Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 vs. 1.2 – notes for IT specialist

By Andrew Karasev

Alba Spectrum Technologies

866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918 help@albaspectrum.com

Microsoft CRM, or Microsoft Dynamics CRM (in September 2005 Microsoft Business Solutions adopted new name for the ERP brands – Microsoft Dynamics) is improving its functionality and technical implementation dramatically with the introduction of its new version 3.0 in December 2005.  It is always nice to select ERP or CRM by comparing functional specification and the user friendliness of its interface, however if you work in IT and responsible for CRM implementation – you are typically the one who has to deal with the ‘known’ and ‘unknown’ bugs, patches and service packs.  Based on our experience working with MS CRM 1.0, 1.2 and 3.0 – we will give you technical highlights on what was fixes and improved.

• MS CRM Outlook Client.  Remember version 1.2?  You could only install Outlook Client for one user on one WindowsXP workstation.  Installation itself was also tricky and you should be knowing ‘secrets’: MSDE was now stable, you also had to assign administrative privileges to the user, if user plays at home with Outlook Express installation on his notebook – MS CRM snap-in might be destroyed, etc.  With version 3.0 Outlook Client could be installed for multiple users, who could be logging in and working with this specific computer.  The overall implementation of Outlook client seems to be more solid.
• User Defined Fields.  This was really annoying – if you place User Defined Fields into your MS CRM schema – there were no ways to take them off – you had to leave them as they are and just remove from the views and forms if you no longer need them.  MS CRM 3.0 allows you to delete custom fields, as you intuitively and naturally expect it to allow.
• Custom Objects.  In our experience customizing CRM 1.2 – when client needed to link custom table to MS CRM object, such as Order – to make this custom table field available for offline Outlook Client – the technical solution was really tricky and not obvious.  However with MS CRM 3.0 – you can create and link custom object/table via end user customization tool.  Of course – all the media already announced this feature, in our publication we would like to stress that from the developer standpoint – it is really the progress.
• Reporting.  Microsoft divorced Crystal Reports Enterprise and implanted Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services with version 3.0.  This means that if you invested into Crystal Reports design for MS CRM 1.2 – you would need to revise / migrate your custom reports to MS SQL RS
• Microsoft CRM SDK.  Methods deprecation is still happening and your customization, even if you tried to stick to MS CRM SDK should be analyzed.  Especially considering the fact that service module was kind of redesigned – now you can have scheduling features there.  On the other hand – you can find similar trends in Java world, when SUN introduced Java 2 – it actually deprecated a lot of Java 1.1 methods and classes.  Considering large number of customizations for the existing CRM clients – we think that customers should be informed and educated.  MS CRM SDK seems to be fairly balanced for C# and VB.Net developers.
• Messaging.  The ‘end’ of 1.2 MS CRM Exchange connector was funny and sad – spammers begun to use similar mechanism – placing GUID into the header of the email.  As the result – antivirus software makers begun to capture and isolate connector-oriented messages and replies.  3.0 reduced number of character in the header identifier and now it is named security token.
• Post-call-outs.  This is now the place where you need to revise your customization.  MBS changed the post-call-out mechanism and technology.

Please do not hesitate to call or email us: USA 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918 help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) - Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, Navision, Axapta MS CRM, Oracle Financials and IBM Lotus Domino Partner, serving corporate customers in the following industries: Aerospace & Defense, Medical & Healthcare, Distribution & Logistics, Hospitality, Banking & Finance, Wholesale & Retail, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Placement & Recruiting, Advertising & Publishing, Textile, Pharmaceutical, Non-Profit, Beverages, Conglomerates, Apparels, Durables, Manufacturing and having locations in multiple states and internationally.

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