A Freaky Microsoft Dynamics CRM Blog : Microsoft Partners

My last post!

mennotk — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 10:59:00 GMT

Don't let the title confuse you, it's only my last post here at MSDN! As most of you know, I've been blogging on MSDN since 19 December 2005! It is time to move on...

I made the decision to move my blogging addiction to my very own domain. On the new location you can continue reading about freaky CRM stuff, but I'll mix it up with some additional topics that interest me and hopefully you guys as well.

Please update your bookmarks, RSS Readers and OPML files.

Blog: http://www.tekoppele.com/blog

RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/crmfreak

It took me a lot of time and effort to design my new blog from the ground up. I want to thank Alex Vermeule, Scott Barnes Jaap Steinvoorte and Jron for their help and advice. Over time, I will slowly migrate all of my posts and comments.

AVAILABLE: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 RTM VPC

mennotk — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 02:27:00 GMT

We have released Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 back in December 2007 and did not immediately provide you with a new VPC. Why did it takes this long? I don't know, but I can tell you that as of today we have a new VPC with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 RTM on it. I actually did not built this particular VPC, a partner did. However, I did provide feedback and ideas what needed to be on this new VPC and did intensive BETA testing.

Ok I see you think, now tell me what is on the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 VPC Menno! It actually has a ton of software on it, which some of you might like, and some of you might not. For the ones that don't want to read further, you can download it here

The RTM VPC Contains the following:

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 (RTM)
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Desktop Client
Microsoft Dynamics CRM SDK
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition (SP2)
Microsoft SQL Server 2005
Internet Explorer 7
Microsoft Office Professional 2007
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007
Microsoft Performance Point Server
Microsoft Office Communication Server
Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
POP3 E-Mail Services (No Exchange)
English, French, German, Danish and Dutch Language packs

This partner-ready download includes account and contact trial data and is ready to be populated with locale-specific data via the associated demonstration tool. Once complete, please copy the Demonstration tool to the virtual machine, and follow the instructions to populate activity, opportunity and other entity data and e-mails in Outlook. Refer to the demonstration documentation for detailed information.

For example, you may create seed data in any language to create opportunities, activities, cases, etc. that will be randomly assigned to the existing accounts.
You may also enter seed data for e-mail generation. Random e-mails (using your seed subject and message data) will be created using the contacts found in the existing contacts list.

Thanks for the scoop Michael!

Training: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 courseware

mennotk — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 23:00:21 GMT

If you're a partner you can access PartnerSource, if you're a customer you can access CustomerSource and use a lot of the benefits we offer there. One of these benefits is having access to tons of e-Learning courses, learning plans, downloads, documentation and now also Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 courseware. If you click this link you will be directed to the E-Learning catalog filtered by CRM 4.0. Below are the links to the courseware that are currently available.

What’s New in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Course Number 8910
This one-day training material provides individuals with the knowledge and skills to begin planning for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0.

Installation and Deployment in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Course Number 8911
This three-day training material provides individuals with the tools to install and configure Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0. The training material focuses on the components used within a Microsoft Dynamics CRM deployment, the hardware and software requirements needed to successfully deploy Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and the installation instructions for the primary Microsoft Dynamics CRM components: the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server, the E-Mail Router, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Office Outlook.

Customization and Configuration in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Course Number 8912
This three-day training material provides individuals with the tools to configure and customize Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0. Configuration topics include setting up business management functions such as: Business units Users Teams Security privileges and roles System Settings Multilingual User Interface Language Packs Currency Exchange Rates Multiple Organizations. The training material also focuses on using the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Customization tools to customize the following system components: Forms Views Entities Attributes Relationships Entity Mappings The following customization topics are outside the scope of this training material, but are introduced here to provide individuals with insight into potential advanced customization features: Application Event Programming Client Extensions Workflow SiteMap URL Addressable Forms IFrames SDK

Applications in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Course Number 8913
This three-day training material explores the Microsoft Dynamics CRM application from a user's perspective. Application functionality covered in the training material includes: Sales Management Marketing Automation Service Management Service Scheduling

The Content Publishing team is continuously working to provide you with new stuff, so make sure you check once in a while to see new training content and material.

