CRM Anywhere: What's New in the next release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011

There’s a new update to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 coming soon. The update, called ‘CRM Anywhere’, is due for release in the UK in the second quarter of 2012. CRM Anywhere will provide some exciting new additions and enhancements to both on-premise and online versions of the product.

Microsoft is committed to regularly addressing customer demands and ensuring they keep Microsoft Dynamics CRM in line with (and usually ahead of) industry trends. This is by delivering consistent development and frequent innovation to the product. In practice this means a significant update roughly every six months. Importantly for new and existing users alike, the additional features and functionality in the next release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM are really quite major.

So what’s in stall with ‘CRM Anywhere’?

One of the major features of CRM Anywhere (or the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Q2 2012 service update to be more specific) will be cross web browser support. In other words, you’ll be able to use Microsoft Dynamics CRM on different web browsers including Safari, Chrome and FireFox, as well as Internet Explorer. You’ll also be able to access Microsoft Dynamics CRM on a wider range of smartphones using a cloud-based mobile CRM service called Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile will include a range of CRM applications (apps) for the most popular smartphones and tablets. The devices you’ll be able to use it on include the Windows Phone, Apple iPhone 3GS+, Google Android, RIM Blackberry, Apple iPad and iPad2. You’ll have to buy a license for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile, but each licensed mobile user will be able to access Microsoft Dynamics CRM on up to three of these devices. Or, because Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 will soon include cross-browser support, you could access the ‘non-mobile’ or standard version using your tablet’s browser, but it won’t of course be specifically designed or set up for mobile viewing or use.

An enhancement in CRM Anywhere that will help users that need to view information really fast, is called Rapid View Forms. These show information in read-only forms, which load extremely quickly. If a user then needs to edit the form, they just click a button. Users can choose whether or not to load a form in rapid view mode, which in many cases will save a lot of users a lot of time and increase overall business efficiency.

If you’re using Activity Feeds, which are the micro-blogging and social collaboration capabilities introduced in the previous update of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, you’ll find the CRM Anywhere update has added some more features. These include ‘Likes’ and ‘Unlikes’ and powerful new filtering. This illustrates Microsoft is really on board with the whole social media/social CRM concept.

There are a whole range of other enhancements in the latest update of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 (and nearly all apply to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online as well as on-premise). These include the ability to harness the power of the next release of SQL Server (Microsoft SQL Server 2012) and its powerful Business Intelligence capabilities (with templates), portal framework enhancements for those that use customer and partner portals connecting to Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and industry specific templates.

The name “CRM Anywhere” sums up this latest product update nicely. It means that Microsoft Dynamics CRM will provide more flexibility in mobility than any other CRM software solution available. You’ll be able to access and be productive with it just about wherever you are, using a smartphone or tablet device more or less of your choice.

For more information about Microsoft Dynamics CRM, its features, functionality, more details of updates, or how to successfully deploy the product in your organisation, please contact Concentrix TSG.

Concentrix TSG is one of the UK’s leading Independent CRM Specialists.

Comments

[helenparker2015]

really amazing blog and I was thankful to you for sharing such a useful information.
- CRM for Iphone

[cygnis media]

In Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, queues have been improved, bringing the queue and queue item entities to the front as first class entities. Queues are primarily used for customer service in a work management capacity.

[crm services]

really amazing blog and I was thankful to you for sharing such a useful information.
- CRM Services