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Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 – The Power of Productivity

BeckyCarr — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:03:22 +0000

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 (formerly codenamed CRM 5) is due to release in the near future.

According to announcements made at the Worldwide Partner Conference and on Microsoft’s website the public beta will be available in September 2010.

As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner specialising in Dynamics CRM and Online Services, we are quite excited about the additional functionality which this latest release will deliver.

CRM 2011 will be available to UK customers as both On-premise and Online options. Features will include:

Enhanced Outlook CRM client

Deeper integration with the Microsoft Office suite, specifically the contextual navigation ribbon, promise to further improve user experience.
Role-tailored design, helping to reduce on-screen clutter
Additional personalisation options, allowing users to customise views to meet their needs

Intelligent Reporting

Customisable, real-time dashboards
Enhanced data visualisation
Flexible goal and process management

Improved Connectivity and Customisation

Cloud-ready
Solution management, allowing packaging and distribution of “collections” of customisations and extensions.
CRM Marketplace, allowing customers to find, purchase and deploy packaged solutions.

We expect to share more CRM 2011 and CRM Online information as we approach launch date – add your name to our Dynamics CRM 2011 Online mailing list to be the first to know.

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Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online coming to UK

BeckyCarr — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:29:41 +0000

Microsoft announced at the Worldwide Partner conference on 12 July 2010 that Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Online public beta will be released in September 2010.

We will be publishing the latest updates on our CRM Online pages. Register now to receive updates from us as more news becomes available.

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Is your business prepared for the economic upturn?

BeckyCarr — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:33:41 +0000

With several industry bodies and organisations suggesting growing optimism about the UK economy, it appears that the sun may not be the only thing beginning to brighten for UK companies this spring. Early reports that businesses are seeing increases in sales are raising hopes that 2010 may see the beginning of a long-awaited economic upturn.

Many companies who have been forced to tighten the purse strings to survive the recession are now investigating where best to invest to gain a competitive edge as the economy begins to recover. Customers who may have been struggling financially are beginning to spend again, and organisations looking to capitalise on this need to ensure that their businesses are prepared.

Preparing for success

The key asset at the centre of every business is its customer base. Investing in and nurturing customer relationships is key to developing a sustainable business, and forward-looking companies investing in scalable CRM systems are positioning themselves to thrive as sales activity increases.

Businesses looking to grow during the economic upturn need to ensure that they have reliable, scalable systems in place to manage the additional activity. New social media platforms and technologies are allowing customers to share their opinions more easily and with a wider audience than ever before, making it vital to ensure that every customer has a positive experience. Having the ability to analyse performance and identify which business initiatives are proving most successful can help companies to maximise profitability and address any weak areas.

CRM systems: The tools for the job

CRM is a technology which enables organisations to track every customer interaction and to utilise this information to maximise opportunities and improve customer loyalty. CRM also helps organisations to streamline operations, automating routine administrative tasks and standardising procedures. Ultimately, CRM allows organisations to effectively serve and manage their customers whilst improving operational efficiency.

Compared to setting up a new manufacturing plant or aggressively recruiting additional staff, CRM technology can be implemented rapidly with relatively limited costs.

Correctly implemented, CRM systems can help organisations to:

Retain valuable existing customers and maximise customer profitability
Maximise revenue opportunities by optimising marketing campaigns
Effectively manage and optimise sales resources with dashboards and KPIs
Streamline business processes
Improve employee productivity
Reduce operational costs

Delivering a great CRM solution

It’s important to recognise that however good the technical solution is, effective customer management requires more than just great software. The right values and attitudes underpin customer relationships and without these no software is going to transform a business overnight. With Social Media becoming more pervasive it’s also a challenge to find different ways to engage target markets when looking to find new customers and look after existing ones.

Effective CRM isn’t a simple do it and forget it solution. The most successful projects are delivered as part of a long-term vision but with a series of short-term deliverable stages. Managing people through these deliverables is the single most important factor in achieving a successful project.

When planning a CRM system it is vital to consider change management as well as the technical requirements of the project.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM: An affordable, scalable solution

Microsoft’s CRM system, Dynamics CRM, is flexible and fits with the familiar Microsoft products which many businesses already use including Microsoft Office Outlook. UK customers currently have a choice of hosted or on-premise solutions, with the option to switch between these as their needs change.

Microsoft CRM’s out-of-the-box capabilities include Sales, Marketing and Service Management however the system can be easily customised to meet organisational needs.

Key benefits of Microsoft Dynamics CRM:

Native Microsoft Outlook CRM experience – easy to use
Comprehensive Sales, Marketing and Customer Service features
Choice of on-premise or hosted solutions, with flexibility to switch easily
Web services integration with existing applications
Customisable to meet organisational requirements
Business intelligence, analysis and reporting capabilities
Business process automation – workflows to streamline routine tasks

Summary

With an economic upturn on the horizon, it is vital that organisations are positioned with a well-considered strategy and the necessary tools to execute it when business does improve. By investing in improving operational efficiency, companies can save money at the same time as providing improved levels of service, strengthening customer relationships and forging a path for sustainable future growth. Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides the right mix of features and flexibility to do just that, with strong corporate viability to help ensure long-term success.

