Since this is the beginning of a new decade, it seems appropriate to reminisce a little. Reminiscing about Microsoft Dynamics CRM takes me back to the early days of Microsoft CRM 1.2 well before the days of the Dynamics line of business.
For those of us fortunate to have worked with the initial release of CRM 1.2, we sometimes catch ourselves giving each other a knowing glance that conveys more than words. As is the case with most early releases, the product left its mark on many of us who were fortunate enough to be in a position to implement, maintain, integrate and configure the application for use. There were times when it was simply downright painful and sometimes seemed impossible to identify or find workable solutions to meet specific needs. However, we worked through the issues, saw the product potential, were confident of Microsoft’s commitment, and knew things would improve.
So here we are today, with Dynamics CRM 4.0 (Online and On Premise), the Dynamics CRM Outlook Client, CRM Mobile, CRM Accelerators, SQL Reports, XRM, several 3rd Party Partner add-ons like Scribe, Experlogix, ExactTarget, more than 1 Million users, and the list goes on and on. Not only do we have all of these great new features and products available to us, but we also have incredible resources for accessing information, obtaining training, getting immediate answers to our questions and resolutions to overcome issues.
Online resources like the CRM Resource Center that not only contains a wealth of information but also includes video tutorials, and community contributions, CRM Forums where you can obtain an answer to a quick question or ask about anything CRM, CRM on MSDN, the CRM Team Blog, CRM Groups on LinkedIN, DynamicsCRM on Twitter Groups, and a plethora of other CRM Blogs and online resources where you can find everything from “How To’s” to example code, javascript, customization and more. And if that wasn’t enough there are also terrific user groups like CRMUG and XRM Virtual User Group that you can freely join where knowledge experts give their time to share information, tips, ticks and where we can network with and learn from our peers.
My hat’s off to the Microsoft team and all those who have and continue to contribute to the product’s success. You’ve all done a terrific job! I feel fortunate to be along for the ride and have the opportunity to contribute.
Donna Edwards 