1. Browse open source icon galleries online for the appropriate icon (preferably in PNG or GIF format)
2. Edit the icon in an image editor to resize it in 3 separate files:
1. For image editing I recommend the free Paint .NET software
2. Small:  16 x 16 pixels
3. Medium:  32 x 32 pixels
4. Large:  66 x 48 pixels
3. Upload the 3 files to a new or existing solution in CRM 2011 as a web resource
4. Open the custom entity in the Settings > Customizations section (or solution)
5. Click on the “Update Icons” button
6. Apply your icon web resources to the custom entity
7. Publish your customizations
8. Clear your browser cache and refresh CRM to see the new icons

I’ve been there and felt your pain.  Rather than using precious consulting time on image editing, I decided to group 22 of my custom open sourced icons in a solution file and share it with you.  Feel free to download it below!

• ESCustomIconGallery_1_0_managed.zip

Note that the On-Premise build numbers I list below may be different than what you will find in CRM 2011 Online.  Microsoft continuously adds new updates behind the scenes, thus the likelihood of having a greater build number in comparison to the latest Update Rollup version.

To determine your current build number from the IE web client, simply:

1. Browse to your CRM 2011 website
2. Click on the File tab
3. Navigate to Help
4. Click on “About Microsoft Dynamics CRM”

In the latest Statement of Direction (May 2011) announcement, Microsoft has laid out plans to accelerate the development cycle of Dynamics CRM as well as hints to future significant features, probably most notably multi-browser and cross-platform support.

• Microsoft Dynamics CRM Statement of Direction – May 2011 (PDF download link)

Accelerated development cycle

Since its inception in 2003, Microsoft CRM has evolved over five versions into Dynamics CRM 2011, the enterprise-class application and framework it is today.  Over the course of its history the Microsoft CRM development team traditionally released each version in 2-3 year cycles.  Each new major version required customers to plan each major upgrade extensively, at times with a sizable investment.

Per the new announcement, Microsoft has committed to shorter development cycles which will bring new enhancements and features to all Online and On-Premise customers.  This will allow users to enjoy the latest innovations as they are developed, as well as providing minimal impact to existing deployments.

The newly announced development cycle includes:

• Updates: similar to the current Update Rollups, these are enhancements that will be delivered to the Dynamics CRM platform semi-annually at Spring (Q2) and Fall (Q4) of each year.  Updates will not require significant implementation planning like Upgrades.  They will also deliver compatibility for future Server, SQL, .NET and Office versions.
• Upgrades: these are new future versions of Dynamics CRM that will provide the next level of milestone features to the platform.  These releases will likely require more implementation planning from customers than the Updates.  The next scheduled major release is for Spring (Q2) of 2012.

The Evolution of Social Media and Collaboration

The focus of Customer Relationship Management applications should be relationships, and the recent announcement for Dynamics CRM reiterates that emphasis.  Mentioned in the announcement is additional feature support for social media and collaboration tools.

Per the statement of direction, there will be new support for:

• Micro-blogging: encompassing important status updates and notifications regarding business events and actions.
• Business activity feeds: delivering configurable real-time notifications regarding important relationships and significant business events.
• Social intelligence: identification of data patterns and streams to enhance customer service and marketing decision-making.

The Perks of going Microsoft

If your organization is a “Microsoft shop”, there are clear advantages to deploying Dynamics CRM and investing in the other Microsoft technologies besides Office.

While it’s not really new news, Microsoft reiterated its commitment to extend capabilities across Microsoft products.  Its most recent example is the easy-to-deploy integration between Dynamics CRM 2011 and SharePoint 2010.   Other points of native integration for Dynamics CRM already include Microsoft Lync and Microsoft Office, as well as the ability to synchronize with back-office applications such as Dynamics GP. Deploying these investments will provide a new user experience as well as have clear business value.

Not mentioned in the statement is the recent sizable investment in Skype.  There’s a good bet that Microsoft has a plan for Skype integration in future updates to Dynamics CRM.  At this point in time, we can speculate that it could provide an enhanced call center solution.

Dynamics CRM anywhere, anytime, on any device

One of the early pain points that I’ve discovered in my experience with Dynamics CRM is its inability to function seamlessly with other browsers beyond Internet Explorer, and by extension other operating systems such as Mac and Linux.  There are new and persistent expectations with cutting-edge devices such as mobile smartphones and tablets.  While there may be competitive and technology reasons for this historical reliance on Internet Explorer, this limitation is unacceptable for some key users.  Workarounds like the compatible MSCRM Mobile Express solution and mobile apps help, but in the end cannot provide the full user experience native to the IE Web and Outlook Client.

To my great delight, Microsoft announced multi-browser and cross-platform support for the next future release of Dynamics CRM.  Per the statement:

• CRM anywhere: deliver immersive user experiences that match users’ particular context or work “mode” – whether that is on the road or in the office. This facilitates a new agility and productivity in how users respond to different situational requirements.
• Cross-device: provide device-specific application experiences that are natural and intuitive across a range of platforms and form-factors.
• Multi-browser: provide targeted user experiences that work on different web browsers by utilizing HTML5 for structuring and presenting content.