Training: Demo2Win reminder

mennotk — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:49:22 GMT

You probably seen my previous post talking about Demo2Win. With this post, I want to remind everybody located in the NorCal area that we still have a few seats available. It's an awesome training, worth both the money and your time!

Microsoft Convergence 2008 - Orlando

mennotk — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 23:00:55 GMT

Yes, it is that time of the year! I went thru my blog posts and I noticed that I typically blog about Convergence but I haven't done that this year at all. Probably because I have been busy with a lot of things and just "forgot" about it, even though I'll be there.

This year, Convergence will take place in Orlando, Florida and Copenhagen, Denmark. This is your opportunity to participate in an exceptional program including a variety of speakers, detailed product demonstrations and hands-on learning sessions. You will learn how to enhance your Microsoft investment now and in the future, and gain a stronger sense of community through interacting with industry leaders, Microsoft team members, partners and other customers.

Useful Links!

Convergence 2008 - Orlando

Session Overview

Convergence Blogger's Feed (really hard to find + register)

I normally used the "Networking" option on the Convergence web site to set up meetings with Partners, but I cannot find a working link on the site! So, for everybody that is going to Orlando and wants to drink a beer, uhm... I mean, wants to talk about CRM with me, either drop me a comment or send me an email through the email form on the blog and we can work something out.

Look forward to see all of you there!

Add-ons: Filtered Lookup for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

mennotk — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:55:00 GMT

Just bumped into Stunnware's (Michael Hohne) web site and saw he released his initial version of the Filtered Look up for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0. It comes complete with documentation. This tool was initially a workaround to filter lookup results, but it grew to a tool set with a lot more functions.

New features

The Filtered Lookup Dialog for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 contains the following new features:

No changes to server files: The Custom Lookup Dialog for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 changed existing JavaScript and HTML component files. The new version does not, making it easy to install and uninstall.
Multi-Tenancy: The Filtered Lookup Dialog for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 supports multiple organizations on a single Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Server installation.
Multi-Language: The filtered lookups can be configured to support multiple languages. However no right-to-left support is included in the product.
Filtering auto-complete: The lookup control in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 allows users to type in a search string in the lookup control itself. Hitting the Enter key or tabbing out of the field starts a search and displays the matching records in the lookup field. The Filtered Lookup Dialog for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 hooks into the auto-complete and limits the results according to the filter.
Retrieve Service: A JavaScript library is included to retrieve any object from the CRM Server, making it available in client-side scripting as an object with properties. There is no need to create SOAP messages and there is also no need to parse XML files.
Retrieve Multiple Service: A JavaScript library is included to retrieve a list of objects from the CRM Server, making it available in client-side scripting as an array, where each member of the array is an objects with properties. Again there is no need to create SOAP messages and there is also no need to parse XML files.
Synchronization of lookup definitions to the Outlook Offline Client: As all configuration values needed to display a lookup dialog are now stored as custom entities, new and modified lookup definitions are automatically passed to the Outlook Offline Client. There's no need to deploy files to the clients anymore, other than the software installation.
Maintained features

Besides the new features, it still includes the features that have been present in the Custom Lookup Dialog for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Books

mennotk — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Well if I have the believe Steve Jobs, nobody is reading anymore and I should not type this post! I'm disagreeing with the "almighty" Steve, though, as I believe that many people actually started reading more due to Internet and inventions such as RSS and email.

I'm sure you've seen many blogs talking about the new Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 books, what I'm trying to with this post is, though, to give you an overview of all of them, in no particular order. I actually hope this time to get some autographed books, as I know most of the writers...perhaps I'll be a technical editor / reviewer with CRM vNext, who knows...

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 "Unleashed"

Working Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

Programming Microsoft Dynamics(TM) CRM 4.0 Developer Reference

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 and Microsoft Dynamics Live CRM Step by Step

I am expecting to see the book Microsoft CRM 4.0 for Dummies but they haven't announced it yet. Will update once I get that information. If you know a book that should be listed here, drop me a comment and I'll update the list.

