Microsoft skips CRM 2.0 for CRM 3.0.Microsoft Corp. has finally previewed the latest version of its CRM (Customer Relationship Management) An integrated information system that is used to plan, schedule and control the presales and postsales activities in an organization. solution, dubbed Microsoft CRM 3.0. The long-delayed release, aimed at the SMB market See SMB. , will introduce on-demand functionality and a new subscription-based licensing model. As well, Microsoft will add a Small Business Edition to its CRM line, but that version is designed for only small businesses that concurrently use Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium Edition also. Similar to its industry peers, Microsoft's CRM 3.0 platform will provide marketing, sales and service capabilities. The company has unified the user experience behind its Microsoft Office Microsoft's primary desktop applications for Windows and Mac. Depending on the package, it includes some combination of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook along with various Internet and other utilities. and Microsoft Outlook UI. Plus, Microsoft said it added extensive new configuration, customization and integration capabilities to address lower TCO (1) (Total Cost of Ownership) The cost of using a computer. It includes the cost of the hardware, software and upgrades as well as the cost of the inhouse staff and/or consultants that provide training and technical support. See ROI. . The company said because both the hosted and on-site versions use the same code, customers can more easily change their preferred deployment model as their business and IT needs change. For Microsoft's partners, CRM 3.0 reduces the time and complexity in creating prepackaged pre·pack·age tr.v. pre·pack·aged, pre·pack·ag·ing, pre·pack·ag·es To wrap or package (a product) before marketing. Adj. 1. vertical applications, in building integrations to other applications and data sources, and in helping to ensure fast implementations with a low TCO. The software development kit for Microsoft CRM 3.0 will be available to Microsoft partners later this year via the Microsoft Developer Network The Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) is the portion of Microsoft responsible for managing the firm's relationship with developers. Developers covered by MSDN . Microsoft said that many non-English languages won't be immediately available when CRM 3.0 is finally released; however, the company is offering the newest version with 23 total languages. (Microsoft CRM 1.2 is available in only 16 languages.) Microsoft CRM 3.0 will be available to customers licensed to use previous versions of Microsoft CRM in the fourth quarter of 2005, and will be generally available in the first quarter of 2006. www.microsoft.com |
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