Microsoft recently rolled out some new social features for Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Among those features are new “activity feeds” that have a Facebook-like interface for keeping users updated about the activities of their colleagues, records, and accounts.
The introduction of social media features is only part of a four-pronged initiative of new features that include better disaster recovery, enhanced business intelligence and data management, and new charting and reporting features. All of these features will help increase Microsoft Dynamics CRM’s integration with Office 365.
Microsoft is still running the “” program, which offers $150 per seat user for any customers who switch from a competitor to Microsoft Dynamics CRM. The deal requires a minimum of 50 seats and maximum of 500, which should be just perfect for small businesses looking for a new and better CRM solution. And it expires March 31, 2012.
The activity feeds are not just for communication. Users can follow team progress, as well as the progress of specific projects. Microsoft is calling this only the “first wave” of social media capabilities that it plans to introduce over the next 14 months, such as a Windows Phone client for mobile users.
Businesses are increasingly looking for ways to make use of social media within their business framework, but too often the unregulated and often unsecured public social media platforms are not flexible enough to meet business needs. With Microsoft Dynamics CRM and other tools like Microsoft SharePoint, businesses can establish their own internal social networks, and if they are anything like the addictive ones people use at home, employees may never want to leave work.
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