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Microsoft Partners: You Will Love Dynamics CRM 2011 Online But Don't Buy It!

That headline may have you confused. As a writer for the CRM Software Blog we aren't generally bashful in singing the justly-deserved praises of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, yet here we are advising Microsoft Partners against purchasing that very software. Why is that?

Because Microsoft Partners can get Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for free. That’s right. Free!

Microsoft recently revealed the details for an exciting program that makes the life of a Microsoft Partner even sweeter. All Microsoft Gold Certified partners can claim up to 250 seats of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for free, while Silver Certified partners can claim up to 100 seats. On top of that, further seats can be purchased for the discount rate of $19 per user per month. This offer can't be combined with any other competencies, but who can complain after a freebie like that? Microsoft Cloud Essentials Pack or Microsoft Cloud Accelerate Partners are also in on the deal, getting the same offer as Gold Certified partners: 250 free seats with more following at $19 per user per month.

While I wouldn't blame you for being suspicious, there aren't any strings attached. The offer is valid as long as partners maintain an active membership in the Microsoft Partner Network, and users can even get unlimited support through the Professional Plan subscription. These plans include 5 gigabytes of storage, though users can purchase additional online storage at a rate of $10 per gigabyte per month. There are no termination fees involved in canceling either.

Microsoft's motives here are clear: the only way to convince Partners of the value and ease of use of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online is to let them try it. And then those Partners can convince buyers.  Cloud software is the new thing, and the new thing is generally risky. Microsoft has eliminated a good chunk of that risk by completely removing the up-front cost. More partners using Dynamics CRM Online means more general knowledge and adoption in the market. If you're a Microsoft partner, jump on this offer as soon as you can. If you know a partner, prepare to hear about Dynamics CRM 2011 Online very soon.

Link for Microsoft Partners To Get Free Licenses of Dynamics CRM 2011 Online

Get more details at Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online – Internal Use Rights (IUR) Benefit FAQ.

By CRM Software Blog Editors, Directory of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners

What is the Cost of Microsoft Dynamics CRM? Try The New Quick Quote Tool

The CRM Software Blog just launched a new quick quote tool that gives you the price of a Microsoft Dynamics CRM implementation

This Quick Quote is intended as an estimate for budgeting purposes only. To find a local Microsoft Certified Partner in your area that specializes in installation, integration, customization, training and support of Microsoft Dynamics CRM consult our directory of Microsoft Dynamics CRM partners. Based on more in-depth discovery of your specific needs, the partner you choose will be able to provide you with a complete and accurate final proposal.

Your quick quote includes the cost of Microsoft Dynamics CRM software licenses (including annual maintenance fees) and estimated installation, training and implementation services provided by a local Microsoft Certified Partner.

With a familiar Microsoft Office user interface, your staff will be able to take advantage of the innovations built into Microsoft Dynamics CRM with a minimal amount of training time.With Microsoft Dynamics CRM, you can  increase the effectiveness of your staff, subs and vendors throughout your business. 

 

 

 

Complex Distribution Software Server Organization

In a previous article on Windows Exchange, we looked at the evolution of Windows Exchange from an e-mail client to a powerful Exchange Server 2010 with unified communication services. We concluded with the remark that certain steps can help reduce the complexity of managing the complex server infrastructure and make administrator and user experiences pleasing ones. In this article we look at the organization of the Exchange Server in your setup.

Let us start with a look at the Server Roles in Windows Exchange 2010. There five roles: Mailbox Server (MBS), Client Access Server (CAS), Unified Messaging Server (UMS), Hub Transport Server (HTS) and Edge Transport Sever (ETS).

• The Mailbox Server hosts a lot of data and information including, among others, the Exchange 2010 store, e-mail address policies, address lists and inbox rules.
• The Client Access Server hosts client protocols such as POP3 and IMAP, and also the Web services.
• The Unified Messaging Server, connected to a PBX, is the infrastructure that puts all e-mail and voice messages into one mailbox that can be accessed from many devices.
• The Hub Transport Server is a mail routing server that routes mail within the organization handling mail flow, routing and delivery.
• The Edge Transport Server is also a mail routing server that routes mail in and out of the organization. Sitting as it does at the perimeter of the organization, it has to handle Antivirus and Anti-spam functionalities based on how the user has configured these.

Different roles can be accommodated on a single server or distributed on multiple servers depending on the requirements of the user organization. Decisions on these matters should be taken in a planned manner considering relevant issues. Adopting just any organization can lead to problems in administration and user experience.

Simple Server Organizations

A small organization can opt for hosting all the roles on a single server. The ETS role will be absent and HTS will be connected to the Internet through a firewall.  The server will also act as the Active Directory domain controller. This option is recommended only if you are using Windows Small Business Server.

