Function Accelerator
Hitting The Gas – Capitalizing On Crm Accelerators
One of the most widely heard complaints about CRM systems is that they are supposed to be user-friendly and intuitive, but it doesn’t take long to discover that any functionality that is also friendly to your particular company can still require a formidable amount of time and effort spent on customization and coding. This could also be said for Dynamics CRM in its earlier iterations – many early adopters of Microsoft’s CRM suite found themselves frustrated with what was missing from the application and disappointed in the amount of custom development they still had to do.
The good news is that the Dynamics CRM landscape today is ripe with opportunity for partners and coding enthusiasts alike to build supplemental functionality that meets the critical needs of a variety of industries and organizations. Microsoft has been supportive of these efforts and has provided sandbox sites, community forums and open access to the Microsoft team and its MVP’s for participants to collaborate and build upon each others’ creations.
The most exciting area of this effort is the set of CRM Accelerators that are FREE for download to anyone that is interested. Accelerators are a collection of add-on solutions developed for Dynamics CRM customers and partners that can be configured to broaden marketing, sales and service capabilities. In addition to being free, Microsoft has also committed to fully supporting these Accelerators, just like any other custom code that adheres to their Software Development Kit (SDK) guidelines; this means that Accelerators will continue to work without issue after any future upgrades. Finally, to sweeten the pot, all source-code for the Accelerators are provided with the applications so CRM truly does become anyone’s playground.
There are some Accelerators that are more basic than others, or that are simply a nice add-on to core functionality, like the Newsfeed, Business Productivity Workflows, and Notifications pieces. But that is only the tip of the iceberg. For those seeking a more robust solution, Extended Forecasting, Portal Integration and Partner Relationship Management, among others, are all worth a look. It wasn’t long ago that any of these items would have only been available through a close partnership with CRM Partners and a lot of investment in custom work. Partners still provide a very valuable service in extending and enhancing these Accelerators for their clients, but companies with CRM have a much stronger basis for building out their system to truly become just what they need with the help of these Accelerators.
FMT Consultants is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner for Dynamics CRM and GP located in Carlsbad, California. Visit our website at http://www.fmtconsultants.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fmtconsultants.
About the Author
Posted by Natasha Serrano of FMT Consultants, LLC, a California Microsoft Gold Certified Partner in Dynamics CRM and GP.
Max GXL: The Glutathione Accelerator
|
|
Hair Formula 37 Vitamins, Shampoo Set for Fast Hair Growth $69.99 The HF37 program is founded on the principle that your hair, just like any other part of the body, has certain nutrition requirements in order to function properly. Unfortunately, very few people take the time to insure that their diets include 100% of the vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that their bodies require on a daily basis. While this can have a negative effect on overall health, just t… |
|
|
Performance Brands E-z Tan 60 Capsules, 60-count $12.00 Pro Tan EZ Tan 60 ea… |
|
|
Thyro-C7 – 90 Capsules Thyroid Function Accelerator $13.95 Thyro-C7TM is a synergistic combination of seven proven ingredients to support healthy thyroid function. Thyro-C7TM is a safe, effective and powerful fat burner and thyroid potentiator to increase metabolism and burn off unwanted pounds. The Thyroid gland is the primary metabolic regulator in our body. The Thyroid gland produces T4 and T3 with T4 being converted into T3 in the tissue. The amount o… |
|
|
Thrustmaster RGT Force Feedback Racing Wheel $105.16 Exclusive “5 AXES” modes: Wheel Accelerator Brake Clutch (left progressive cockpit view) and Handbrake (right progressive cockpit view)”3 PEDALS” pedal set: wide and adjustable with foot rest Natural brake pedal resistance (for enhanced realism) Many functions accessible directly on the wheel – 10 action buttons (with 14 positions) 2 gearshift methods (select between “Rally” or “GT” style driving)… |
|
|
HB-VD920 Broadcom Crystal HD PCI express Mini Card AVC/VC-1/H.264 Enhanced Hardware Decoder/Accelerator $34.80 The HB-VD920 mini-PCIe full HD video hardware decoder is based on Broadcom’s BCM70010/BCM70015 Crystal HD chipset. It supports real-time decoding of a single stream HD AVC/VC-1/MPEG-2/H.264 video. This add-on decoder enables most Intel Atom based PCs, netbooks and digital signage players to playback high definition video files and streaming media up to 1080p resolution. With less than 2W of power … |
|
|
HP Mini 210-1010NR 10.1-Inch Black Netbook – 4.25 Hours of Battery Life $396.00 HardwareProduct Number: WA543UA#ABAMicroprocessor: 1.66GHz Intel Atom Processor N450Microprocessor Cache: 512KB L2 cacheMemory: 1GB DDR2 System Memory (1 DIMM)Memory Max: 1024MBVideo Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150Video Memory: Up to 256MBHard Drive: 160GB (5400RPM)Display: 10.1inch Diagonal WSVGA LED Anti-glare Widescreen Display (1024 x 600)Network Card: Integrated 10/1… |
|
|
Casio Men’s SGW200-1VCF Pedometer Resin Strap Watch $41.95 Designed as a running companion, the Casio Men’s Pedometer Resin Strap Watch #SGW200-1VCF has a built-in pedometer to help keep tabs on distance, energy expenditure, average pace, and number of steps. Other athletic and general watch functions include a stopwatch and countdown timer, five daily alarms and a calendar, and a backlit display with Afterglow technology. Not only intended for athletic u… |
|
|
Latte ICE Smart 8GB 5-Inch HD Smart Media Tablet, MP3, MP4, PMP Player Powered by Android 2.3 – White $124.97 Ever feel that tablets are too big to carry around and smartphones are too small to play around? Latte is introducing a Smart Media Player powered by Android 2.3, “Latte ICE Smart”. Latte ICE Smart with its 5″ dual touch screen nicely fits in your hand. Not too big to take everywhere you go and not too small to play games, watch HD videos, and surf the net. This nicely designed palm size Smart Med… |
|
|
Latte ICE Smart 8 GB Smart Media Tablet $129.99 Recommended Ages: 13 Years & up… |
|
|
goPoint Technology GL1 OBD-II Accessory for iPhone/iPod/iPad $86.21 **WINNER** Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Product Award 2010 — Our GL1 protocol converter, an Apple “Works With iPhone” product, will directly connect your vehicle’s engine On Board Diagnostics (OBD) data to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Use your iPhone/iPod touch to read/reset diagnostic codes! LOG your vehicle’s engine performance! And much, much MORE! More: the GL1 will charge your iPh… |