A CRM Riff

Goodbye Microsoft, Hello World

Jim Glass Jr — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 21:13:00 GMT

After 20 years in the military and now 20 years at Microsoft, I am considering how to spend the next 20 years. It's been fun, exciting, and a growing experience here at Microsoft. My last day is Friday 7 October 2011. The company, people, and product...(read more)

Introducing the Dynamics Café ~ Proceed at your own risk

Jim Glass Jr — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:40:18 GMT

In my readings this week I came across this blogger: Matt Keenan is a 20+ year veteran of the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) market and has extensive experience in sales, implementation, and effective adoption of CRM solutions from small companies...(read more)

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Tech Resources

Jim Glass Jr — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:48:20 GMT

I like to update the list of Technical resources available to Microsoft Dynamics CRM users. Find help in the Forum (free offering) Post your question on the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Forum . Experts and peers can help you solve real-world problems. Choose...(read more)

Fav CRM Blog Posts this week

Jim Glass Jr — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:28:00 GMT

Just thought I’d share some valuable and interesting posts I’ve read in the last few daze: PowerObjects- Bringing Focus to Dynamics CRM : Mass Editing Dynamics CRM 2011 Records using Microsoft Excel Business Situation I need to mass...(read more)

HOT: Windows Phone “Mango” Update

Jim Glass Jr — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:25:36 GMT

The Windows Phone “Mango” update process began this morning as the Windows Phone 7.5 becomes available to users around the world. Most customers will have an opportunity to update their phones within the next four weeks. To get the latest visit the Windows...(read more)

Convergence 2012 ~ A World of Opportunity

Jim Glass Jr — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:53:33 GMT

The buzz is starting: We’re excited to announce that Convergence is moving to Houston in 2012 ! Bookmark this site and return often to see new information on the next premier gathering of the Microsoft Dynamics community, set for March 18 – 21 at the...(read more)

Earning College Credit with a Microsoft Certification

Jim Glass Jr — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:23:50 GMT

Tony reminds us that both students and Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCPs) are eligible to earn college credit with a Microsoft Certification. In short, approved certifications can be applied for up to six semester hours of college credit in either...(read more)

CH2M Hill Increases Support Quality, Reduces Expenses by Using Global Help-Desk Solution

Jim Glass Jr — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:16:04 GMT

“The new help-desk solution based on Microsoft Dynamics CRM will let us resolve 75 percent of all support inquiries in self-service style and the remainder over the phone, which is the exact opposite of what service management used to look like.” ~ Diane...(read more)

Bookcase: Silverlight and XRM

Jim Glass Jr — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:38:08 GMT

Microsoft Regional Director & MVP David Yack has a new book out called Silverlight + XRM . It covers Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 as an application framework for building business applications. In it he teaches the reader how to use Microsoft Silverlight...(read more)

Customizing CRM for your Company

Jim Glass Jr — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:02:52 GMT

So many people want a customized experience with their CRM implementation. They want the product they choose to work the way they do. And this makes a lot of sense on a number of levels. So when I saw this video, I had to share it with you. Customizing...(read more)

Free Excerpt ~ Working with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011

Jim Glass Jr — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:51:17 GMT

Sonoma Partners have provided a chapter from their best selling book, Working with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 on the MSDN site. The chapter we selected is Chapter 5: Solutions Overview and Concepts . You can download it or read it on the MSDN site. The...(read more)

HOT! Introducing Mango Videos for Developers

Jim Glass Jr — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:24:00 GMT

Microsoft MVPs Rob Miles and Andy Wigley are back! The " Building Applications for Windows Phone "Mango" Jump Start " was hosted by Microsoft Learning as a follow-up to last year's Windows Phone 7 Jump Start sessions. Mobile application...(read more)

Stuff you find at Microsoft

Jim Glass Jr — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:33:15 GMT

I wandered by the Scrum lobby in one of the Microsoft Advanta buildings and saw a new addition. Apparently one of the CRM teams were into Legos and in a big way. Since I don’t remember seeing it the week before, I wonder if the team put it together over...(read more)

