Microsoft Dynamics is the company’s tailored customer relationship management toolset. Microsoft’s Dynamics CRM tool battles head to head with one of the industry’s largest CRM providers, Salesforce. Microsoft and Salesforce recently became collaborators on various enterprise-related endeavors but providing a CRM solution wasn’t one of them. Fortunately for Microsoft, its competitive CRM offering was announced the winner in four broad categories of the CRM Magazine Market Leader Awards.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM is walking away with a winning title in:
- Enterprise CRM Suite
- Midmarket CRM Suite
- Small Business CRM Suite
- Sales Force Automation
CRM Magazine uses revenue, analyst ratings for customer satisfaction, depth of functionality, company direction, and five-year cost for software/maintenance as benchmarks in determining Leader awards. Beyond the awards, Microsoft was also given recognition for the company’s leadership, integration of Office 365 and Power BI, knowledge management capabilities, and a few other call outs. Heading the group that just won four awards, Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella was also recognized as one of 2015’s CRM Market Influential Leaders. Microsoft had this to say after receiving the awards:
This signals a significant shift in the market as businesses are looking transform and put customer engagement strategies at the center of everything they do. Microsoft continues an amazing trajectory in CRM with 44 consecutive quarters of double-digit growth in CRM. We’re not only delivering rapid technology innovation in CRM; we’re helping our customers be more productive and better engage their customers to achieve real, measurable business results!
According to a ZDnet report, Microsoft is also is looking for testers for its fall Dynamics CRM release. Microsoft’s Dynamic CRM has been under some fire recently, as CRM and Windows 10 users were experiencing a less than stellar upgrade process. However, Microsoft claims the fall release will improve Windows 10 compatibility. Last week Microsoft started sign ups for the CRM Fall 2015 preview programs. The signs ups were listed under codenames, “Ara” and “Capella” which started August 6th. 
The actual preview period for those who have signed up will begin next month, September, and be both online and on-premises for users. Preview users should expect updates to:
- Offline mobile: Data will synchronize with your mobile device so that you can still use CRM when you are not in a network area.
- Predictive Analytics: Predictive capabilities for identifying the best prospects and products automatically.
- OneDrive integration: File management, including support for private files in CRM that are only shared with selected users.
- Search: An expansion of the search capabilities that appeared in CRM 2015 Spring, with more intelligence and flexibility.
- Delve/Office Graph: Integration with Microsoft’s Delve and Office Graph technologies that are part of Office 365
- Outlook: More updates for the CRM for Outlook application and mobile email, as well.
This news comes at a much-needed time, as some frustrated Windows 10 and Dynamics CRM customers are questioning their purchase of both.