Microsoft Rewrites Its CRM Roadmap

ORLANDO, Fla.—Microsoft Corp. has big plans to enhance its CRM suite through 2006. But dont expect its next major milestone, Version 2.0, until mid-2005, company officials said here at its annual Microsoft Business Solutions conference on Monday.

Holly Holt, group product manager for MS CRM, provided press and analysts attending Microsofts small/midsize business (SMB) conference with an update to the companys CRM roadmap.

Microsoft has more than 1,600 MS CRM customers, company officials said, with each customer averaging 25 seats per installation. H&R Block is Microsofts largest announced CRM customer, with 1,500 users, according to Microsoft. Microsoft says it has 400 independent software vendor partners who are adding extensions to and/or reselling its CRM product.

Microsoft shipped its 1.2 release of MS CRM in December 2003. In the third calendar quarter of 2004, Microsoft plans to release the first of its mobile add-ons to MS CRM, via a new module called "Sales for PocketPCs."

The Sales for PocketPC product is a stripped-down version of MS CRM optimized to run on PocketPC handhelds. It is focused on addressing sales force automation needs, and will provide users with a way to keep track of contacts and accounts, opportunities, activities and their notes, Holt explained.

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