Microsoft previews latest CRM build

Microsoft CRM 3.0 offers improved mobile functionality

Microsoft today offered a sneak peek of the latest version of its customer relationship management (CRM) software.

CRM 3.0 has been redesigned from its last incarnation to offer improved mobile functionality, and to make it more user friendly. The software also allows better integration with other applications, according to Microsoft.

Brad Wilson, general manager of Microsoft CRM, explained that the forthcoming offering is based on upgraded user experiences of Office and Outlook.

The interface been completely redesigned to mimic that of Microsoft's Outlook email client, and scheduling has been improved to save user time in setting up follow ups.

The latest code also has an improved mobile engine that allows data to be synchronised between laptops and PCs, as well as providing an improved version of its mobile client.

Users of previous versions of the CRM code will get a free tool with the latest application to speed up migration and ensure data integrity. Users will also have the opportunity to buy the code via subscription for the first time.

A special small business edition will be available for companies running Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium Edition. The final code will be released at the end of the year, and will be generally available in the first quarter of 2006.