August 2007 - Posts
Microsoft not only maintains newsgroups for CRM (msnews.microsoft.com in your news reader), but there is also a Forum which can be accessed at http://forums.microsoft.com. If you are interested in the Dynamics stuff, add /Dynamics. this will present you with three choices for CRM; CRM, CRM Deployment, and CRM Development. For a direct link to the CRM stuff, go here.
Nice thing about these forums is that the CRM Team promotes them and encourages the MVPs to roam there and answer questions for folks. They even keep score. This post was prompted by such a score card being published. :-)
Unfortunately trying to access the forums from my Vista 64 notebook doesn't work. Trying it from my server, and even RDPing into a client's Vista (32 bit) workstation were both successful. Don't know if it's a Vista 64 thing or a Larry 'thang'. Will let you know when I get if figured out.
Be sure and check out the forums is you have CRM questions. There are a bunch of CRM MVPs just waiting to help you out!
I am trying to transition to my new Vista 64 bit notebook. One of the items is CardScan for MS CRM. I was disappointed when the scanner was not recognized by the machine. Then I was even more disappointed when the program, although it installed OK, reports that it STOPPED whenever I try to start it. I checked their web site and found some references to 64 bit drivers. Unfortunately the driver I downloaded (XP-64) didn't seem to help. I have written CardScan support a request for help. We'll see how they respond.
Today we participated in the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce annual Business to Business Expo (trade show). Just before the show (Monday) I sent out an e-mail blast to everyone in my Contacts and Leads that are in are area. The first visitors I received at my booth were folks who came just because of the e-mail and just to check out SBS and CRM. With the first one I started to demo CRM by bringing up his record. Since he had received an e-mail, I assumed he be in the database. Couldn't find him. I tried Leads, Contacts, and even Accounts. Not there. Then I kind of figured it out. I had just recently installed the CRM Laptop client on this notebook and of course was attempting to demo CRM in the Offline mode, having synch'd up the night before. I assumption, which I told the prospect, was that his record had not be included in the sync. Unfortunately since I was still Offline at the time, I was unable to check the Local Data settings to be sure. When I got back from the show this evening, I put the notebook back on line and ooked up his record. Sure enough, there he was in my Leads database. I then went to the Local Data settings. There I found the sync setting for Leads was 'My Recent Leads' which I found to be defined as those created within the last year (365 days.) I checked the Lead and found it had been created in March of 2006. Sure enough over 365 days ago.
The Local Data default settings are designed to give the user a functioning off line system while not taking all the company data on the notebook. I'll keep that in mind next time I get ready to demo.
Sorry that it's been a while since I've posted. But there's 'been reasons'. Been busy for one. Went to Chicago to teach CRM classes and they sprang a night class on me. By the time I got back to the hotel, I was in no shape to blog. Once I got back, I had 'issues' with my server. Finally got those resolved today after much effort and the kindly assistance of support from Microsoft India. I'll try to relate some of the issues in the next few days, once the pain subsides.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Virtual PC Demonstration - August 2007 Release
The CRM team has released a new VPC demo for CRM 3.0. I have just downloaded it (about 2.5 GB) but haven't set it up yet. Will do shortly. You can find it at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=57394bc8-5ecc-422e-a066-34189f48f8c8&displaylang=en.
Microsoft has also just released Upgrade Rollup 1 for the hosted version of CRM. When I first saw mention of it, I thought "but they just released UR2!. Then I was informed this was for the Service Provider Edition. You can find it at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=31F0D5AC-D2A2-42E4-8A23-55A838CD74E5. The Knowledge Base article describing it can be found at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935731.