Microsoft updates CRM Online service
Microsoft added Internet marketing features to its Dynamics CRM Online product on Monday, the first in a series of updates set for the on demand software, which launched earlier this year.
Internet marketing functionality is a staple of CRM (customer relationship management) applications. Microsoft's entry will allow users to create search engine campaigns, capture sales leads from company Web sites, and weigh a marketing campaign's effectiveness according to conversion and click-through rates, among other capabilities.
In addition, the update will "provide customers with increased scale for teams of multiple thousands of employees," according to a statement.
Microsoft has made aggressive marketing moves of its own in launching CRM Online. Hoping to jumpstart adoption, it recently began offering partners the opportunity to buy Professional Plus licenses for US$19 per user per month, a significant drop from the standard $59.
But the vendor must focus on features as well as cost, said one industry observer.
"Internet marketing is very important for several reasons," said Denis Pombriant, principal of Beagle Research, via e-mail Monday."First, it was a hole in the offering and since big players like Salesforce have it and their customers depend on it for some of their market outreach, it would be impossible to pry customers away from Salesforce without such functionality."
But most importantly, Internet marketing is one of the critical elements in a CRM 2.0 strategy," he added. "I would not say it is the only or most important part of the strategy but like any three-legged stool analogy, if you don't have it, you are hobbled."
Rob Bois, research director with AMR Research, echoed Pombriant.
"We are getting a lot of inquiries these days from companies who are trying to improve the overall accountability of marketing. The average vice-president of marketing is under more scrutiny today than ever before," he said. "I definitely think that Microsoft investing there makes sense from a market-demand perspective."
Also, Microsoft needed to deliver some type of new code quickly for customers, according to Bois. "They did sort of promise they were going to do regular updates for the online service. It was important from Microsoft for a political standpoint that they were going to meet that."
IDG News Service
Sign up for ITworld's Daily newsletter
Follow ITworld on Twitter @IT_world
On Twitter now
crm
Powered by TwitterOn Twitter now
crm
Brian Proffitt
Microsoft/Novell: Breaking Down the Coupon Numbers
Esther Schindler
Drupal's Dries Buytaert on Building the Next Drupal
Tom Henderson
Top Ten General Operating Systems Rants
pasmith
PS3 motion controller delayed; goes up against Project Natal
sjvn
Neolithic Windows security hole alive and well in Windows 7
claird
Perl source code comparison makes for good reading
mikelgan
Cell phones don't create stress or interrupt much
Sandra Henry-Stocker
How to: The Unix Interview
Where Google Chrome security fails: the password
I heard mention that the Chrome OS will have some sort of encryption available a la bitlocker. If it's possible to encrypt personal data using another password or key, then it may have potential for very secure data.... And Ubuntu has an 'encrypt home directory' option, perhaps google should follow suit.
- Dann
Join the conversation here
Quick, practical advice for IT pros. Made fresh daily.
- Ubuntu advances: Why Ubuntu server installations will surge in 2010
- Social media marketing: How to make friends with benefits
- More...
Want to cash in on your IT savvy? Send your tip to tips@itworld.com. If we post it, we'll send you a $25 Amazon e-gift card.






