previous report providers. "Mere mortals can go in and actually get reports," says Richard Smith, an expert in CRM with Green Beacon Solutions, who reported on CRM 4.0 at a recent session of the New England AX Users Group. Moreover, the reports are exciting to marketing types-for example, one on "Campaign Performance" to assess a marketing campaign's activities, responses, and performance versus budget.

-- Its strong connection with Outlook. For example, says Smith, "It's really simple to drop email into the CRM. When it closes, Outlook and CRM ...