Microsoft CRM Modification ? Overview for IT Specialist

Microsoft CRM is now on the scene and it is increasing its market share, due to the Microsoft Business Solutions muscles and marketing strategy. It is tightly integrated with other Microsoft Business Solutions products such as Microsoft Great Plains, Solomon, Navision.

If you are programmer or database administrator who is asked: how do we modify Microsoft CRM ? read this article and you will have the clues for further research.

1. 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.

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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!

About The Author

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, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, and Miami 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.

akarasev@albaspectrum.com

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

---

Microsoft Great Plains Integration Manager ? Working With Text File

Microsoft Business Solutions main middle market ERP application - Microsoft... Read More

Microsoft CRM in Latin America: Implementation, Customization, Support ? Overview for Consultant

Microsoft Business Solutions CRM is present several years on the... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains FA: Fixed Assets ? Overview For Consultant

Great Plains Fixed Assets Management module is a robust tool... Read More

Linux Vs. Windows

This article will not attempt to advocate the use of... Read More

Dashboard Widgets for Windows

For a windows user like me, just can watch with... Read More

Putting Screensavers Under Control

No matter how much you enjoy your favorite screensavers, sometimes... Read More

Software Tools To Help Your Business Sell More

Sales are all about leverage, because there is only so... Read More

Great Plains Customization Upgrade? Overview For CIO/IT Director

Around the same time Microsoft made its move with .Net... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains: If You are Orphan Client ? What to Do and FAQ

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, former Great Plains Software eEnterprise,... Read More

Know Linux

Linux essentials:It's free for download but you have to pay... Read More

Selecting Corporate ERP: Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains ? Estimation Parameters

As we could imagine, if you are reading this article... Read More

CROOK: A Methodology for the Refinement of Forward-Error Correction

Table of Contents1) Introduction 2) Related Work 3) Framework 4)... Read More

How to Evaluate Staffing Software

If you are in the market for new staffing software,... Read More

Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise Upgrade ? Things to Consider and FAQ

If you have Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise (version 6.0 or earlier)... Read More

Review on QuarkXpress 6.0

After almost two decades of existence, Quark has become the... Read More

Photoshop Files and Formats

People often ask me: What image file formats will Photoshop... Read More

MySQL for Beginners ? How to Create a MySQL Database

Whether you are an experienced web programmer or a complete... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains Accounting/ERP Implementation ? Finance Industry Customization Example

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is very generic accounting application... Read More

Microsoft CRM Data Conversion FAQ

Microsoft Business Solutions CRM data conversion deserves FAQ type of... Read More

Information Products: A Business Owners Best Friend

We live in a post-industrial age where information is the... Read More

Will Adobe Manage to Replace Industry Work Horse Quark Express by Giving Adobe InDesign for Free?

Heard about the Quark "killer"?Adobe InDesign CS2. Will it really... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains e-Commerce ? additional considerations for programmer

Microsoft Great Plains, designed back in 1990th as database transferable... Read More

Think Of This

Think of this, first we had the HAM Radio, then... Read More

Microsoft CRM: Data Conversion ? Import from Act!

Best Software Act! is very popular CRM for small and... Read More

Configure Windows Indexing Service for Performance

The Windows Indexing Service provides you with the ability to... Read More

OEComplete ? A Personal Information Manager

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

Professional XP Style Icons in Software and Website Development

Using professional icons in your application or website can bring... Read More

What Stands Behind The Software Description?

With thousands of web pages added to the Net every... Read More

Online PowerPoint Presentation ? Convert PowerPoint to Flash

Although we don't know whether Microsoft ever envisioned such a... Read More

Crystal Reports - Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server is the leader for inexpensive and middle... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains Inventory Control ? Overview For Consultant

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is marketed for mid-size companies... Read More

SyncUp ? A File/Folder Synchronizer For Windows

SyncUp, a file synchronizer is designed to assist the home... Read More

Fast Car Knoppix

Small can be beautiful! Working with Knoppix for the past... Read More