Microsoft Launches 22-City Magical Mystery Tour to Promote CRM 4.0

If this were a theatre review, we’d be suggesting you definitely take in the “Microsoft Dynamics CRM Launch Event”.

It’s a traveling road show to demonstrate the benefits of Dynamics CRM 4.0, introduced late last year. Five have been held so far of 22 scheduled around the country. (For information on upcowhows ming events, take a look at the map highlighting the locations and dates.

They have been highly popular thus far. The one in New York City last week was so popular, the web site signup had to be shut down in advance of the event; some 600 were signed up and 400 appeared for the event.

At the Boston event, held today, 400 people were signed up, of whom nearly 300 showed up. It has the feel of a mini-trade show, with about 15 Dynamics Partners manning booths highlighting their expertise and add-ons to improve the performance of Dynamics CRM.

According to Kevin Nazemi, Microsoft’s director of Dynamics CRM, Microsoft has 13,000 CRM customers and “just shy of one million users.” And with the positive reception Microsoft has had to version 4.0 and to the upcoming CRM Live, “The momentum has made us the fastest-growing CRM solution in the marketplace.”

Nazemi identified three “development principles” behind the product. First, he said, “It works the way you do. People are not looking for the cockpit of an F-16.” The head of one 400-person call center “told me his people don’t realize they are using CRM—they think they are using Outlook. He said he didn’t want to offend me. But I like that.”

Second, “It ...