The CRM Business: Request a trial or more information

The CRM Business is a leading UK-based Microsoft Gold Certified CRM partner, with over 5 years experience specialising in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. We work to deliver fixed price – guaranteed success projects to meet client requirements, and have clients ranging from small businesses to large Government agencies.

If you would like more information or a free no-obligation demonstration of Microsoft Dynamics CRM please drop us an e-mail or call us on 0870 766 9875. Alternatively please feel free to sign up for a free 30-day hosted Microsoft Dyanamics CRM trial online.

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Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite prices reduced

BeckyCarr — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:15:02 +0000

Microsoft yesterday announced a pricing update for the Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS), offering further savings for UK customers on this already competitive hosted solution.

The full suite comprising Exchange, Sharepoint, Live Meeting and Communicator is now priced from just £6.71 per user per month.

Full details are available on our dedicated BPOS website.

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30% Discount off Microsoft BPOS suite for UK customers with volume licensing agreements

BeckyCarr — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:12:24 +0000

Until December 31st, Microsoft are offering 30% discount off their Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) for UK customers with Microsoft Volume Licensing Agreements (EA / EAS & MOSP).

Full details are provided on Microsoft’s website.

A free 30-day trial of the full BPOS suite (Exchange, Sharepoint, Communicator and Livemeeting) is also available now to UK cutomers.

For more information about the latest BPOS discounts and pricing available to UK customers or to discuss how the Microsoft BPOS suite could benefit your business, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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We are hiring: Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consultant and Developer roles based in Sheffield, UK

BeckyCarr — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:06:24 +0000

Due to continued expansion, we are currently looking to recruit:

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Developer (CRM, .Net, ASP)
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Consultant

For new job roles in our Sheffield office.

As well as having relevant technical skills and experience, the ideal candidates will also possess an ability to work as part of a small team and communicate at all levels. If this sounds like you, please e-mail your CV to careers@thecrmbusiness.com.

We are also willing to consider people with less experience wanting to break into this rapdily growing market. If you have great people skills, good analytical skills and a flair for creating innovative solutions then we would love to hear from you.

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Free trial of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

BeckyCarr — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:01:10 +0000

We are delighted to be able to offer a 30-day free hosted trial, in order to allow you to evaluate the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 system in your own time and truly understand how it could benefit your business.

We will normally have you up and running within 24 hours.

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Microsoft BPOS 30-day free trial offer still ongoing for UK customers

BeckyCarr — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:43:32 +0000

For those who missed our earlier announcement, Microsoft are still providing a 30-day free trial of their successful new Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) product for UK customers.

The trial allows potential customers to try before they buy, providing access to Microsoft’s new suite comprising Exchange Online, Sharepoint Online, Microsoft Office Communications Online (Communicator) and Microsoft Office Live Meeting.

Should customers decide to continue using the suite after the free 30-day period, trial accounts can easily be converted to a full subscription. Pricing is very competitive, starting from just £10.04/user for month for the full suite, or even less for individual components.

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50% discount for new Microsoft BPOS customers through The CRM Business

BeckyCarr — Tue, 12 May 2009 09:37:46 +0000

Until 24 May 2009, or until Microsoft’s customer limit is reached, we are able to offer the entire Business Productivity Online Suite (Exchange Online, Sharepoint Online, Live Meeting and Office Communications) to customers for the heavily discounted price of just £5.02/user/month for the first 12 months.

This offer is valid for BPOS purchases of 25 seats or more – please contact us today to take advantage of this limited offer or to request a no-obligation 30 day free trial.

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Full Microsoft BPOS suite now available to UK customers

BeckyCarr — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:36:43 +0000

Following successful trials in the UK, Microsoft has now released the full Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) to UK customers as a subscription service.

The CRM Business are proud to be one of the first Microsoft partners to offer these exciting new products, having participated in the trials ourselves to gain first-hand knowledge and experience using them prior to launch.

The suite provides Microsoft’s market-leading Exchange, Sharepoint, Live Meeting and Online Communications software as an online service, hosted in Microsoft datacentres. Users connect to the BPOS applications using the same rich clients (e.g. Microsoft Outlook, Communicator) that they are already familiar with, allowing them to quickly benefit from the software without the need for additional learning.

Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite allows you to quickly deploy tools to your business or to extend existing capability without straining internal resources, regardless of whether you have 10 employees or 5000. Being completely flexible, the Microsoft BPOS suite allows you to adjust your deployment model as your needs change over time.

The offering is priced very competitively at just £10.04/user per month for access to the entire suite, though components can also be subscribed to individually. This simple, flexible pricing model allows customers to scale the solution as required, enabling the suite to grow and change with the business.

A downloadable datasheet is available from our Microsoft BPOS website.

Please feel free to also contact us to discuss the product further, request a demonstration or arrange a 30-day free trial.

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