When reviewing CRM systems to consider for your business you may have preconceived ideas about what you are looking for.  A good CRM system will allow a strong working relationship between your customers and company from the salesmen and marketers to the customer service team.  Even if every part of your CRM desires are met, there are other aspects to consider when in the market for a new CRM system.

Microsoft products are widely used within businesses whether it's Powerpoint, Word, Outlook, Access, or Publisher.  Microsoft has designed their products to have standard functions, which makes them easy to learn and use.  This means that if a new user with past experience in a Microsoft product is using Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 for the first time, they are well on their way to understanding how to use this CRM system.  Because Salesforce is a company that is only CRM, their system is unfamiliar to many new users.

Depending on the needs and wants of a company, they may want to handle their CRM system on their own on premise or they may want Microsoft to handle this for them by using Dynamics CRM in the cloud.  Dynamics CRM users have the flexibility of choosing which solution works better for their needs.  Salesforce users are not given this choice and are forced to use CRM in the cloud only.

Because Microsoft is a large company that has the ability to handle multiple platforms and technologies including the .NET Framework that is used by a wide variety of technological professionals, there is a native integration between Dynamics CRM and these platforms and technologies.  Salesforce, being much smaller, must create each platform specifically for CRM purposes which is a tall order for a small company.  Since Salesforce uses Visualforce, a technology specific to Salesforce, customizations can only be made by a Salesforce professional who is familiar with Visualforce.

When shopping for a new CRM, keep in mind that there is more to consider than key features.  Dynamics CRM not only has an extensive list of features that engage all aspects of a business's customers into a single place but it has been designed to meet the needs of CRM for all types of businesses.  For more information on this topic download:  Comparing the xRM Application Framework and Force com - A Guide for Technical Decision Makers.pdf (672.30 kb)