HostedLive - Dynamics CRM 4.0 Hosted Solution

HostedLive has arrived!

Cowes, IOW, 21st January 2008, 2B.net Limited, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner launched HostedLive; one of the first solutions to embrace the hosted Capability of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0.

Having the ability to host Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers flexibility and cost effective solutions to customers; all the benefits and flexibility of Microsoft Dynamics CRM accessible remotely providing more versatile working conditions whilst cutting down on the expense and time which can be required to run an in-house system.

Alistair Dickinson, Founder and Technical Director of 2B.net comments, “Microsoft Dynamics CRM is an ultimately customisable tool and its benefits are now available in full on the hosted platform. All the usual company data and workflow will be mapped on HostedLive so the customer loses nothing – just has the ability to access the data from anywhere without the hassle of setting up an on-premise system. Many companies also find this model more economical.”

Key Benefits Include:

- Cost effective solution
- Regular monthly fee, no up front licence costs
- Full integration and configuration undertaken by 2B.net
- Full ability to utilise all the power and adaptability of Microsoft Dynamics CRM
- Secure data storage
- Full and constant back up of your data
- Access to your data from anywhere in the world.
- Free licence upgrades

HostedLive is run and operated by 2B .net working in partnership with a major SPLA Licensing Partner Softcat and a major hosted service provider Rackspace to offer the benefits of Microsoft Dynamics CRM on a secure, robust hosted platform. 2B.net has chosen the market leaders in hosted connectivity and licensing security as partners to ensure that the quality and security of HostedLive is paramount

David Brown, Partner Manager at Microsoft commented, “This is exactly the kind of initiative we want our Partners to embrace now that Version 4 of Dynamics CRM has the option to be hosted. It opens up Microsoft Dynamics CRM to a range of different customers and 2B.net is ahead of the game in realising this.”

2B.net has been working with Microsoft Dynamics for the past four years and has a team of expert consultants to ensure that the solution is configured to customers’ exact requirements.

Alistair adds, “The beauty of Microsoft CRM V4, apart from being a functionality rich solution, is that the product is now totally adaptable to a hosted platform so 2B.net is pleased to be able to offer HostedLive as a fully fledged, secure and stable hosted solution.”

Contact Us

0845 46 35 783
OR
0845 46 35 SUE
suen@hostedlive.eu
http://www.hostedlive.eu/

HostedLive: Your customers, your business, your way.

For information on 2B.net Limited go to http://www.2bconsulting.net/

Information on 2B.net Limited

2B.net Limited was founded in the Isle of Wight in 2002 by Alistair Dickinson to meet the needs of a growing CRM product market seeking experienced systems integrators. The company delivers technical solutions to meet the business needs of the real world to both public and private sector organisations. In 2005 2B.net became a Microsoft Certified partner and soon after in 2006 became a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. The company continues to grow in size and reputation through delivery of exceptional solutions. For more information please contact Sue Norreys at suen@2bconsulting.net

Update Rollup 3 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0

Update Rollup 3 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 has just been released and available at the following address:

Update Rollup 3 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 (KB 935364)

For Questions & Answers, Updates and Knowledge base articles, check out the following post on MSDN blog:
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Team Blog : Update Rollup 3 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0

Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step Methodology for CRM Training Event

I just thought I’d let you all know that there is a training event at Microsoft in Reading on Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step Methodology for CRM on Friday14th March 2008.

This is a one-day course to provide you with the knowledge and skills to use Sure Step to successfully implement Microsoft CRM solutions.

According to Microsoft, this methodology is designed to enable rapid and reliable implementation, optimization, and upgrade of all Microsoft Dynamics solutions and can help organisation to:

- Reduce implementation risk through a predictable implementation roadmap.

- Work more easily through complex or multi-site implementation projects by leveraging the same tools and approach as other partners and Microsoft consultants.

- Keep projects on track and within budget by enabling you to create reliable estimates for budgeting and resource allocation.

- Facilitate better teamwork and increased collaboration.

- Increase customer satisfaction.

- Win additional deals!

The objectives of this event from the partner’s website:

- Sure Step: Proven, Powerful Implementation Methodology and Tools

- Sure Step is an all-new suite of field-tested tools, implementation guidance, and services to help your organization complete Microsoft Dynamics implementations on time and on budget, reduce business risks, and satisfy customer expectations.

- The new instructor-led course, using the Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step Methodology to Implement Microsoft Dynamics, will focus on the implementation methodology model that provides the foundation of the Sure Step Methodology, and will demonstrate how to effectively use the Sure Step Methodology in small, medium, and enterprise-level implementation projects.

