Microsoft is rolling out their new Software plus Services hosted customer relationship management software service known as Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. In many respects it is designed to compete directly with hosted sales force automation services from companies like SalesForce. But the question is, is it for you?
Lets' first cover what it offers and then we can identify 3 groups of users that would find it makes sense for them to use the service. CRM Online offers the full functionality of Microsoft's latest customer relationship management software release - version 4.0. It has all the core functionality of the on-premise solution. With the hosted model the technology is managed by Microsoft and that frees up capital and IT support. This is especially important if your firm doesn't already have an investment in the server infrastructure required to implement CRM internally. The monthly fee model also reduces the up-front investment and at cost of $39 per user/month it has a low barrier to entry.
So is this new method of accessing CRM using the hosted model approach for you? Well it depends on how you answer the following 5 questions:
Does your organization wish to deploy a solution rapidly on-line?
Is your IT department all ready busy with other projects or do you even have an IT department or individual serving in that role?
Would you like to have an inexpensive, ready to go test environment prior to a larger CRM deployment internally?
You like the Microsoft CRM application but don't own the required server structure which is necessary for the CRM application to run on?
If you answered yes to one or more of the previous question then you are likely to be a good candidate.
But how good a fit are you? Take a look at these profiles and see which group you fall into:
Perfect Fit: 5 - 25 users
Workgroups needing to share and cooperate on customer activities
Departments looking to centralize customer information in a single place and standardize communications and customer management activities
Great Fit: 26 - 150 users
No-Information Technology Organizations with little to No-IT investments that need a central system for managing customer information
Department & Divisions that need a centralized system for managing customer information and standardizing sales, service and marketing capabilities
Resource constrained IT organizations that need to deliver business value, but are unable to do so due to time, budget or resource constraints
Good Fit: 151 - 250 Users
Software plus Services Pioneers: Some-IT to Big-IT organizations looking for cutting-edge application delivery and service-oriented software design
Pilots looking to validate a successful CRM or Microsoft Dynamics CRM deployment prior to making a larger purchase.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online http://www.crmInnovation.com
CRM is more than the technology - it is the business process transformation that takes place with the technology that really drives the return on investment.
Jerry Weinstock is a specialist on using technology to achieve sales and marketing objectives. He focuses on the areas of Microsoft CRM Software http://www.CRMInnovation.com, Internet Strategy, and Business Intelligence applications. 913.492.2764
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