Microsoft naming HTML5 as the vehicle for multi-browser support is noteworthy.  Could this be the new future trend, versus platform-centric apps?

The New York Times article “In a New Web World, No Application Is an Island” addresses this very topic, and is a highly recommended read.  Per the Times article:

Engineers say the technology will make it possible to write Web applications, accessed with a browser, that are as visually rich and lively as the so-called native applications that are now designed to run on a specific device, like an iPad or an Android-based tablet.

HTML5 has shown to be quite promising.  Dynamics CRM is positioning itself to be at the forefront of this new web application technology.

Conclusion

There are clear advantages to combining other Microsoft business technologies with Dynamics CRM, and will only be easier to integrate in the future.   Key pain points in the past (such as multi-browser support) will be addressed, and new social collaboration tools to enhance Dynamics CRM are promised and will be soon forthcoming.

These key initiatives will continue to keep Microsoft Dynamics CRM an innovative and competitive leader in the enterprise CRM market.

Check out the various download links below.

• Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Server (64 bit)
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 for Microsoft Outlook (32 and 64 bit)
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 SDK
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 E-mail Router
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 List Component for SharePoint

Trial License Key Information:

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Workgroup Server 2011 (5 CAL limit):
H84KC-JH8DF-7PDYK-TXBXR-2RMMT
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server 2011 (no CAL limit):
MQM2H-JYYRB-RRD6J-8WBBC-CVBD3

On a personal note, I’ve been neglecting this blog for weeks due to one major reason: the release of CRM 2011!  This new version has caught quite a lot of interest, and I’ve been criss-crossing the Midwest to help address the demand.

Be sure to drop a note at my Twitter account if you’d like to chat about the new version!

Link : Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Beta installation files  (microsoft.com)

Here you can find the CRM 2011 Beta installation files pertaining to the On-Premise Server, Outlook Client, SharePoint, Exchange, BIDS for customizing SSRS reports, and language packages.

Below are the packages, with links to the direct download.

It’s a wonderful day in the #MSDYNCRM world. 

Microsoft promised and delivered today the Dynamics CRM 2011 Beta version, available Online and On-Premise!  Check out http://www.crm2011beta.com for videos and highlights, as well as the official announcement to see for yourself.  If you didn’t attend the “First Look at CRM 2011″ webcast on September 7th, I’d highly recommend you view it.

• If you want to sign up for the CRM 2011 Beta Online, make sure to fill out this form.
• If you want to download the On-Premise bits yourself and install them in house, download the installation files here.
• Be sure to download the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Beta Implementation Guide.
• Make sure you post your questions on the official CRM 2011 Beta Forum.
• At this link you can download the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Software Development Kit (SDK).
• The following product keys are available for this release (found in the readme file).
  • Microsoft Dynamics CRM Workgroup (5 CAL limit): FF2JM-QX9PG-HXT8M-MMHXG-4MF32
  • Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server (no CAL limit): 4FDTK-3HYV2-D9CCJ-4MF9Q-QJ32X
  • Although the application may display a 90-day trial period, these trial product keys will expire after 270 days.
  • Microsoft Dynamics CRM Professional edition is no longer available with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011.

This Beta release is also getting some media attention!  Check out a few interesting articles below.

• “Microsoft aims to sharpen its CRM pitch”, CNET News
• “Microsoft to deliver public betas of CRM 2011 and app store in mid-September”, ZDNet
• “Microsoft begins testing new CRM program”, CNET News

In the next coming months, my pledge to you will be to start highlighting all the new Beta features and tips here at this CRM blog.  Feel free to contact me if you have a special request or question regarding the new Beta, and I’ll be sure to cover it for you. 

You down with VPC? (Yeah you know me)

Microsoft just released an updated version of the April 2009 VPC release, mostly because it’s due to expire very soon.  You’ll probably need PartnerSource or CustomerSource access to download it at the link below.

VPC Re-Release for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0

Why should you download this version?  First of all, it’s not set to expire until August 2011 which will give you plently of time to play around until CRM 2011 is released.   It’s also a leaner download at about 7 GB.  Last but not least, it includes some new technologies such as Office 2010 and portal accelerators.

Per the download page, this new release (or re-release) has some new updated software:

• Update Rollup 11
• Microsoft Office 2010
• New Portal Accelerators
• New Partner and Customer portal installed using AD so no external network is required
• New Profile Manager Tool which has two profiles for services and URL caching

It also looks like this VPC has the same credentials as in the past releases.  Log in with the following:

ID=contoso\administrator
PW=pass@word1

Enjoy!

