New Contact Data Add-On for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Utilizes Salesforce.com’s Jigsaw

Management Technology Consulting (MTC) has released an add-on for Microsoft Dynamics CRM based on Jigsaw.com's business contact information database. With 21 million contact information entries, MTC's add-on, simply titled Data Service, has the potential to streamline the contact information sourcing process directly from within CRM.

Based on a freemium business model, the Data Service add-on itself is completely free, but the premium is associated with the software and the services it relies on, which must be purchased. Darryl Henderson, MTC's president, explained.

"The code, the software, the add-on, is free," said Henderson. "It will always be free. The Jigsaw service can charge for contacts. But it's also a collaborative. You can give some data, you can get some data. So you can [potentially] get as many company names as you wish for free. If you run out, then you can buy contacts. Our software takes everything from that collaborative and puts it in CRM."

Microsoft Dynamics rival Salesforce.com's recent agreement to acquire the Jigsaw service would seemingly have triggered some concern from Microsoft and its partners, but the president of MTC doesn't believe this to be the case. His stance is indicative of the contrary.

"It's a good thing, Salesforce.com is making Microsoft a better company by creating an alternative, and showing the world how to capitalize on the cloud," he said. "We take it as a really, really good thing across the board. It gives Jigsaw...more money behind them."

Some of Data Service's features include the ability to keep complete and accurate CRM records with key new contacts added ...