- The course will provide guidelines and best practices for using the Sure Step Methodology to help prepare you for and successfully execute a Microsoft Dynamics implementation project. The course will help accelerate your understanding and effectiveness in using the Sure Step Methodology.

The agenda of this event:

- Understand the implementation model that supports the Sure Step Methodology.

- Understand the structure, organization, and components of the Sure Step Methodology.

- Use the Sure Step Methodology confidently.

- Use the project management strategies and tools in the Sure Step Methodology to successfully manage an engagement during all phases of an implementation.

- Customize the Sure Step Methodology to incorporate your organization’s own best practices, templates, and tools.


It sounds like an interesting event which unfortunately I would not be able to attend this time. It should also be noted that these events are available only for partners.

To attend this event, you would need to register as usual at the Dynamics Partner Training site: http://www.microsoft.com/uk/partner/dynamicstraining/?id=crm

There is also another one on 25th April if you could not get a booking for this one.

Also, you can download the audio partner cast: Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step Methodology published last year: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=37B01879-6AA7-4875-BBA0-35015B6FFA79&displaylang=en

If you are attending this event, then please give us your thoughts on the event and the use of this methodology in CRM.

Have fun ;o)

Create recurring tasks or activities in CRM 3.0

There was a troubleshooting general issue in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 in regards to creating recurring activities such as appointment, service activity or tasks which is NOT possible to do in CRM.

The Q&A can be found at the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/crm/using/troubleshooting/tsgeneral.mspx

How do I create recurring appointments and service activities?
A. You cannot create recurring appointments or service activities in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Appointments and service activities are created one at a time. If a recurring appointment is created in Microsoft Dynamics CRM client for Microsoft Office Outlook, the recurrence will be lost after synchronization with Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Anyhow, I had a requirement to allow the users to create recurring tasks in CRM 3.0 task activity in particular. It should be noted that this is a lot easier to do in CRM 4.0 as all you would need is a simple workflow to create the recurring tasks when the initial task is being created.

This added feature shall simply capture the start and end dates of the recurrence event. It also captures the recurring pattern (i.e. Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly or Annually).

I then added a number of attributes and a new tab in the task activity to capture the above info and based on that I created a callout to create the tasks based on the values entered in the above fields as shown below.


The following code snippet is taken from the callout showing how the tasks have been created based on the recurring pattern inserted by the user.

// if recurring is set to Yes and recurring dates are also set then create the additional tasks if(new_isrecurring && new_recurringstart != string.Empty && new_recurringend != string.Empty && new_recurringpattern != 0) { DateTime addRecurringStartDate = DateTime.Parse(new_recurringstart); DateTime addRecurringEndDate = DateTime.Parse(new_recurringend); while(addRecurringStartDate < addRecurringEndDate) { // Re-Assign the new_recurringstart & new_recurringend new_recurringstart = addRecurringStartDate.ToString(); new_recurringend = addRecurringEndDate.ToString(); switch(new_recurringpattern) { case 1: //Daily addRecurringStartDate = addRecurringStartDate.AddDays(1); if(addRecurringStartDate <= addRecurringEndDate) // Call the Create Task method here CreateAdditionalTask(....); break; case 2: //"Weekly": addRecurringStartDate = addRecurringStartDate.AddDays(7); if(addRecurringStartDate <= addRecurringEndDate) // Call the Create Task method here CreateAdditionalTask(....); break; case 3: //"Monthly": addRecurringStartDate = addRecurringStartDate.AddMonths(1); if(addRecurringStartDate <= addRecurringEndDate) // Call the Create Task method here CreateAdditionalTask(....); break; case 4: //"Quarterly": addRecurringStartDate = addRecurringStartDate.AddMonths(3); if(addRecurringStartDate <= addRecurringEndDate) // Call the Create Task method here CreateAdditionalTask(....); break; case 5: //"Annually": addRecurringStartDate = addRecurringStartDate.AddYears(1); if(addRecurringStartDate <= addRecurringEndDate) // Call the Create Task method here CreateAdditionalTask(....); break;

Obviously, you will need to call the CRMService web service and create the tasks from your callout.

In addition, you may need to cater for bank holidays and weekends and exclude them from your calculation of days, weeks, monthly and years. There was not a need to do that in this particular instance but if you need a guideline on how to do it or have any further queries regarding any of the above then please post it here or email me with it.