Drogba, Ivory Coast's number 11, gets a kick out of regular updates to his CRM. (UPDATE: he's injured and will miss the World Cup. Bummer)

Microsoft released the latest Update Rollup 11 for Dynamics CRM today, just in time before the World Cup 2010 tournament.  It’s so obvious now; they did this to make some room in their schedule for watching the live matches.  Indeed, they had already announced that there would be regular updates every 8 weeks… but I see through your game!   ಠ_ಠ

This release shows better Ribbon integration with Outlook 2010.  The CRM buttons don’t appear in the Add-Ins tab anymore.

Make sure you download and review the KB article from the links below.

• Download Update Rollup 11 for Dynamics CRM (Microsoft)
• KB 981328: Release Notes for Update Rollup 11 (Microsoft)

The usual considerations apply regarding backing up and restoring customization XML files.  Make sure to carefully read the release notes before upgrading.

Some notable updates:

• Windows Internet Explorer crashes or stops responding when you use the Advanced Find view on a computer that is running Windows 7.
• After you apply Update Rollup 7 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0, you experience slow performance when you open Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Web client.
• When you create a Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services (SSRS 2008) report by using the new SSRS 2008 features, you cannot display the report in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0.
• You experience slow performance when you add many members, such as 10,000 members, into a marketing list. Additionally, you may receive a time-out error message.
• Assume that you create a report in the Report Wizard. When you run the report, you receive the following error message: An error has occurred during report processing. Query execution failed for data set ‘DSMain’.

A special cheers to all my fellow Dynamics CRM colleagues who will be following the tournament as closely as I will. 

Download here!
Dynamics CRM Statement Of Direction – April 2010
(link to Ross’ CRM website with the PDF)

There is some exciting information on unifying the Dynamics technologies that will help bring together any challenging business solution, as well as welcome additions to the SDK. Some details regarding CRM 5.0 are starting to be teased out, but in reality most of the information here has been public for some time.

So what did we learn? There are new Accelerators in the pipline:

• Non-Profit Solution for Dynamics CRM Online – now available!
• Portal Accelerators – Q2 2010
  • This release provides new versions of eService, Event Management and Partner Relationship Management (PRM) accelerators that can connect to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online as well as on-premises and partner-hosted deployments.
• Customer Care Accelerator (CCA) – Q2 2010
  • This solution can be used to help customer care and contact center organizations provide consistent customer service experiences by combining data elements from disparate applications such as mainframes, databases or Web sites for display in a single user interface.
  • Some features: Integrated agent desktop, Desktop automation, Computer telephony integration (CTI), and Activity reporting.

New integration tools with other Dynamics software! All the Dynamics technologies are starting to come together very nicely.

• Microsoft Dynamics CRM Adapter for Microsoft Dynamics GP – May 2010
  • A highly reliable, bi-directional and fault tolerant business document integration between Dynamics CRM 4.0 (Update Rollup 5 and above) and Dynamics GP 10 (Service Pack 4 and above) and the new GP 2010.
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM Adapter for Microsoft Dynamics AX6 – 2011
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM Adapter for Microsoft Dynamics NAV2009 – 2011

And for you developers out there, a big fat update is coming to the SDK in May 2010 making it easier to build agile and integrated CRM Web solutions.

• SDK (May 2010) – Advanced Developer Extensions for Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a set of new tools included in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM SDK that simplifies and accelerates the development of internet-enabled applications that interact with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0.
• A full list of key features is outlined in the Statement of Direction document.

Regarding CRM 5.0, it is of course scheduled to release “the second half of 2010″, most likely near the end of the year. The outline is below, and as I expected it doesn’t really reveal more than what has already been disseminated. Regardless, it’s still nice to see what we have to look forward to.

• User Productivity and Collaboration
  • Increase accessibility through the Microsoft Office “ribbon” interface
  • Drive user adoption through personalization
  • Enrich business insight through improved business intelligence
  • Balanced workload management for more efficient use of resources
• CRM Capabilities: core CRM investments
  • Contact and Account Management
  • Team-Based Collaboration
  • Call Center and Unified Communications Support
  • Territory Management
  • Performance Management
  • Other areas:
    • Further improving the flexibility of sales opportunity management to incorporate team selling models.
    • Extending the outbound marketing capabilities to allow richer communications via email, including document attachments.
    • Further simplifying and extending marketing list management capabilities.
    • Providing users the ability to schedule future recurring activities.

EDIT: Update Rollup 10 is now available!  Download the bits at this link (KB 979347).

From some #MSCRM Twitter buzz, it looks like the latest compilation of hotfixes for Microsoft Dynamics CRM will be released tomorrow, April 8th.  Not to worry; I’ll update this post with the links as soon as it’s available.

'C' is for CRM!

I confirmed with Microsoft Support that this latest Update Rollup will include a hotfix that resolves one particular Outlook sync issue.  A user may get following error when going Offline or Online:

Only items in the default Microsoft Outlook store can be promoted to Microsoft CRM.

Until this hotfix, the workaround for this problem was to disable the Exchange Cached Mode setting to cache shared folder. 

While you’re waiting for the download, check out this ZDNet article on the latest news regarding CRM ’5′.