Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

Just come back from the Sydney Deep .NET User Group talking about Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0. by George Doubinski. He's been working for two years in the CRM development role, now the CRM4 API has vast improvement, the amout of work of coding has been reduced by half.

The following are my notes from the session:

• Microsoft CRM worldwide has 11,000 customers and 475,000 users
• Web-service based
• Organisations like ING, Phizer and Volvo uses Microsoft CRM

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0:

• Multi-language support
• Multi-currency support
• Password authentication
• AD authentication
• Online/Offline support for Outlook (e.g. create plug-ins)
• Report Wizard

Modules:

• My work: duplicate detection, create rule to check duplication in the database and can handle what to do about it, like delete the duplication or so.
• Workplace
• Sales: leads, opportunities, accounts, contacts
• Marketing
• Settings: Administration, Data Management, System Jobs, Business Management, Customisation, Templates, Workflow(.NET3)

Sample:

• You can create your C# programme by using the crm sdk web services to extend/develop against Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0
• First, you can create a console app
• then, add web references, such as crmsdk, srmsdk.Discovery
• now you can use the classes provided by the web services to discover what the organisations you have of your CRM, you can create a new account, and define one-to-many or many-to-many relationships between accounts and so on.