Summary

The Microsoft CRM Sales for Outlook (CRMSO) client is a simple, yet effective, way to get your sales users working with CRM. The CRMSO client has the same basic interface as the Microsoft CRM Web client, but it is embedded in Microsoft Outlook. With CRMSO, the user is able to take their CRM data offline for use when no network connection is available.

CRMSO is heavily integrated with Microsoft Exchange so the user has a single place to manage all CRM and non-CRM Contacts, Tasks, Appointments, Activities, and Emails. The solution provides sales users with a single portal through which they can manage all their work.

CRMSO provides tight integration with Microsoft Word to allow users to create merge letters, envelopes, and emails using Word's merge functionality. This merge functionality is also incorporated in the generation of custom quote documents from Microsoft Word template files that a user can customize to his or her liking.

The ability to synchronize CRM data for access while not connected to the network is a huge strength of the CRMSO client application. By implementing SQL Server replication with the desktop edition of Microsoft SQL Server, users are equipped with a traveling office complete with synchronized CRM data and sales literature records.

Acknowledgement

Sections of this chapter were contributed and edited by Rick Thompson. Rick is a Microsoft Certified CRM Professional with Tectura Corporation. You may contact Rick at [email protected].