Microsoft's Dynamics CRM Philosophy Precludes Special Integration With Other Dynamics ERP Applications

Users of Microsoft products like Dynamics AX or Mobile Windows, who are waiting for Microsoft to create special integration with Dynamics CRM, may have a long wait.

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM team seems inclined to increase the power and functionality of the application, while leaving to ISVs and other outside developers the creation of integration tools that enable Dynamics CRM to work with assorted applications developed by Microsoft. In an interview at Convergence Copenhagen 2008, Dynamics CRM  general manager Brad Wilson spoke of a "hands off" approach in the CRM realm that applies across the board, no matter which applications Dynamics CRM is interacting with.

"Dynamics CRM 4.0 has a full multi-tenant architecture," he said. Different parties have different levels of involvement. Microsoft "is at the top of the stack" and responsible for "the business development layer." Customers and developers can choose to make adjustments to functionality like data storage management and event management, as well as provide integration techniques.

The philosophy of customer choice extends to whether to use Dynamics CRM Online or on-premises CRM. "We believe in a model where customers have a choice of whether to own or rent, whether to run it or have someone run it...There's no difference between premises CRM and CRM Online--the only difference is the line is longer, but it's exactly the same bits."

To be consistent, he said, Microsoft isn't planning any special integration with Microsoft Dynamics AX or NAV, which each have their own limited CRM functionality built in, any more than it would provide special functionality to integrate with competing ERP applications.

"A large part of our customer base connects to Dynamics CRM with Oracle and SAP," using third-party applications and tools ...