Microsoft promises you can "grow customer relationships from Outlook" with Outlook Customer Manager

For SMB salespeople, CRM mobile apps can be too much. Microsoft Outlook is what they know, and they would rather use it than pause to learn something new. As we explored in January, partners often find that Outlook is the preferred client for Dynamics 365/CRM.  

But for some smaller teams, Outlook itself would be nearly enough CRM - if it included, for example, the ability to scan incoming emails for meeting or document requests and identify customer information.  

That is the idea behind Outlook Customer Manager, a product with a name that describes it perfectly. 

Microsoft's Outlook team on the Office Blog announced that Outlook Customer Manager is rolling out to Office 365 Business Premium subscribers worldwide, and in 39 languages. It is available for Outlook on the Web and Outlook for iOS.  

Why should Dynamics partners care? Few are actively selling Office 365. But, that number appears to be on the rise (anecdotally), and particularly among VARs serving SMBs. And increasingly, partners and consultants are tasked with overall business strategies and user adoption. Rather than convincing salespeople to use the Dynamics CRM or Dynamics 365 mobile apps, Outlook Customer Manager is in-line and effortless for users.