A bigger organization can choose to go for two servers, with one of them having functionalities similar to those above while the other server will have domain controller role and will also host the ETS. It will be the ETS that is connected to the Internet through a firewall, and also to the HTS for internal mail delivery. Microsoft recommends this option for users under Windows Essential Business Server.

Complex Server Organizations

Larger organizations will necessarily have to go for more complex distribution software server organizations. These can be Standard where e-mail clients and server are within the same LAN, or Large with physically separated locations for clients and servers and several Active Directory domains, or Complex where it is necessary to synchronize several Exchange Global Address Lists.

We will look at these in a separate article.

Auto Insurance Comany Improves Policy Rating System 750%

In just a few months, TCS Insurance has improved the efficiency of their policy rating system by 750%, and reduced their annual IT requirements by 20,000 hours. This amazing savings is coupled with improved data access and speedier turnaround on everything from rate evaluation to competitive pricing analysis.

These amazing improvements were accomplished by taking advantage of parallel programming on a Microsoft Windows Server. From 1999-2010, TCS maintained duplicate data on both a mainframe computer and a web based server. This system seemed the only way to meet the dual needs of processing huge amounts of mathematical data and having critical information available to agents in a timely manner. Such duplication required that the systems be maintained separately, requiring extensive IT staff time.

  TCS is known as one of the top auto insurance companies in New York City, grossing $130 million in revenues in 2009. It receives high ratings both from within the industry and in customer recommendations. Since 1985 the company has offered a broad variety of insurance products in 3 states. Improving their ability to adapt rates according to internal rules for adjustments is critical for maintaining such excellent service.

Key to the requirements was performing analysis of varying scenarios to calculate the potential results of rate changes. This rating engine requires heavy mathematical calculations, with results available to agents as quickly as possible.

Microsoft parallel programming through the Windows Server operating system environment meets both of these needs. Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 and the .NET Framework 4 effectively uses modern multiprocessing.

With the aid of a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, it took only four weeks for an operable parallelized rating engine to be developed. The following three months were devoted to testing and documentation to ensure an accurate, quality product. The system went live in February 2010.

On the new processors, running parallel in F# code, policy rating jumped from an average of 10 policies per second to 89 per second. The Visual F# is suited to mathematical problems, and is an integral part of the Visual Studio 2010 package. The .NET Framework 4 does not require compilation, and is implemented through runtime library routines. IT specialists familiar with working in Visual C#, Visual Basic, or Visual F# could easily adapt to the new platform.

  TCS evaluates policy rates in light of 80-100 rules, and with Visual Studio 2010 these could be evaluated independently, with only minor changes to the coding, using parallel For Each loops. Instead of building spreadsheet models and waiting for testing on the mainframe, pricing analysts can now test validity rates for a batch of 50,000 policies in about nine minutes. TCS’s Manager of Application Development noted that this has allowed the company to reduce a rate-change cycle from three months to just one month, giving them a significant market advantage.

Your Company’s Web Site and Effective Recruiting

If your company hopes to recruit potential employees of quality its web site must be easily found by job seekers. Unfortunately, many web pages designed to recruit workers are invisible to search engines.

You may think that most people look for jobs through large collective sites such as Monster.com or Craigslist, but the truth is that hundreds of millions of searches a month are made with regular search engines. Most commonly entered requests will include a word like “job, “career,” or “position;” the type of work desired; and a geographic location. This information can help you design a web site that job seekers can find.

Hidden Recruiting Pages
Job listings are often invisible to search engine robots. For example, if your organization uses an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), an internet search may not find your company’s list. You will need to instruct your web manager to modify what files the robot can index.

If your job postings are accessed through a search box, they are also invisible. Someone would first need to specifically come to your site and find your postings page. Pages behind a login are not indexed either.

A simple way to discover what pages on your site are being indexed is to perform this test using Google. Into the search box, type Site: and then copy the URL of your job listings page. This will return a list of the only pages which searchers can find.

Good Keywords
It’s critical to build your recruitment site with keywords that potential employees use when they search.
- Be specific. Never use generic phrases across all your job and career listings.
- Searchers rarely look for a specific company, be sure to list specific job functions.
- List specific locations with city names, metro areas, state and zip code. Spell the words out.
- Don’t use abbreviations only, no matter how well known the lingo may be in your field.
- Create short phrases as well as single keywords. These are ranked higher in most searches.

Using Coding
- Make good use of the title and description tags. Place strong and specific keywords there.
- Create backlinks. Link to your career pages from a company blog or other places on the web site.

Don’t be fooled by a professional-looking but invisible recruitment page. Take the time to ensure that your company’s openings are being found by good applicants.

