Microsoft CRM Custom Design & Development: SDK, C#, SQL, Exchange, Integration, Crystal Reports

Microsoft CRM is new player on the CRM software market. The whole conception behind CRM seems to be different. In case of traditional CRM software (Siebel, Oracle) - the application was designed with platform independence in mind. Microsoft CRM is dedicated to Microsoft technology and so deploys all the Microsoft tools: Windows Active Directory, Microsoft Exchange 2003/2000, SQL Server, Crystal Reports Enterprise, Biztalk server, Microsoft Outlook, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Great Plains as backend, etc.

If you are software developer, database administrator or web designer who is asked: how do we customize Microsoft CRM ? we are giving you directions in this article.

  • Microsoft CRM SDK ? this is software development kit with C# and partly VB.net code samples ? it is supported by Microsoft Business Solutions technical support. It is based on web service calls, if you are C# .NET developer ? you are excellently positioned to do this type of customizations. This is the preferred modification scenario and this should be easily upgradeable customization. VB.Net examples will be available soon.
  • Legacy SQL Data integration. This is also easy and safe. If you have SQL database, sitting on the same or linked SQL Server ? you can create ASPX .Net application and simply integrate it into CRM. You can place it on the navigation bar or menu in isv.config ? please refer to MS CRM SDK
  • Legacy ASP integration ? this is somewhat more sophisticated. You have to deploy HTTP handler to be a middle party between CRM which is .Net based and ASP which is legacy IIS. The trick is ? you have to have INI file with security settings to penetrate into MS CRM with proper credentials, calling web service.
  • Microsoft Exchange Programming. Microsoft CRM has Exchange connector ? which moves CRM incoming email to MS if it has GUID in its subject. You can alter this logic (for instance - move email to CRM if it doesn't have GUID but it is from the sender who is contact or account in MS CRM). Refer to MS Exchange SDK onsyncsave event handling. Then simply apply some MS CRM SDK programming - you need some COM+ objects creation and VB programming experience.
  • Direct SQL touch ? in #4 above I described you the scenario with MS Exchange handlers ? this would be ideal world if MS CRM SDK does the job. But ? in real world this is not always true ? you have to do direct flags correction in CRM database (like making Activity closed, moving email attachments/octet streams, etc). This is not supported by MBS technical support ? but you can rescue to this technique if you have to get job done.
  • MS CRM Customization tool ? this is rather end-user tool and we don't describe it here ? read the manual. We've described above the options to use when this tool doesn't do the job
  • Crystal Reports - feel free to create Crystal report - tables and views structure is self explanatory. Try to avoid the temptation to create your own SQL view or stored procedure in MS CRM database, instead - create custom database and place your view and stored proc in it.

    • Happy modifying! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

    Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies ? USA nationwide Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Great Plains customization company, based in Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, Canada, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is Dexterity, SQL, VB/C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

    In The News:

    pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    Microsoft Small Business Manager eCommerce ? Overview

    Microsoft Business Solutions Small Business Manager is scaled down Great... Read More

    Database Guru James F. Koopmann Reviews DBxtra Reporting and Query Tool

    DBxtra is a powerful query and reporting tool that hides... Read More

    Microsoft Great Plains Data Conversion ? Overview For Developer

    Looks like Microsoft Great Plains becomes more and more popular,... Read More

    Software: What Suits Me?

    Almost all new and major brand of PCs come with... Read More

    Making The Decision To Automate Your Software Testing

    Not every software testing project can or should be automated.... Read More

    CRM and Customer Life Cycle

    Customer Relationship Management or CRM is a combination of enterprise... Read More

    Groupware: Avoid the Ad Hoc Shuffle

    GroupwareEfforts are continually made to manage the unavoidable ad hoc... Read More

    Spyware Statistics -- Whats New in May 2005?

    Although statistics often is blamed for various deadly sins --... Read More

    Microsoft Great Plains Customization and Development ? Overview for Programmer

    When Great Plains Software was designing and developing Great Plains... Read More

    Microsoft CRM Customization - Processing In/Out-Going Email Messages

    We would like to give you several situations, when you... Read More

    Microsoft CRM Conversation Gateway: VoIP - Implementation & Customization

    Microsoft CRM is winning market share step-by-step from such the... Read More

    Why do Manufacturers Invest in Business Management Software?

    With many manufacturing shops heading over seas in favor of... Read More

    Intro to UNIX Shells

    A UNIX Shell is in simplest terms, a command line... Read More

    Cisco Certification: Introduction To ISDN, Part IV

    In part III of this ISDN primer, we learned that... Read More

    Kick-Ass Performance For Your PC? Its Easy

    Is your PC is slow and wimpy? Then you need... Read More

    Vlans

    In order to implement VLANs in a network environment, you'll... Read More

    Lotus Domino: Reports and Connectors ? Crystal Reports, XML, ODBC/JDBC, OLE

    Lotus Notes Domino is very efficient in electronic document workflow... Read More

    Guide to Software Marketing

    Intro This concise article will tell you in plain English... Read More

    Start Developing Your Own Software

    Learning how to program software seems like a daunting task... Read More

    Introducing GRML

    Creating a new markup language.Introduction.General Reuse Markup Langauge, or GRML,... Read More

    How to Choose the BEST Charting Software

    I suggest that you do not spend a lot of... Read More

    10 Ways to Learn a Software

    Following tips help you to learn a software in lesser... Read More

    Performance Tuning of a Daffodil DB / One$DB -JDBC Application

    This article illustrates the best practices to improve the performance... Read More

    Microsoft CRM Integration with Microsoft Retail Management System (RMS) ? Overview

    Microsoft Client Relation Management system (Microsoft CRM) and Microsoft RMS... Read More

    OEComplete ? A Personal Information Manager

    OEComplete is a utility for managing the personal information of... Read More

    Great Plains Custom Development: Dexterity, VBA, SQL, Crystal, eConnect ? Overview For Programmer

    Microsoft Great Plains is main Microsoft Business Solutions accounting package... Read More

    Microsoft Business Solutions VAR/Partner Selection ? Overview for IT Director/Manager/Controller

    Microsoft Great Plains and Microsoft CRM become more and more... Read More

    Microsoft Great Plains Implementation: Verticals - Wholesale Order Entry center ? overview

    Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains has substantial market share and... Read More

    Are You Waiting for Microsoft Longhorn Operating System

    I love new technology. I am still ready to wait... Read More

    Off The Record - Tips For Picking Recording Software

    Need software to record your voice, streaming audio or musical... Read More

    Is Your Small Business Ready For A CRM Software Solution?

    I have yet to see a business that, sometimes in... Read More

    Basic Steps To Optimize Your Internet Security

    After seeing many people complain about their weak Internet security... Read More

    20 Extra Hours Per Week: What Would You Do?

    While I was in college, if you would have asked... Read More