Microsoft Dynamics CRM User Guide ~ a free download

Jim Glass Jr — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:09:43 GMT

You can download the Microsoft Dynamics CRM User Guide . To whet your taste, here is an overview of some of the areas covered: Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics CRM You can perform and automate many business tasks with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, including...(read more)

Microsoft Dynamics Video Options

Jim Glass Jr — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:50:00 GMT

Do you find yourself wanting to use a video short clip about CRM for a meeting. There are a number of potentially interesting videos at the Microsoft Dynamics CRM site on YouTube that might be good candidates for starting a training session or meeting...(read more)

Tired of the ol’ "Lorem ipsum"?

Jim Glass Jr — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:43:00 GMT

Aren’t we all? But now you too can generate Hipster Ipsum like this: Yr salvia seitan, vice high life four loko mixtape sustainable fanny pack DIY put a bird on it portland chambray. Williamsburg seitan 8-bit, beard lo-fi irony vinyl PBR thundercats...(read more)

Optimizing your LinkedIn Experience

Jim Glass Jr — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:35:58 GMT

Guy Kawasaki of Alltop’s Holy Kaw! posted this to Twitter and I just had to share. I’ve added Guy to my stream on a number of social media sites and use his posts two or three times a week. Guy, did you know that you don’t show up in a search on...(read more)

FAQ: Microsoft Certification Exam Development

Jim Glass Jr — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:59:09 GMT

“At Microsoft, we strive to ensure that our certifications are relevant, respected, and highly valued within the IT community and that they objectively prove the expertise of technology practitioners. Earning a Microsoft Certification helps demonstrate...(read more)

Welcome to VMlimited ~ Your worst nightmare

Jim Glass Jr — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:08:32 GMT

Have you read Frank Shaw’s blog post or the feature story on the Microsoft News Center . Maybe you’ve seen coverage on CNET or WinRumors – or any number of other places that it has already shown up. But in case you haven’t, today Microsoft...(read more)

Top Ten CRM Blogs of the Week

Jim Glass Jr — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:40:24 GMT

There are so many CRM blogs to choose from that I thought I might introduce you to some of my favorite bloggers and their most recent posts. Enjoy! Richard Knudson’s Microsoft Dynamics CRM Trick Bag : Building Business Processes in Dynamics CRM 2011:...(read more)

Twitter from a Guy who Tried Not to like the Platform

Jim Glass Jr — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:37:00 GMT

I was not an immediate fan of Twitter . But my job has a lot to do about social, so I grudgingly started to use the social media tool. I followed the notion of tweeting ten or more times a day to start with. Then I started linking my activities on Twitter...(read more)

Performance Toolkit for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011

Jim Glass Jr — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:00:11 GMT

I’m looking at the Performance Toolkit for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 and wondering who will be the first to submit a review to this page for the toolkit. I know that a lot of people are using this toolkit to tweak their installations of Microsoft Dynamics...(read more)

The Linc Group talks about their move to Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Jim Glass Jr — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 22:42:53 GMT

The Linc Group needed a custom CRM solution for their quickly growing company. This quick video covers some of the decisions they made to create a world-class CRM solution. When it comes to integrating workflows that are designed around the way your company...(read more)

Microsoft Dynamics CRM “extreme 2011 Las Vegas” Conference

Jim Glass Jr — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:59:14 GMT

The premier event for Microsoft Dynamics CRM partners is just around the corner. Extreme 2011 Las Vegas will be held from October 2 nd though October 5 th . extreme 2011 Las Vegas is a 100% partner focused event dedicated to advancing best...(read more)

Headed to Building 7 for a meeting with my Mentor

Jim Glass Jr — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:58:20 GMT

The mythical building 7 on the main Microsoft campus has been a running joke for years. I first ran into it when I was a contractor in ‘92. For those of you who haven’t a clue what I’m talking about check out this CIO article, “ The Mystery of Microsoft...(read more)