Where to find CRM 4.0 Hotfixes

Microsoft has a standard KB page listing all of the available hotfixes for MSCRM 4.0. It can be found at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949256/en-us. You may want to book mark this page and come back once a month to see if there are any that may apply to your implementation.

Update Rollup 3 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 (KB 935364)

In one of my previous post I mentioned that CRM 3.0 Update rollup 3 had an issue and Microsoft had to withdraw Update Rollup 3 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 due to a regression discovered in one of the included fixes.. Well the the Sustained Engineering team re-released Rollup 3 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 client and server. Click here to go to the new rollup.

CRM 4.0 Bulk Data Export Tool

Now this is a great idea. Many times in the past I wanted to download data out of CRM into another application or Excel Spreadsheet. Well the people at Microsoft have come up with a new tool that you can download that will allow you to export mass information from MSCRM 4.0.
Download it here

This is a direct copy of the CrmDataExportTool.docx file
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There is no facility to Bulk Export the data from Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0. This sample tool allows users to connect to OnPremise or Online Microsoft CRM 4.0 organization and export data for CRM entities in form of CSV files. The complete code for the tool is provided here for the advanced developers who want to develop solutions currently beyond the scope of this tool. The sample code included uses standard MSCRM SDK calls to achieve this functionality.

The Bulk Data Export Tool can be downloaded from http://www.codeplex.com/mscrmbulkdataexport. Follow the instructions in Readme.Txt for installations.

Once you have installed the tool, launch CrmDataExport.exe, select CRM configuration and specify the credentials:

If you are connecting to OnPremise CRM Organization, make sure to open Internet Explorer, connect to CRM server and Save Password. This is necessary as this tool uses stored credentials to connect to the CRM server in OnPremise configuration.

Once you are connected successfully, you can select the entities for which you want to export the records, specify output directory, data and field delimiters, and duration. Note that All Records option is not available for Online configuration. Click Export button to export the records.


The tool creates CSV for each selected entities in the directory selected.

Share Point and CRM

As many of my customers know, MSCRM doesn't come with an out-of-box connection the Microsoft SharePoint. You would think it would, at convergence this year I heard them say that the next release would have it. But that doesn't help us today. Currently the integration is using what are called iframes and will display a linked SharePoint site within it. However, by default you get all of theose wonderful menus and headers that make the site function, when all you realy want is a minimual site. Simon Hutson has a nice write-up on creating a minimal site for use with CRM. Check it out here

CRM Online verse On-Premise

Checkout Extensibility Features CRM Online vs. On-Premise in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0. Click Here

Support policy for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 on a computer that is running Virtual Server 2005

In the past Microsoft has not been so forth coming with support for a virtualized environment. Now it is official, Virtual Server 2005 is now supported.

Support policy for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 on a computer that is running Virtual Server 2005

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 is officially supported to run on a computer that is running Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 in production systems. In addition, the Microsoft Dynamics CRM team is committed to the following:

Continuing support for virtualized environments in future releases of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Testing Microsoft Dynamics CRM running on upcoming Microsoft virtualization technologies and publishing updated support policies as these technologies become available.

To see the entire KB Artical click here

MSCRM 4.0 Mail Merge Basics

Arne Marquez has a good walk-though on Mail-Merge.

CRM Online blog

I just bumped into the CRM Online blog. It is located here. There is a simple article telling you how to get started with CRM Online here.

Here is a copy of the the info posted in the artical by Jon White.

CRM Online - Start Here Part II - Getting Started

I recently wrote about starting up with CRM Online. In that blog, I tried to outline some of the items you'll want to consider when you first get going with your instance.
I wanted to update that blog by pointing to the Getting Started guide that is part of the application.

This will guide you through all the configuration and setup task you need to do to get started using CRM Online. I've listed out a brief summary. Make sure you check it out after you sign up for you site to get the full details.



1. Tailor Microsoft Dynamics CRM to Your Business
This section guides you through setting up basic configuration such as user setup, importing data, etc.

2. Integrate Email with Dynamics CRM
Do want to set up your email or learn about email templates ? This step will guide you.

3. Manage Customer Relationships
In this step, you learn how to track customers and business that you work with.

4. Manage your Sales
Learn how to review sales and adjust the user experience to meet your business needs. Also, how to track deals and competitors.

5. Manage your Customer Support
Learn how to setup and manage customer incidents ( ie- case management). Learn about how to use queues, the knowledge base and contracts.