How Staffing Software Solutions Can Help You Keep Your Business Afloat in a Poor Economic Climate

Every sector of our economy has taken some hard hits in the past 18-24 months, but those of us in the staffing industry have had a particularly tough go of it.

We’ve been challenged, and we’ve learned a lot about ourselves. With persistence and determination, we’ve been able to hang on, maintaining our existing customers and maybe even bring in some new ones. While the forecast for 2010 is looking far sunnier, we would be remiss to forget the survival lessons that these hard times have taught us. Namely, we could all do a better job of following costs to ensure that we’re seeing the profitability we expect. One way to do this is with software designed specifically for the staffing industry.

A CRM software system for staffing can help you by tracking sales activity as it relates to real profitability, looking at not only the invoice amount but the costs spent to generate them. For those in the staffing industry that can mean gross pay, taxes, worker’s compensation, benefits, background checks, drug screenings and other expenses. Tracking the profitability of a job order should begin with first identifying the lead or opportunity and end after the invoice has been sent. Without all these pieces can you really be sure what your margins are?

For more information on staffing agency software, read about Professional Advantage’s recruiting agency CRM software.

Post sponsored by: Professional Advantage, staffing software experts

The Secret to great B2B social networking

If your business is B2B and you’re not group blogging, you’re missing out on an exceptional opportunity.

Group blogs are a site shared by many firms in the same industry. Some examples: Accounting Software Reviews for ERP vendors and CRM Software Reviews, a Microsoft Dynamics Reseller community.

By banding together to blog with other companies in your field you get a blog with:

• Tons of content updated frequently

• The ability to split maintenance costs many ways

• A forum to establish yourself as a thought leader

• A much higher Google ranking than you could achieve for your own site or a blog with a single owner

• A powerful site to link build from

• Somewhere beyond the confines of your website to self-promote

• Valuable networking opportunities

• An increased chance that your posts will actually get read
 

Group blogs are emerging as dynamic, growing communities that meet online, share leads, split costs and learn from each other. 

For more information about Internet marketing, visit interactivelimited.com.

Hosted CRM and On-Premise CRM Deployment Strategies

It is axiomatic that the primary mission of any corporation is to sell the product. What the product is does not matter. It could be a consumer end-item or value-added information services. If it is a revenue generator and contributes to the gross income of a business, it is a product. To read an article that discusses the differences between On Premise CRM and a Partner Hosted Model read our fast company blog.

There is a natural tendency for companies to Balkanize into several segregated departments, each with their own mission requirements which eventually result in the sale of goods and services. In the current economic climate, fewer employees have to take on additional responsibilities due to corporate downsizing, consolidation or reorganization. The answer is to work smarter, not longer.

This is precisely where the value of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM becomes apparent, either with Microsoft or a Certified Microsoft Partner and Reseller. The ideal goal is to have more work – and increased sales – performed more efficiently.

Implementing a CRM is a non-trivial task when the entirety of automating a business is considered as a whole. The solution is to do one thing at a time and get it right the first time. Another unwritten rule of business is: There is never time to do it right, but there is always time to do it over.

Enter the concept of a Hosted CRM environment. By using the Microsoft Dynamics CRM, a user is presented with a comfortable and familiar Microsoft user interface. By starting CRM implementation one user at a time, one task can be relegated to the CRM. Much as building a wall is done one brick at a time, the implementation and integration of a functional CRM forms the foundation that will eventually support the entire sales force and ultimately related departments.

As the CRM system expands its scope, more users can be brought up to speed and begin the process of automating and integrating their own areas of responsibility. With a Hosted CRM, adding new users is routine. Starting with an initially small user base, your company can grow and with Hosted Microsoft CRM, one user, one month minimum  your CRM solution is scalable to keep pace.

An On-Premise Microsoft CRM installation is a logical next step as the proof-of-concept is validated by the Hosted Microsoft CRM deployment. For companies requiring complete autonomy, an interim Hybrid CRM can be used to port the data and any specialized applications to the in-house servers. The company would then have a choice to either cut the bonds to the Hosted CRM, or maintain the Hybrid CRM as a redundant resource. Depending on the size and talents of your company's IT staff, this may present the best option until the increased efficiency and time management savings are realized that can justify a larger IT department.

Whatever your requirements dictate, there is a Microsoft CRM deployment configuration that can meet your corporate needs.

Streamsol is recognized as a top ten Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner in the US, and was named to Microsoft’s President's Club in 2009. Our Microsoft CRM practice revolves around three models; Microsoft CRM on-premise, hosted Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and hybrid Microsoft CRM.  Streamsol is one of the only partners that have truly embraced the Microsoft "Power of Choice" messaging. Our vision and commitment to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM framework is unrivaled.  To learn more please visit  xRM.com.

