For Microsoft partners, Salesforce deal should reinforce Dynamics CRM strengths

There is much discussion among Microsoft Dynamics CRM partners and MVPs about the recent announcement of Microsoft's partnership with Salesforce.  SFDC is reporting plans to use Azure to support some of its email services with ExactTarget, and their CRM product line will also be more closely integrated with Office 365.   

As a Microsoft partner focused 100% on the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, there is no doubt that announcements like these provoke an emotional response.  With SFDC being inarguably our biggest rival, we don't like to see the Microsoft and SFDC in the same sentence unless we're reading Leon Tribe's blog.  However, after mulling over the facts, it is clear there are many positive opportunities in store for Microsoft Dynamics CRM, both for customers and for the Microsoft partners that deliver high value CRM solutions.

Microsoft Technology Validated

For a veteran Dynamics CRM partner, there is nothing new about competitors in the CRM space running on Microsoft technology.  Many other CRM solutions run on SQL Server, and Oracle and SAP also have partnerships with Microsoft to run on Azure. 

One of the reasons we like Dynamics CRM is because it's built on Microsoft technology, and Dynamics CRM partners understand that "Microsoft stack" and how to leverage it better than anyone else. SFDC is facing the demand for Office 365 from their customers, and they need to provide better integration in order to provide better service. When competitors bet the success of their solutions on Microsoft, that bolsters the message of Microsoft viability now and in the future.

Competition Breeds Innovation

Thus far, the competition with SFDC has driven much innovation into the technology we provide to customers, and users are ultimately the ones who benefit from competition.  We look forward to the Microsoft product development teams exploiting their advantages and building even tighter integrations across Microsoft products including Office, SharePoint, Yammer, and Dynamics CRM. 

Microsoft will always have the advantage of innovating in the areas of integration with its own products, and customers who chose Microsoft Dynamics CRM are betting on that.  As Dynamics CRM partners we are seeing impressive progress with product interoperability that already outperforms any rival CRM solution. For example, the native Microsoft Outlook integration has always been superior to SFDC and is a big selling point.  The new server-side synchronization between CRM and Outlook only enhances the integration of activities to Outlook, setting Microsoft even further ahead. 

Microsoft Dynamics CRM

When I said SFDC is our biggest rival, I didn't say companies are choosing it!  Many organizations prefer the look and feel of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and we hear many comments saying it is "more organized" and easier for users to understand and adopt.  The "power of choice" is still at play in customer buying decisions with the ability of Microsoft Dynamics CRM and all of Microsoft's solutions to be deployed on-premise or in the cloud.  Furthermore, the total cost of ownership is a big factor for organizations switching from SFDC to Microsoft Dynamics CRM. 

It's possible we, as a Microsoft partner, may face questions about this partnership in a competitive deal with SFDC.  The response is that Salesforce and Microsoft are making this partnership in the name of providing better service for their customers, and they can't do that without us.  We are the most important partnership.  When features and functionality of two technologies are so similar, it really comes down to the value we bring to the customer as a partner.  So Microsoft, just keep giving us cool technology, and we will make our customers successful.