Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 - What's New...

There are three major areas that Microsoft have improved:

Familiar Experiences

Microsoft has built the new version to ensure that users would be working in familiar environments. Improvements here include:

• Easy use of native Microsoft Outlook functions including previews and conditional formatting through tighter Microsoft Outlook integration
• Contextual CRM Ribbon for both Microsoft Outlook and browsers enabling easier Microsoft Office navigation
• Role-based forms containing data relevant to those roles
• Customised views with records and personal dashboards to monitor performance

Intelligent Experiences

The new version, Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, will give better enterprise information by:

• Easy creation of inline charts with business intelligence taken from across the enterprise
• Easy creation of real-time dashboards based on up-to-date information to monitor business performance
• Easy goal definition to measure enterprise and individual progress

Connected Experiences

This version will have better connection capabilities for people working inside, and connection with those working outside the enterprise. Features include:

• Organisations using SharePoint can embed document repositories directly in Microsoft Dynamics CRM
• Easy development and deployment of custom code for Microsoft CRM
• Creation and management of solutions from creation to distribution through versioning, dependencies and security features
• Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace. Customers can quickly find, download and apply custom solutions and extensions embedded within Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

CRM Marketplace

The other new element of the new release is the launch in September of Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace,which will provide a space where developers and partners will be able to add Dynamics CRM applications to a wide market. This new online catalog allow customers to quickly search, discover and apply industry-specific applications and solution extensions from Microsoft and its partners to help them accelerate and extend their CRM and ERP implementations

Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace will be integrated within Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, allowing customers to search for applications directly from within their CRM solution.