For a number of business owners, the exploration of on-demand CRM offerings can be a confusing task, especially when it comes to evaluating Microsoft (News - Alert) Dynamics CRM versus CRM cloud computing provider Salesforce.com. The former is often a direction taken first, simply because so many individuals are familiar - and therefore assumed comfortable - with Microsoft solutions.
This choice is not necessarily the best solution, but many users are unsure as to why. This confusion often stems from the similarities between the two solutions. Both allow for the creation of custom fields and custom objects; both have role based security; both allow for the creation of new roles/profiles; and both have web-to-lead, or "WTL," firms, mobile access, Sales Quotes, workflow campaigns and a host of other features.
The key element that differentiates Salesforce from MS CRM is the fact that Salesforce was born in the cloud and Microsoft was not. Salesforce offers open API to allow integration with back office systems and any web services from within the UI. If anyone hopes to customize the MS CRM beyond the basics requires on-site server hosting and .NET (News - Alert) developer.
Processing speed is another key difference. MS CRM doesn't appear to prefer to run everything in real-time, slowing the process down considerable when compared with Salesforce. On the flip side, cost is a stark difference between the two, whereas MS CRM runs $44-59 per user per month, versus $125 for Salesforce - but you have to consider what you are getting for the money.
According to an AspiraTech blog, there are both pros and cons to MS CRM:
Pros
MS CRM does offer the familiar Outlook interface; is available as on-demand or hosted on internal servers; provides the ability to selectively decide some behaviors of master-detail relationship between objects; offers the ability to export reports; includes some duplicate detection beyond exact name matches; article templates; delivers the ability to easily create many-to-many table structure; offers a streamlined workflow to create new records; tighter integration with Microsoft products; and more storage.
Cons
The writer of this blog also found drawbacks to MS CRM, including complicated e-mail templates; certain expected features standard in Salesforce were available at a charge; no visible opportunities/contacts on campaigns available; no auto-assignment rules for WTL; lack of info on how to convert a single lead; difficulty finding records to view without editing; downtime and service windows are during working hours; on-demand users must use Internet Explorer; extremely limited customization of mobile integration; no self-service portal or public knowledge-based; no customizable forecasting; no contact roles or partner roles; no custom buttons and links; no content, requiring the purchase of separate SharePoint data storage hosting.
As for Salesforce, there is a large ecosystem of consultants who will customize the implementation primarily within the UI. "These consultants are much more expensive than SFDC consultants because their certification requires certification with Microsoft's server technology, as well as the CRM product," the blog reads.
The blog went on to say that, with MS CRM, you are likely to do configuration within the UI in-house instead of using a consultant, simply because it makes no sense to pay for server expertise when you don't need any server configuration.
While MS CRM appears to be the only viable alternative to Salesforce in the market, it is highly recommended that the organization go with Salesforce if budget allows. It is still considered the best-of-class and will deliver exceptional value.
In addition, considering it lives in the cloud, continuous improvements are being made and are easily accessible by users as needed. MS CRM may be a good fit, but it really only provides the first step to the value offering in Salesforce.
Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan's articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by Kelly McGuire