Custom Report Development in Microsoft Dynamics CRM

As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Streamsol knows how to get the most out of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. With Streamsol's help, you'll understand why it's no exaggeration to say that Microsoft Dynamics CRM is the best CRM program currently available.

Customizable Dashboard 

With Streamsol's help, you'll have access to new technologies that allow for full customization of your dashboard. The ability to easily customize your Microsoft Dynamics CRM dashboard will alleviate any concern that a program such as SalesForce offers superior features, even if you are using a Hosted Microsoft CRM or On-Premise Microsoft CRM, deployment types don’t matter.

What does the Microsoft CRM dashboard provide? Amongst other things, whether you choose the hosted Microsoft CRM or on-premise Microsoft CRM version, the customizable dashboard includes:

• Real-time sales activities
• Customer inquiries
• Customer support issues
• Lost sales
• Closed sales

Customizable Reports                                     

Without the help of a certified Microsoft CRM consultant, many Microsoft CRM customers don't realize how powerful the reporting features can be. With the help of one of Streamsol's Microsoft CRM consultants, we'll help your business create powerful, customized reports that give you exactly the information you need to make effective decisions for your business. 

Due to limitations in SQL queries from Query Builder, sometimes customized code is required to retrieve the correct combination of SQL information you are looking for. A Streamsol Microsoft CRM consultant can build the complex logic you need to overcome these limitations.

However, complex queries that return huge sets of data can sometimes slow down your system and cause problems with performance. Streamsol's consultants use specialized techniques, including data filters and SQL indexing, that enable you to parse large amounts of data without compromising system performance.

Secure Reports

Built into Microsoft Dynamics CRM are filtered views of reports that restrict access based on a user's Microsoft CRM security role. For example, the owner of a small business may wish to have access to all the different reports from all different departments, but s/he may not want all departments viewing all data. The filtered views apply to all Microsoft CRM business objects, and will give you confidence that your reports are only being viewed by the individuals who need to see them.

The Bottom Line

There's no sense in investing your business' time and money into a new CRM system if you can't get that system to provide you with the dynamic, necessary information to improve your bottom line. Your IT team – if you have one – already has their hands full managing the company's other IT issues. Bringing in a certified Microsoft CRM consultant from Streamsol will get your CRM system up and running quickly, and will enable you to get the most out of your CRM investment.

Recognized as a top ten Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner in the US, Streamsol was named to Microsoft’s President's Club in 2009.  Our Microsoft CRM practice revolves around three models; Microsoft CRM on-premise, hosted Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and hybrid Microsoft CRM. In addition to embracing the Microsoft "Power of Choice" messaging, our vision and commitment to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM framework is unrivaled.

Streamsol Integrates Constant Contact Email Marketing to Hosted Microsoft CRM

Email marketing company Constant Contact has just announced the addition of Streamsol to its AppConnect API program. Streamsol will be using AppConnect to integrate Constant Contact Email Marketing into Hosted Microsoft CRM. This brings the convenience of Constant Contact’s online tools to Streamsol’s cost effective hosted model. 

Eric Groves, senior vice president of Global Market Development at Constant Contact, was quoted as saying, “We are pleased that Streamsol has selected Constant Contact to provide its customers with our online marketing tools, and we look forward to working together to help Streamsol become an even greater catalyst to its customers’ successes.” The email marketing tools from Constant Contact will enable companies to create and manage contacts, as well as run campaign and track results in real time. Constant Contact has provided email marketing, online survey, and event marketing services since 1995. 

By partnering with Constant Contact, Streamsol increases the choices available to their customers who use hosted Microsoft CRM. As a Microsoft Gold Certified CRM Partner, Streamsol is uniquely placed to meet the needs of organizations which desire stronger customer relationships. Expanding their offerings to integrate with the Constant Contact email marketing products is part of Streamsol’s mission to provide powerful and flexible CRM solutions.

Lance McLean, Managing Member of Streamsol, emphasized that partnering up with Constant Contact “is a great example of our continued dedication and commitment to our Partner hosted CRM model.” Integrating the online email marketing tools is the result of Streamsol’s dedication to the Power of Choice message from Microsoft.

Constant Contact has a strong commitment to help small businesses build connections with their customers. Powerful realtime reporting tools give customers the knowledge and flexibility they need to keep marketing campaigns efficient. 

Streamsol is recognized as one of the top ten Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partners in the country, and was named to Microsoft's President's Club in 2009.  Streamsol is one of the only partners that has truly embraced the Microsoft "Power of Choice" messaging.  Our Microsoft CRM practice revolves around three models;Microsoft CRM on-premise, hosted Microsoft CRM, and hybrid Microsoft CRM, which allow us to service companies of all shapes and sizes located anywhere in the world. To learn more please visit  xRM.com.

Streamsol offers Microsoft Dynamics CRM consulting.