P.S. For the writers, just sent me an email to obtain my mailing address :)

Microsoft Dynamics Add-ons

mennotk — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:30:00 GMT

I just got spammed with an email announcing a new web site with a searchable catalog of Microsoft Dynamics add-ons, complete with ratings and comments.

Each Dynamics product has their own section. It's clearly work in progress, but after only been up a month, the site already has over 200 ISV’s showing their offerings! I hope to see that this site will grow over time with tons of more add-ons for each of our Dynamics products. Visit http://www.microsoftdynamicsaddons.com and let me know what you think of it!

If I was an ISV I want to get my product listed here, so register yourself!

Available: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Sample Data

mennotk — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 02:33:42 GMT

As of two days ago, you now can download Sample Data for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0.

You can use sample data in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Sample Database in marketing and sales presentations or for training people to use Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0.

The sample database includes a set of comma-separated value (CSV) files that contains the sample data and an XML map file that maps the data to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0. To install the sample data on your on-premise installation or VPC, you must use the Data Migration Manager.

Start your Dynamics Relationship today!

mennotk — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 08:20:54 GMT

I have heard it so many times, we have a ton of web sites and resources but what sometimes is lacking, is a good index page guiding you through some of them.

What I mean with that, is for example, wouldn't it be great to have a page with just a few simple steps helping you to become a successful Microsoft Dynamics Partner? I see you nodding YES behind the screen....

Well John Verdon has made this possible, he created an amazing list with just 8 simple steps to get your organization off to a good start. I guess all the good stuff comes from North Dakota....

Please let me know in the comments how easy this was or have any additional advice and/or insights.

Training: Demo2Win Workshop for Microsoft Dynamics Partners

mennotk — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 03:36:53 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're either in Pre-Sales, Sales, are beginner or a veteran this is training you really should attend. I personally sat through this training, after reading the book "Demonstrating to Win!", and boy let me tell you, this was a training I actually did not fall asleep or opened up my laptop and started working on email.

The goal of this workshop is simple: deliver a practical, proven set of skills, tools and procedures that you can immediately put to use to improve your demo-to-win ratio.

We still have availability for our NorCal Partners that would like to attend this workshop in either San Francisco or Mountain View.

You can read and register here: http://www.msreadiness.com/demo2win

SPLA and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

mennotk — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 22:51:22 GMT

You're a SPLA partner and you want to know how to install and configure v4.0 right? I know a few of you are really waiting for this type of information. The wait is over because, The CRM Product Team created a document that describes how to plan and deploy Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 in your data center.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0: Planning and Deployment Guidance for Service Providers contains the following documentation/configuration tool:

Deployment Walkthrough Guide for Service Providers
Planning Guide for Service Providers
Development Guide for Service Providers
End User License Agreement
Deployment Configuration Tool

The documentation details the planning process, sizing and architectural guidance, and provides step-by-step instructions on how to deploy the solution in a data center so that it can be accessed via the Internet, or by any CRM client. It covers topics such as how to leverage the Deployment SDK to automate the creation and provisioning of organizations and users in a multi-tenant CRM 4.0 deployment.

Note: Make sure you select the correct bit flavor: 32-bit or 64-bit

AVAILABLE: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 RTM BITS

mennotk — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 23:18:00 GMT

Read this post if you want to know where to download the CRM 4.0 RTM BITS!...(read more)

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 hits RTM!

mennotk — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 02:19:00 GMT

If you want to find out what CRM 4.0 hits RTM means, you should really read this post!...(read more)

Available: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Pricing and Licensing Overview

mennotk — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:23:50 GMT

I know you have been waiting for this information! Log in to ParterSource and download the pricing information of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0.

In the Zip file you will find a PowerPoint that provides an overview of the licensing structure and options for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0. Topics covered include user and external connector licenses, program availability, sales channels, pricing, registration, Dynamics CRM 3.0 upgrade paths, Software Assurance, and other important information that will help address Customer queries related to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 licensing.

I have been using some of this deck during the Titan launch roadshows and got great feedback about it.