Microsoft Dynamics CRM, developed by Microsoft, is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software package, which is multi-lingual. The software is useful in the Marketing, Sales and Service (help desk) sectors. However, Microsoft is promoting the product as an XRM platform. The company wants to take advantage of the product’s proprietary (but .NET based) framework, which can be customised to meet different requirements.

Dynamics CRM is a server-client application, similar to Microsoft SharePoint. The product is essentially an IIS-based web application, enabling it to support extensive web services interfaces. Microsoft Dynamics CRM can be accessed by using web browsers like Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or later versions. Alternately, the software package can accessed through a thick client plug-in to Microsoft Outlook.

There are 4 versions of Microsoft Dynamics CRM which can be modified, through the use of advanced extensions. The product offers two types of licenses: Server license and Client Access License (CAL). Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 is the latest version of the product, released in December 2007. It offers powerful data import tools, de-duplication capability, improved programmability, and enhanced entity relationships – many to many, self-referential. The product also enables easier to configure and more powerful Reporting and BI (now based on SSRS instead of Crystal).

Microsoft released the Accelerators to enable basic templating and maximize the integration with other products. Accelerators, which can be downloaded for free from the CodePlex website, are used to increase the potential of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, using a set of basic vertical solution templates.

The next release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM is expected to take place in the second half of 2010.