6. Manage Schedulable Resources
In this step you will learn how to configure resources and schedule service activities.

7. Manage your Marketing
Setup system wide marketing settings. Learn about marketing campaigns and responses.

8. Manage Sales Transactions
Setup your product catalog and price lists.

9. Automate your Business Process
Setup and configure workflows and duplicate detection.

-cheers
Jon

More Info on CRM Online and moving to OnPremise

Update on Microsoft CRM Online and moving to CRM OnPremise. When you sign-up for CRM OnLine it is a year contract. If you move to OnPremise within the first 3 months you WILL get hit with the cancellation fees of arounf $175 a user. However, if you move after the 3 months are over all you need to do is provide them with a CRM Server key and it is waived.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Sign-up Woes

I just had a potential customer try and sign up for the CRM Online 30-day trial. They received a message saying that someone would be contacting them! No access, nothing. They call me and asked if we as their potential Microsoft CRM partner would be setting them up. Good question! I called up Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and talked with them. Here is the summary of the info I gleamed from the conversation:

A sales person from their team will be calling the customer back.

It may take TWO-WEEKS before they get called.

The first 30 days is free.

Minimum of 5 users must be signed up for CRM Online.

The $39/month/user rate is with a year contract.

If you cancel within the year there is a cancelation charge per user.

However, if you upgrade to an on premise version of CRM you send a request to them and their technical team will move the data from Online to the on premise installation.

Comments on this:

Well I’m not happy with the 2 week delay in calling; however, there seems to have been a large sign up for Online that caused this. Good and bad at the same time.

I’m glad to see that the data migration to on premise is handled by the Online team. Every little bit helps.

Update
I talked with our Microsoft reps and they have been very helpful in resoving this time gap for us. They will be able to get my client up and running within 2 days. Way to go Microsoft and Thanks.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online is here!

This new Microsoft-hosted solution offers you advanced customer relationship management capabilities without a major investment in IT and staffing. See how it can transform your business.

Would you like to try Microsoft CRM for free for 30 days? Then click here, read the info, and start the process.

Remember there are two version: Professional and Professional Plus. You can read more about the differences here

ExactTarget for Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM Service Pack 1

ExactTarget for Microsoft CRM Service Pack 1 is now available. This Service Pack is for ExactTarget for MSCRM 3.0 and 4.0. Click the link in the 'Action Required' section below to learn more.
A full technical bulletin including all addressed issues is available; instructions on how to upgrade are available as well.

Service Pack 1 includes bug fixes and enhancements, including:

Large volume multi-byte character sends (foreign characters)

Internet Explorer 6.0 support for MSCRM 4.0

Time zone related issues for different users

Performance improvements for tracking retrieval and accessing emails in the email grid

Additional improvements and enhancements

Action Required: Click here for the MSCRM Service Pack 1 microsite. The technical bulletin and upgrade instructions are available here, along with other useful Service Pack information.

Advanced Find 101

Here is the first tutorial

I published to this Blog Spot and Google Video and it condensed the video to the point you could not read it. I'm trying to find a better spot for the video; however, you can view what I have so far by clicking on this image

MSCRM Advanced Find Tutorial AF101
.You can download the tutorial and run it on your computer. This file is 14.5mb in size.

Advanced Find Tutorials Comming Soon

In the several years that I have been installing MSCRM, I have watched the Advance Find grow-up. In 1.2 it was a very young tool with potential; however, it was not until 3.0 that it started walking. Now, with 4.0 I believe that it is walking at a fast pace and is almost ready to run. There are still some areas that need improvement, documentation among the most important. Hence, Blog features.

Advanced Find is the most important tool set at your finger tips within CRM. You spend copious amounts of time entering information into CRM, and now you need to do something with that data. Advanced Find is your friend; however, like many friendships it will take some work on your part. At first it can be confusing, but with time and use it will become the old friend you need to get things done.
I plan on having 4 video casts of Advanced Find training.

• Advanced Find 101 (AF101)


• What is it
• How does it work
• How to save searches
• The And/Or
• How to find Accounts in two different US States


• Advanced Find 102 (AF102)


• Sharing Advanced Finds
• What is relating
• How to find Contacts associated with the Accounts found in AF101


• Advanced Find 200 (AF200)


• Using Advanced Find with Reports
• Dynamic Excel with Advanced Find
• More on Relating
• Overview of customer relationships
• How to find the contacts that are consulting for the Accounts found in AF101


• Advanced Find 400 (AF400)


• OMG - How do I really make sense of the relating fields
• Tips on complicated Advanced Finds
• How to find contacts at the third level of a three tiered account hierarchy

I will be putting out AF101 in the next day or so.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Software Development Kit

Microsoft released it's new SDK for CRM 4.0 The new SDK version version 4.0.4 and can be found here.

Update Rollup 3 Pulled for CRM 3.0

April 15
CRM 3.0 Hotfix Rollup 3 withdrawn
Please be advised that you should not install Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Update Rollup 3 (UR3) on any sites as it has been withdrawn due to a regression discovered in one of the included fixes.


ICU MSCRM: Update Rollup 3 Pulled


Guy Riddle's post CRM 3.0 Hotfix Rollup 3 withdrawn

It has started!

I have decided to start a blog to help some of my customers as well as anyone else who would like to see information on Microsoft Dynamics CRM. For my initial blogs I going to provide some training video's on Advanced find. Look for them in the next week or so.